Importance of Action Verbs in a Resume

Resume Action verbs

Your resume is your passport to receive an invitation for a job interview and if you are not able to get a job interview invitation yet, I encourage you to review your resume and make sure it includes the required criteria of a strong resume.

Hiring managers scan your resume in 6 to 8 seconds to look for job required keywords, competencies, to notice if your resume is relevant to the job they are hiring for and if you have the qualifications to do the job.

How to grab recruiters’ attention to your resume?

Headline, keywords, action verbs, knowledge, skills and abilities are essential elements to consider while writing a resume. Action verbs are used in a resume to describe skills, accomplishments, and responsibilities.

There are different types of action verbs to consider in your resume like actions verbs for management skills, administrative skills, communication skills, creative skills, and financial skills. You can use them to describe your ability to do something.

E.g. you don’t need to write in your resume words like I have management skills, but it is better to write:
“Managed the organization’s core projects, developed a new policy and accomplished projects before deadlines”.

Why Should You Use action verbs in a resume?

Action verbs are significant in your resume, you can use them to create an impact when you are delivering information to another reader. This is your unique way to highlight the tasks you can do, allowing you to describe more about your professional expertise as an achiever more than a doer.

Choosing the right word is sometimes critical to describe what you have successfully done to persuade potential employers to give you a chance for an interview appointment.

Action verbs prevent you from using buzzwords and provide the reader with a clear understanding of what is happening and what you can do.

Action verbs help you to stand out from other applicants.

How to use action verbs in resumes?

Mostly, action verbs are used in the work experience section of your resume. You start each sentence or point with an action verb that refers to the most relevant information for the role you are applying for.

Here are simple steps to follow:

• Begin each sentence with an action verb to engage recruiters to read your resume.
• Invest in the first lines to mention your achievements and results that relate to the employer’s objectives.
• It would be smart if you can use numbers to quantify your achievement to strengthen the impact.

How do action verbs improve resumes?

Actions verbs can improve your resume and make it easier to read. When you start every bullet point in your work experience with an effective action verb, you will attract the employer’s attention. If you succeed in using the right actin verbs and succeed in presenting the information consistently throughout your resume, then the employer will find it easy to read it and maybe you guarantee a call.