How to Use Action Verbs in a Resume

Active resumes get to the top almost immediately and make the best first impression. Passive language is the worst thing you can do, especially if you want to stand out among hundreds of other applicants. Insofar as the process of writing a resume has ceased to be a secret for anyone for a long time, recruiters themselves advise that it is better to write active words. After all, instead of completely exhausting the reader, as well as getting into a pile of resumes postponed for later, you can interest the hiring manager.

What Do Power Words for a Resume Mean?

In short, the answer lies in the name itself. These are verbs that express action. They mean things that a person can do. Specifically in the resume, the technique is used to effectively show the skills, experience, and specific achievements of the candidate. Such wording makes your statement much more confident, and also allows hiring managers to accurately assess your contribution to the company.

Why Is It Worth Giving Up Passive Speech?

If you can add the phrase “By You” to every verb you write, and if it sounds grammatically correct, then you have a passive resume. Even a simple phrase: “I sent my resume” sounds many times more confident than “The resume was sent by me.” The first one is shorter and simpler, this makes it easier to find the key verb itself in a whole text. Many people unknowingly use passive speech on their resumes and this is a huge mistake.

Related: Biggest Resume Mistakes That Could Cost You the Interview

There are also phrases that you should give up forever because they make your resume extremely boring and unattractive. These are also passive phrases used in a resume like “was responsible for”, “worked with”, “managed”. You can find them in almost every resume, and that is not even a good indicator. Another feature of passive speech is the focus on the process, not the result. From the phrases above, you cannot understand how certain responsibilities ended, this is an unfinished process, achievements are not visible. Since passive speech is too often used in resumes, recruiters look with dislike at the wording of such proposals. They may never know about your real talents because you did not give them a chance to feel confident in you.

If you think the “don’ts” list ends there, you are a bit wrong. Another nuance that kills the desire to continue reading the resume is using some words that are supposed to describe you. So, it’s worth remembering that phrases like “hard-working”, “result-oriented” and the like do nothing to the recruiter. They do not see confirmation of your words, so there is no point in writing these phrases.

Why Should Action Verbs Be Used in Writing a Resume

Firstly, action language for a resume allows you to draw attention to yourself. Such wording does not tire since the hiring manager can feel your confidence and strength even through the document. Besides, active verbs themselves are of interest, since they differ a lot from the usual passive form of speech in the resume. Even if a candidate who has the same achievements as you applies for the same position, HR will prefer exactly the applicant who used active resume verbs in the resume.

Proactive wording looks more lively, allowing you to share your unique story and be heard. Likewise, you can back up your words with facts and evidence to show that you are worthy of the job because you are a reliable employee.

However, if you have problems filling your resume with strong action verbs for the resume, you can always contact our ResumeEdge team, which is always ready to give advice.

Best Action Verbs to Use on Resume

Even though there are a lot of active verbs examples, it all depends on the skill area you are talking about. For instance:

• If you are talking about communication skills, then it’s better to use words like: persuaded, translated, published, encouraged, corresponded.
• When it comes to creative skills, the best words are: acted, applied, composed, created, established, introduced, originated, presented.
• Financial skills look much better with: adjusted, compared, counted, computed, documented, verified, recorded, estimated, invested, predicted, and so on.
• For your assisting skills: aided, built, assisted, demonstrated, performed, trained, supported, solved.
• For leadership achievements: assigned, attained, challenged, coordinated, decided, delegated, achieved, headed, executed, motivated, organized, united.
• For any of technical skills: analyzed, transmitted, calculated, launched, designed, operated and others.

In Closing

The use of action phrases for a resume has a lot more meaning than it seems at first. Therefore, you should always pay special attention to the task. You should show what exactly you can offer the employer, and what success you have. Be sure to reread your resume to make sure it is free of passive constructions. But in any case, you can ask our team for help, that can not only edit your document but also write a resume from the very beginning, taking into account all your wishes.