Writing a great resume using action verbs

By Surranna Sandy, CPRW, CEIP, President RésuméSolutions.ca

For many job seekers, the thought of writing a résumé fills them with dread. However, there is no getting away from it unless you use a professional résumé writing company such as resumesolutions.ca, as a résumé is a critical component of a job seeker’s career management tool kit. As everyone knows, getting a job depends on getting an interview with a potential employer.  And that opportunity can be lost by a badly prepared résumé.  Creating a document to sell one's experience, skills and education can be a very challenging and time consuming task. 

One way to stand out from the crowd is to use action verbs. As a Certified Professional Résumé Writer, I love to use strong verbs when writing résumés for my clients and I love action verbs more! Action verbs take average sentences and make them shine, take mundane tasks and accomplishments and presents them in new ways that elevates the tenor of a résumé. Job seekers need to change the way they view the résumé, as most employers have moved into using automated systems that scan résumés for keywords and specific skills. 

So what are action verbs? Here are few that can add “zip” to an otherwise boring résumé with a laundry list of responsibilities. 

By now you may be wondering how to effectively use an action verb. Look at how the action verb “demonstrated” was used to paint a vivid picture of this executive’s success using his skills. 
 
“Demonstrated tenacity and persuasive negotiation & presentation skills to secure 20+ contracts with major corporations in the energy distribution, utilities and automotive sectors.”

As a job seeker, your résumé and cover letter must convince a recruiter that you are the perfect candidate for the vacancy without overloading the document with irrelevant data. In order to attract attention in the job marketplace and distinguish yourself from the competition, your résumé needs to creatively highlight your work history, achievements, education and capabilities.

In closing, be creative and use action verbs to giveyour résumé power and direction while successfully describing your skills a to be effective, a résumé should be concise and to the point. It is critical that you do not prepare a résumé that consists of a laundry list of responsibilities for each job you have ever held or one, which includes company jargon. In a document that is no longer than three pages (two is preferable), you need to convey to a prospective employer the contributions you made in each of your past roles.

Do not use long-winded sentences or dated terminology. An example of what not to do: “Dear sirs, with your permission, herein is included my résumé and cover letter, in accordance with your request for someone of my esteemed talents which are in line with your organization’s long-term goals” Employers do not want to read long, cumbersome or jargon-laden sentences. Be specific and to the point. So go ahead and get noticed!