“An action verb is used to describe an action that an individual, person, object, or process in nature can do. Action verb plays a vital role in resume writing, and they are also considered power verbs.” It also assists individuals to highlight person’s strengths and make their resumes more interesting for employers. Action verbs promptly catch the hiring managers’ interest and make them curious to read the resume in detail. We used the action verb to represent an action that we performed in certain circumstances. When the verb is specific to your target job, it assisted the hiring manager to visualize that you have previously done this work. If you are looking for a position as an assembler, for instance, and in your cover letter you utilize the action verbs “assembled,” “made,” and “compiled,” the person in charge of hiring will automatically picture you performing the duties of the position.
Tactics to Make your Resume Stand out with Action Verbs
We used powerful action verbs in the professional document to develop a vivid, clear, and dynamic picture of the candidate’s work experience, skills, and achievements. In today’s market hiring managers and potential employers are keen to know what a candidate can achieve for their organization. You can stand out by using effective action verbs, accomplishments, and language that explains your contributions instead of your day-to-day description.
When choosing an action verb one caution is that it should be based on accuracy and impact. You will immediately differentiate yourself from other applicants if you choose strong action verbs that appropriately display your abilities and achievements. This will provide you with the necessary comparative advantage when recruiters consider application materials. Effective use of resume action words can assist the candidate in seeking the hiring manager’s attention. Action verbs are also used to present accomplishments by introducing quantified, numerical data. We can explain it by demonstrating a few examples, if a person saved company money, he might share in percentage by which you increased revenue or the amount of company time you saved. Rather than saying that you “saved XYZ company lots of money” you used action verbs like “reduced expenses by 25% in 6 months to secure maximum profitability.”
Examples of Sentences with Action Verbs
- Contributed to the successful business account transformation by leading service delivery and delivering.
- Completed over 70 projects of software development, migration, infrastructure, and production areas refurbishment.
- Drove automation and digitalization of business processes that achieved significant savings for customers
- Achieved five-star ratings from 90% of clients through excellent customer service skills.
- Attained circa $50 to $100 monthly incentives by maintaining ratings and achieving set targets.
- Raised $500M AuM by generating funds through strategic contract negotiations.
- Designed legal strategies for structuring and acquisition of over six real estate transactions worth $500M.
- Accomplished and maintained zero regulatory breaches across four regulated jurisdictions.
Action Verb Role in ATS
Tailoring your resume to each job opening that you apply for will help it pass applicant tracking system (ATS) scans and help your application stand out from the crowd. It will make it clear immediately to the hiring manager that you are qualified for the position. Using specific resume action words is a great way to target your resume for each position. You can intentionally choose words that reinforce the desired skills. Read the job description carefully to identify these keywords and work them throughout your entire resume.
Using resume action words allows you to show potential employers how qualified you are. Avoid using words like ‘great,’ ‘expert,’ and ‘best,’ as these words can feel like bragging and give employers a very vague idea of your skills and expertise. Instead, use powerful words to let your actions and accomplishments speak for themselves.
Of course, resume action words can be overused as well, so take care not to overdo it. One action word per bullet point is generally enough. Action verb must be fit to your industry so that you can secure maximum score in ATS scanning.
To maximize the effectiveness of your use of action verbs, you should focus on expressing “achieving” language rather than “doing” language. It is important to generate an impression that will last, so it is worth the extra work to include action verbs and an active voice in your resume. List your past accomplishments and important contributions as a way to demonstrate your value to a potential employer or hiring manager. Doing so will demonstrate what you can offer to the table.
Hiring managers will be on the lookout for action verbs when they read your resume and during the interview. Recruiters want to hear about actions, not passive, vague references to achievements or promotions. Action verbs present your value in a straightforward manner that can also express confidence and passion.
Best Resume Action Verbs List
Advised, Managed, Compiled, Critiqued, Mentored, Trained, Coached, Designed, Built, Directed, Established, Headed, Examined, Managed, Generated, Guided, Hypothesized, Illustrated, Improved, Influenced, Invented, Motivated, Negotiated, Ordered, Oversaw, Prepared, Recruited, Resolved, Trained, Accomplished, Upgraded. More
Because they have to go through thousands of resumes, employers simply do not have the time or the resources available to personally go through each one of the resumes that are sent to them. They utilized a variety of scanning software to perform the function of a gatekeeper to save a significant amount of time. This program assigns a score to each CV after searching for keywords that are relevant to the job description and the skills that are required. In addition to this, it searches for action words that stand out and indicate a possible match.
Even if you make it through the screening software, there is no assurance that you will be granted an interview. When a recruiter or hiring manager views your resume, resume power words will grab their attention and get them to pay attention to what you have to say. Use action phrases to enhance your talents and accomplishments while you are describing your previous work experience in bullet points. This will assist you in moving on to the next level, which is an interview.
To put an end to this discussion, we can state that the use of action verbs makes it simpler for you to move smoothly from one point to the next, without the need to frequently employ the words “also” or “in addition.” When writing a resume, your primary objective should be to ensure that every bullet point that you provide is read, understood, and flows well into the next one. There is a particular power that action verbs possess that other words do not have, and the more time you spend choosing which ones are best for your resume, the more likely it is that you will have an application that makes an outstanding impression on potential employers.
