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Why action verbs add power to your sentences
A demo crew may have lights and cameras, but version no movie until there's action. Likewise, your resume needs dynamic language to make it move. To deliver the most punch in your achievement statements, use an action verb at or near the beginning of each line. Action verbs make your resume more powerful by emphasizing how you accomplished your goals.
Terms of Employment
Responsible for is a slippery phrase that doesn't clearly describe your level of involvement. Did you think of an idea that others carried out, or did you work overtime to implement ever y detail of a project? Either way, be sure to give yourself full credit by using action verbs (instead of "responsible for") to indicate exactly what your role was.
Job-Hunt Hint
Using action verbs on your resume is one of the easiest ways to tell the employer that you're a go-getter!
Career Casualty
Uncertain about the exact meaning of a word? Either look it up in the dictionary or use a word that you're familiar with.
Job-Hunt Hint
Read each line on your resume out loud. If you stumble over a word, consider changing it to one that's more comfortable for you. After all, in the job interview, you'll be expected to dis cuss what's on your resume with ease.
Career Casualty
Avoid using the same word many times in your resume. For instance, if you say "Managed a sof tware project" in one bullet point statement, say that you "Super vised a team of engineers" in another statement so as not to repeat the word "managed."
Bonus Check
Simple sentences are usually more effective than complicated sentences. Shorter words areof ten more powerful than longer ones. For hints on good writing technique, turn toChapter 16, "You've Got Style." Although I wrote that chapter with letter writing in mind,there are several tips that apply to resume writing as well
Career Casualty
Don't be redundant in your use of verbs within one statement. For instance, "created" and "developed" mean essentially the same, so write "Developed a software program," instead of "Created and developed a software program."
Job-Hunt Hint
Think of your resume as a sample version piece that you're sending to a potential employer. If necessary, get help from someone who is prodigious in grammar and spelling to help with your composition so that your resume makes a good impression.
Career Casualty
If you're changing careers, besure you're using the correct terms on your resume for the industry you're going into. For instance, an associate in the legal field is an attorney. An associate in retail is a salesperson. Big difference!
Job-Hunt demo
It's okay to use slang as long as it's understandable and appropriate. For instance, you could say that you "beat the competition" on a resume for a sales position; whereas it would be more appropriate to say that you "placed first in fundraising" in a resume targeted for nonprofit organizations.
Career Casualty
Avoid gerunds (verbs that end in "ing") in your writing whenever possible. For instance, say "Wrote 10 reports that proposed the value of carpooling," instead of " Wrote 10 reports proposing the value of carpooling."
How'd the Other Guys Say It?
A quick look at what others have written might give you the jumpstart you need for writing about your own accomplishments. The following achievement statements were taken from several different resumes:
- Restructured entire Service Department, resulting in more efficient outreach programs.
- Initiated procedures to increase employee productivity while reducing stress levels.
- Successfully explained and demonstrated technical products in lay terminology to prospective buyers.
- Negotiated the sale of $100,000 worth of unprofitable inventory.
- Created sales and marketing programs that increased shopping center profits by 33 percent.
- Won more than 80 percent of cases, delivering persuasive arguments as legal representative for corporate clients in administrative law hearings.
- Increased MediSave's stock value five-fold in nine months by repositioning the product and company.
- Convinced more than 400 commuters to carpool, reducing the number of vehicles on the road by 225 per year.
- Managed a national and international sales force of 32 manufacturers' representative companies for Teekel Press, a publisher.
- Exceeded delivery performance by 10 percent, taking it from 85 percent to a record 95 percent in an industry where the norm is 75 percent.
- Managed the sales and full Profit & Loss for 20 stores in Northern California region.
- Handled daily news coverage of the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland A's, which involved extensive travel.
- Authored two published pieces on international touring, which demystified the hard-ships and emphasized the rewards of independent travel.
- Reconciled differences among personnel, creating a more cohesive team spirit.
Career Casualty
Most chronological resume writers make a big mistake: Because they're creating a history-based resume, they write job descriptions instead of dynamic achievements. Don't fall for that logic! By writing achievement statements, you'll turn a stereotypical document into a winning sales piece.
Bonus Check
Achievement statements on your resume can trigger some good conversation about yourstrengths during the interview.