A Is for Action: Incorporate Action Words Into a Resume

@Sylvia thanks for your comment. The best way to accomplish this is to keep a live journal. Remember back in high school when you were required to keep a daily journal. What a hassle. But, if you look back it, through the journal, you might be amazed at what you accomplished throughout the year. Things that you would have totally forgotten if it hadn't been for that journal. The same is true on the job. When asked to do something new, jot it down in your work journal. This way, when you have to write a new resume or you are up for review, you can pull your journal out and see everything that you did and can truly show your value to the company.

These tips are truly invaluable. Although it has been a struggle to quantify all of my previous work, even being able to highlight one or two accomplishments is helpful. For instance, how did I aid to a decrease in school absences or an increase in participation for students? Did customer reviews suggest that the atmosphere was better once I started working? Did we pass an inspection that I helped contribute to? Even if you are a "cog in the wheel," there are ways you can show how you added value. Thanks for these ideas!

Thanks for the comments. @Abbey so very true. It's sometimes comical to read a resume that contains "thesaurus" type wording. When a job seeker does that, it's patently obvious! I remember an episode of Friends where Monica and Chandler were applying to adopt a child. They needed some character references so Joey offered to write one up for them. Ross showed Joey how to use the thesaurus and the results were disastrous - funny but still disastrous. Every other word came from a thesaurus. I always think about that when I am using a thesaurus to find a different word. @Hema please don't use the word "cog" in your resume. You weren't a cog but part of a team. That's how you describe yourself. Best of luck in your job search.

Using the right action verbs in the right places is priceless. As stated in the comments, a thesaurus is a great way to find words that are not quite so cliche and overused, but sometimes people get carried away. Use a word that you know, and make sure you understand it's meaning thoroughly. I have seen many resumes over the years where people have used synonyms that just weren't quite synonymous enough for the context. Either way, using actions verbs will certainly boost your resume over one that does not.

In some of my past jobs I was just a cog in a wheel and it’s hard to quantify any accomplishments I had in those positions. But I can see how searching for action keywords may help. Some employers might actually be looking for someone who has experience in being a cog. After reading this, I have a better chance of finding such employers since I now know how to search for them.

This makes so much sense. As a writer and editor, I am constantly urging myself and others to use more active voice, so why wouldn't that also translate into making a resume and cover letter more active? Action is always so much more engaging to read than dry nouns and repetitive text.

Action words in a resume help tell a hiring manager your story. It's the "action-result" portion of a situation you experienced with a previous employer. When you convey how you accomplished a result, your resume becomes that much more effective without a lot of extra words. That's why action-based keywords are vitally important.

Thanks again for the comments. Thanks Leigh for your insight. We are always asked about HR's viewpoint. @Jacob - a thesaurus is a wonderful tool as long as it is used correctly. Some of the resumes I have read would make you laugh. You can tell that the writer used a thesaurus but didn't take the time to really dig in and find out what the words mean! If we can tell that the person just threw words in to make themselves sound more intelligent, what do you think hiring managers do when they get a resume like that?

Who knew how handy a thesaurus could be to a job search? I suppose there is probably an app for that now anyway, but it fantastic to know that articulation and messaging can play such a huge role in a job search. The process of writing bullets with action points really forces you to think about your accomplishments, which is kind of like interview prep anyway.

@Nancy

As a former hiring manager, I appreciate this article. Not only do action verbs make a resume or cover letter more interesting to read, but they also make it easier for applicants to describe their achievements. Even entry-level employees can almost always find one or two achievements to list in terms of improved efficiency or cost savings. Using action verbs makes the recruiter's job easier, and it makes it easier for an applicant to make it to the next stage of the hiring process.

Thanks again for the comments. Action verbs truly are important. Make sure that they are the right tense also and try to never use the word "I" to lead off any bullet. Quantifiable and measurable are the words that you need to keep in mind when you are listing down the tasks that perform or have performed. This is what hiring managers are looking for. Sure it might be great that you have 20 tasks to list down for a position but that is not what hiring managers want. They want short, simple, to the point type resumes showing how you helped the company move forward. Bear in mind that not everyone will be able to state, for instance, that they created a process to do X and saved the company $X per year in materials and manpower. But, if you can measure your accomplishments, by all means do so.

I think that another problem that I was having with my resumes was that I didn't pair my actions with the result of them. Another thing is that I didn't know that you could also use action verbs as keywords in your job search. This is a great article with so much information, it's going to require me to read it again just to get all of the information contained herein.

For my latest resume, I focused on demonstrating the measurable results that I achieved in past positions. Simply having a description of a past work experience does not tell employers how I specifically contributed to the position and obtained positive, quantifiable results for the company. In order to make these descriptions pop in the eyes of employers, action words are definitely key. Sometimes the only changes that need to be made to make a resume great is simple rewording.

Great advice! This makes a lot of sense. I have read through too many resumes that are full of fluff and filler and honestly, this is easily apparent to hiring managers. Adding action words that are backed by concrete examples definitely makes you stand out to employers and stand apart from the other candidates.

Thanks @Katharine and @Jay for your comments. Action verbs are the best way to state your accomplishments. I can remember writing up a resume years ago and everyone used "responsible for" or "accountable for", etc. Now we are told not to use those verbs as they don't really express anything. @Jay always remember, when writing a cover letter, that it's not about you - it's all about them. It's all about how hiring you will benefit their bottom line. Thanks again.

Verbs are "doing" words, so it's only natural that I should be putting them into application for "doing" jobs. By demonstrating myself a person of action, I could end up on a potential employer's hiring radar. It's so easy to focus on character traits when I write cover letters, but if I shift over and concentrate on accomplishments instead, I make myself a more desirable hire.

This reminds me of a law professor I had who always said "Words have meaning." Makes sense; action verbs have clear meanings that translate to specific tasks and outcomes. It can be tempting to use more vague language if you don't quite have the credentials a job description requires, but it's better to try to find a way to express your qualifications in action words.