Resume Action Verbs
Why use Action Verbs?
Action verbs are the spice to your resume. Without them, your future employer would not know what it was that you were so amazing at doing. Action words help to clarify what tasks, accomplishments and assignments you had done in the past. Never resort to just saying “worked at” or “made sure” or “did this”. The lists that you will see below are all presented in past tense, since in your resume if you have completed a task, it should be presented in past tense. If you are still in the process of something, write it in the present tense.You want to captivate your audience; this can be done with less words and show the breath of experience and knowledge you have already gained through simply picking words from the following appropriate category!
Management and Business
Most corporate jobs entail many different roles and responsibilities. Action words clarify the specific tasks in which you completed. Positive action words especially establish the kind of work you’ve done at your previous job. In the case of business jobs, keep your language professional and varied is a key part of a stellar resume.
| Management and Business administered analyze applied assigned attained chaired consolidated coordinated delegated executed hired implemented recruited oversaw strengthened supervised trained |
Communication and Public Relations
If you are just out of a communications program from post-secondary education, or your job involved a lot of work with other people, action verbs can show that you’ve done more than just talking. The importance here is that you show just how well you can communicate and elaborate on your past experiences.
| Communication and Public Relations addressed consulted developed directed drafted editted formulated explained presented persuaded published wrote promoted translate familiarized communicated staffed described founded briefed published |
Technical and Research
It is hard to describe tasks that have jargon and other words that relate to the field in which you are applying without using good action verbs. Technical jobs will require of you to know how to describe the tasks that can purely be labeled as “worked on”. Don’t fall into this trap! Diversify your language by using the following action verbs!
| Technical and Research Skills engineered fabricated examined installed maintained invented modelled operated created extracted inspected identified gathered salvaged reviewed programmed organized organized researched systemized |
Education and Training
As they say, “if you can read this, thank a teacher!”. Why not thank a teacher by showing your great breadth of vocabulary! There are many different ways to show that you have “taught”. This is a very good indicator to employers that you are able to lead others and be patient with them. This is a great quality to have if you are thinking of either going into teaching or a job that requires of you lots of teamwork.
| Education and Teaching clarified coached tutored assisted encouraged guided educated introduced explained instructed enabled gratified evaluated delivered helped determined requested registered kindled prepared |
Teamwork and Collaboration
Remember that you’re not supposed to say “we” on your resume. But a lot of times, there are projects, assignments and jobs in general where you are constantly working with others. It wouldn’t be fair to just say you’ve done all the work, so use these action verbs to show that you’ve worked in a team but still contributed to their positive successes.
| Teamwork and Collaboration contributed assisted demonstrated led counseled guided facilitated started founded represented served discovered aided assessed attended membership to exported elaborated constructed encouraged |
References
Dalhousie University. “Action Verbs or Skill Clusters”. May 26, 2008. Staffing Services. June 19 2008.
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