Saying It With Impact

        Producing impact through your words is crucial in a resume. Knowing which action verbs, adjectives, and adverbs to use and how to use them will significantly strengthen your resume. This section will cover all of these points and show you how to bring it together in your resume.

ACTION WORDS

        A resume should sound alive and vigorous. Using action verbs helps achieve that feeling. “I changed the filing system” lacks punch and doesn’t really indicate if the system was improved. “I reorganized and simplified the filing system” sounds much better and provides more accurate information.

        Review the sentences below to get a feel for action words. Then quickly scan the words in the following list and check any you think you might want to use in your resume. Don’t try to force them in; use them when they feel right.

        Conducted long‑range master planning for the Portland water supply system.

        Monitored enemy radio transmissions, analyzed information, and identified enemy strategic and tactical capabilities.

        Planned, staffed, and organized the intramural sports program for this 1,200‑student college.

        Produced daily reports for each trial and made sure documents and evidence were handled properly.

        Presented seminars to entry‑level secretaries and worked to increase the pro­fessionalism of secretaries in the county system.

        Improved the coordination, imagination, and pantomime techniques of adults through mime and dance training.

        Allocated and dispensed federal moneys to nine counties as board member of the CETA Advisory Board.

ACTION VERBS

accelerated

accomplished

accounted for

accumulated

achieved

acquainted

acquired

acted (as)

activated

active in

adapted

added

addressed

adhered

adjusted

administered

advanced

advertised

advised

advocated

aided

aligned

allocated

altered

amplified

analyzed

announced

answered

anticipated

applied

appointed

appraised

apprised

appropriated

approved

arbitrated

arranged

articulated

ascertained

assembled

asserted

assessed

assigned

assimilated

assisted

assured

attached

attained

attended

attracted

audited

augmented

authored

authorized

automated

awarded

backed

balanced

bargained

bid

blended

boosted

bought

braced

briefed

broadened

brought

brought about

budgeted

built

calculated

campaigned

canvassed

capitalized on

cared for

carried out

catalogued

caught

caused

centralized

certified

chaired

championed

charted

checked

clarified

classified

closed

coached

coined

collaborated

collected

combined

comforted

commanded

commended

communicated

compared

compelled

compiled

completed

composed

compounded

compromised

computed

conceived

concentrated

conceptualized

conciliated

concluded

condensed

conducted

confined

conserved

consoled

consolidated

constructed

consulted

consummated

contacted

contracted

contributed

controlled

conversed

converted

convinced

cooperated

coordinated

corrected

correlated

corresponded

corroborated

counseled

created

criticized

critiqued

culminated in

cultivated

customized

cut

dealt

debated

decided

decorated

decreased

defined

delegated

delivered

demonstrated

demystified

depicted

derived

designated

designed

detailed

detected

determined

developed

devised

diagnosed

diagrammed

dictated

directed

disciplined

discovered

discussed

dispatched

dispensed

displayed

disproved

dissected

disseminated

dissuaded

distributed

diverted

documented

dominated

doubled

downsized

drafted

dramatized

drew up

drove

earned

economized

edited

educated

effected

elected

eliminated

employed

empowered

enabled

enacted

encouraged

endorsed

enforced

engineered

enhanced

enlarged

enlisted

ensured

equipped

escalated

established

estimated

evaluated

examined

exceeded

executed

exhibited

expanded

expedited

experienced

experimented

explained

explored

expounded

expressed

extended

extracted

fabricated

facilitated

familiarized

fashioned

filed

finalized

financed

fixed

focused

followed up

forced

forged

forecasted

formalized

formed

formulated

fostered

found

founded

fulfilled

functioned as

funded

furthered

gained

galvanized

gathered

generated

governed

graduated

grew

grouped

guaranteed

guarded

guided

halved

handled

harmonized

harnessed

hastened

headed

heightened

helped

hired

identified

illustrated

imagined

implemented

impressed

improved

improvised

incorporated

increased

indexed

induced

influenced

informed

initiated

innovated

inspected

inspired

installed

instigated

instilled

instituted

instructed

insured

integrated

intensified

interfaced

interpreted

intervened

interviewed

introduced

invented

inventoried

invested

investigated

judged

justified

kept

kindled

launched

lectured

led

liaised

lifted

listened

litigated

lobbied

localized

located

logged

lowered

magnified

maintained

managed

manipulated

manufactured

marketed

mastered

maximized

measured

mechanized

mediated

mentored

merchandised

merged

met

minimized

ministered

mobilized

moderated

modernized

modified

molded

monitored

motivated

multiplied

navigated

negotiated

netted

nominated

nourished

nursed

nurtured

obliged

observed

obtained

offered

opened

operated

optimized

orchestrated

ordered

organized

originated

outlined

overcame

overhauled

oversaw

packaged

participated

perceived

perfected

performed

persuaded

phrased

piloted

pinpointed

pioneered

placed

planned

played

positioned

precipitated

predicted

prepared

prescribed

presented

presided

pressured

prevented

printed

prioritized

processed

proclaimed

procured

produced

programmed

projected

promoted

proposed

protected

proved

provided

publicized

published

purchased

quadrupled

questioned

raised

ramrodded

ran

ranked

realigned

realized

reassured

received

reclaimed

recognized

recommended

reconciled

recorded

recruited

rectified

redeemed

redesigned

redirected

reduced

reeducated

reevaluated

referred

refined

reformed

regulated

rehabilitated

reinforced

rejuvenated

related

remarked

remedied

remodeled

removed

rendered

renewed

repaired

rephrased

replaced

reported

represented

researched

reshaped

resolved

responded

restored

restructured

resulted in

retailed

retrieved

revamped

reversed

reviewed

revised

revitalized

revived

revolutionized

riveted

routed

safeguarded

saved

scheduled

screened

secured

selected

separated

served

served as

serviced

set

set goals

set up

settled (disputes)

shaped

shifted

shipped

shopped

shut down

simplified

sketched

sold

solicited

solidified

solved

sorted

sourced

sparked

spearheaded

specified

spelled out

spoke

sponsored

stabilized

staffed

standardized

started

stated

steered

stimulated

stipulated

straightened

streamlined

strengthened

stressed

stretched

structured

studied

substituted

succeeded

summarized

supervised

supplemented

supplied

supported

surpassed

surveyed

swayed

synchronized

synergized

synthesized

systematized

tabulated

targeted

taught

terminated

tested

took over

traced

tracked

traded

trained

transacted

transcended

transcribed

transferred

transformed

translated

transmitted

treated

triggered

trimmed

tripled

triumphed

troubleshot

turned around

tutored

uncovered

underwrote

unearthed

unified

united

updated

upheld

urged

upgraded

utilized

vacated

validated

verbalized

verified

vitalized

voiced

won

won over

worked

wrote

 

DESCRIBING RESULTS WITH KEY ACTION VERBS

        The typical resume merely lists duties and does little else to sell the person. One of the best ways to sell yourself is to describe accomplishments in terms of results. While duties are often represented by phrases such “Responsible for...,” results are frequently conveyed by using the verb developed. For example, one might say, “Developed a secretary’s manual which explained hundreds of procedures and significantly reduced clerical errors.” This person’s duties were typing, filing, and answering phones, so to show that she stood above the rest, she demonstrated results.

        When describing projects and results, one of the best words to use is develop. More than any other word, it seems to be so useful and it clearly expresses what a person wants to convey. While develop is an excellent word, when used three or four times in a resume it becomes overworked and loses impact. You’ll need substitutes. The most common are:

                        created                          instituted

                        designed                        introduced

                        established                     set up

                        implemented    

 

 

 

 

 

Other verbs that may be appropriate substitutes for develop in certain circum­stances would be:

 

built

composed

constructed

coordinated

cultivated

devised

elaborated

enhanced

fabricated

fashioned

formed

formulated

generated

installed

organized

originated

perfected

pioneered

planned

prepared

produced

refined

revamped

 

                Here are examples that demonstrate how to describe results in various situations. In parentheses are words that could have been used instead of develop.

        Developed (devised, prepared, produced) a creative financing/purchasing package to obtain 1900 acres of prime California farmland.

        Pioneered a mime program for gifted children age 8‑12.

        Developed (designed, established) training programs for new and experienced employees and supervised the new employee orientation program.

        Set up apprenticeship programs for five skilled trades at the Physical Plant Department.

        Developed and implemented an information and referral service for consumer complaints and human rights issues.

        Coordinated the company marketing effort, including advertising and promo­tions.

        Another set of action verbs is particularly useful when you are describing a result and plan to quantify the result:

                        achieved                increased

                        cut                        produced

                        eliminated              saved

VERB TENSES

        Describe your current job in the present tense. For all previous jobs, write in the past tense. You may need to describe an event in your current job, such as a project that has already been completed. In that case, use the past tense to describe the project while using the present tense in the remaining portions of your current job.

        Example:

        STORE MANAGER - 6/90–Present. Oversee total operation of the store, supervise and schedule employees, and complete monthly profit and loss statements. Designed a new inventory system which has saved over $10,000.

Since the inventory system was designed over a year ago, it must be described in the past tense.

 

 

 

 

USING ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS

        Adjectives and adverbs are words that describe things and actions. Used appropriately, they can enliven a resume and describe more accurately what you did. While using adjectives and adverbs can add sparkle to a resume, if overused, they can actually weaken a phrase. Notice how they change the tone of the sentences below. In each example the second sentence has more impact.

        1.    Worked with industrial engineers.

               Worked closely and effectively with industrial engineers.

        2.    Initiate and develop working relations with local, state, and federal agencies.

               Initiate and develop outstanding working relations with local, state, and federal agencies.

        3.    Establish rapport with customers.

               Quickly establish rapport with customers.

Here are more examples of how to use adjectives and adverbs effectively:

        Dealt tactfully and effectively with difficult customers.

        Presented technical material in objective and easily understood terms.

        Consistently maintained high profit margins on all projects.

        Significantly improved communications between nursing administration and staff.

        Completed virtually all apartment units ahead of schedule.

        Continually streamlined policies and procedures to create a more reasonable work schedule.

 

        A list of adjectives and adverbs is given below. Review the list and check the ones you think may be useful to you. Try to include them but don’t force it. Don’t use a word or phrase unless it really fits your personality and strengthens your resume. After writing each draft, go back through the list to see if still another word or two might be useful.