How can you choose the best action verbs for your resume?

Start by collecting job descriptions for positions similar to the one you are targeting within your industry. You can find these on job boards, company websites, or professional networking platforms. From there examine these job descriptions for recurring action verbs. Pay close attention to verbs used to describe responsibilities, qualifications, and achievements. These are often strong indicators of what industry employers value. You can also take them through resume keyword scanners such as Jobscan.

One of the most clearly classified action verbs list is by Muse - "185+ Action Verbs That Will Majorly Impress Hiring Managers".

Choosing the right action words or keywords can make or break your application. True or false? Are keywords important? Absolutely! Do they make or break you? Not necessarily. I recommend conducting a deep dive analysis into the position you are targeting. What are the required skills? What are the preferred skills? What are the salient keywords used throughout the description of the position? Incorporate some of those keywords into your resume, whether in a keywords section or throughout the professional experience section. You could also research industry trends and related job postings to ensure your resume includes the most relevant action verbs and keywords that resonate with potential employers in your field.

In my perspective use strong keywords related to your job descriptions it should not be general. The language should be jargon-free and simple.Whenever possible, use action verbs which allow you to quantify your achievements. i.e instead of saying " improved sales". You can just say " increased sales revenue by 40%". this will increase your impact factor in ATS score.

O good grief--a résumé does not require "optimization" for the ATS. ATSs do not select candidates: people do. ATSs are just applicant *tracking* systems. When will this cavalcade of hysterics over ATSs ever come to an end?

There should be only two tenses... Present tense if you are currently doing that work at your job. Past tense if you are no longer doing it!

Selecting the appropriate verb tense in your resume is akin to painting a clear picture of your professional journey. Past tense for past roles, present for current ones - a rule of thumb for clarity. Yet, exceptions arise when emphasizing ongoing achievements or transferable skills. For instance, "lead" remains present if you continue to lead a team or project. It's a subtle touch that adds depth to your resume's narrative.

It will be a good idea to use action verbs and substantiate the same using quantifiable achievements. For eg. Spearheaded x transformation project which led to x % reduced cost/time

You be the judge. If you were comparing these 2 resumes, which is stronger? 1. Worked with team members to achieve 100% of goals. 2. Collaborated with 10+ cross functional team members, achieving 100% of sales and performance targets in 2022. Yea, thought so. Avoid words like "Used, Worked, Teamed up, etc." and use action verbs that make a statement.

Employing vivid and diverse verbs breathes life into your resume. Steering clear of mundane choices like "did" or "worked", opt for action-packed verbs that vividly portray your contributions. For instance, rather than stating "worked on a marketing campaign", showcase "designed and executed a triumphant marketing initiative, driving a 25% surge in sales". This not only amplifies impact but also keeps your resume engaging and memorable. It's the art of painting a dynamic professional portrait.

When it comes to resume writing, word choices are CRITICAL. Yep, I am serious. -Did you "assist" with the project or did you "play a key role" in it? -Were you "responsible for" driving revenue or did you "increase revenue by $50M?" Using active verbs on your resume is crucial because it adds a dynamic and assertive tone to your accomplishments, making them more impactful and engaging. Active voice conveys a sense of responsibility and achievement, showcasing how you directly contributed to your past roles. On the other hand, passive voice tends to be vague and less compelling, potentially leading to your resume being overlooked.

I see a lot of early resumes that say things like "gained skills in collaboration by partnering with team members to complete x project". This is a more passive way of showing the skill of collaboration and a stronger way to say this is "Collaborated with a team (of x number of people) to complete a x project which resulted in x". We all need to own our skills and accomplishments!

Proof reading is incredibly important. Almost every resume I come across has mis-spelled words, mixed verb tenses, and lack of detail. Going through your resume with a fine tooth comb is important.

Have friends and family members review your resume for spelling and grammatical errors. It is better to catch any mistakes in advance so you can make changes. It also shows attention to detail and that you took the time to ensure it was correct.

Action verbs bring life to your resume and emphasize your accomplishments, which ultimately helps you present yourself as a valuable candidate to potential employers. Here are some sample action verbs: Accelerated, Adapted, Advanced, Advised, Built, Captured, Championed, Changed, Created, Delivered, Decreased,Designed, Educated, Eliminated, Enhanced, Expanded, Facilitated, Headed, Implemented, Improved, Increased, Influenced, Modeled, Motivated, Negotiated, Organized, Projected, Presented, Rebuilt, Resolved, Revised, Simplified, Surpassed, Streamlined, Targeted, Transformed

The biggest “rookie mistake” I see is unecessary modifiers (usually adverbs). Words ending in -ly Examples: Confidently Efficiently Reliably Effectively You get it. We are going to assume you are confident, efficient, reliable, effective, etc. These actually *detract* from the strong action verbs.

It would be easy to read this article and think, "Ah so I just need to identify these objectively superior action verbs and my résumé will be more effective!" Nothing could be farther from the truth. Here's the thing: the key underlying high quality writing--in any non-fiction form--will always be communicating what your reader needs to know as quickly and efficiently as possible. Therefore, it is critical to select *the most relevant* action verbs that are best suited to your STAR stories. Because otherwise, you're simply rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.