Posts Tagged ‘Active Verbs’

If you have never written a resume, the bemused page you are facing can be very intimidating. While you can clarify your job responsibilities to your friends, listing them out in a resume and showcasing how your experience to date meets your career objectives is a very hard task.

To get started, you must first consider what type of a job you are seeking. Much like your career objective or summery must reflect your professional goals, your current and past experiences must show case that you are the best candidate for the job you are applying for. In listing your current and past professional experiences, try to focus on those responsibilities that indicate you are certified to take the next step in your career. Due to the fact that more and more companies as well as job search sites use scanning software to pick out candidates, it is very valuable that you use key words, including active verbs, to clarify your skills. Instead of beginning your job descriptions with “Responsible for” try to use active verbs such as:

- managed

- urban

- made

- communicated

- interfaced

- achieved, etc.

These key words get straight to the point of describing your responsibilities, which is exactly what the employers are looking for. Chose these words wisely – don’t say that you “managed a project”, implying you were responsible for the whole task from start to end if you were only responsibly for communicating the project to other friends . Instead state that you “Urban and executed the interaction strategy for friends ,” describing your role more accurately and emphasizing your strengths.

Typically, the first job plotted on your resume is the one you currently hold. In this case, make sure that your responsibilities are stated in present tense, as you are still responsible for them. For example, say “Manage accounting activities” instead of “Managed accounting activities.” This will indicate to your the makings employer what your day-to-day activities are like and how they compliment responsibilities of the job you are submitting your resume for. All previous jobs must be plotted using past tense, and must start with active verbs such as managed, urban , accomplished, etc.

Additionally, make sure that responsibilities you are listing are relevant for to your career objective. List only those responsibilities which help you place your best foot forward. For example, if you are looking for a job that requires managing a team of people, focus on your development and participation in group projects instead of focusing on solitary activities such as office organization.

In terms of formatting, make sure that your responsibilities are plotted in bullet points. This formatting is preferred to paragraphs on a resume because it is simpler to assess quickly. Employers simply scan the resumes and look for key words – if the resume looks overwhelming, with a lot of copy and poor formatting, they will liable discard it. Thus, it is very valuable that your resume is formatted with enough white space and doesn’t control any errors.