Looking back to when I was relentlessly searching for work after graduation, I’m not surprised recruiters weren’t interested in my resume—a poorly formed, executed, and thoroughly generic document which contained virtually no information about my relevant skills, or how I might be a “perfect fit” for a given position. My rationale? I thought my resume spoke for itself. The truth is, resumes not only need to demonstrate how you are perfectly equipped to perform the duties outlined by a job announcement, but must contain certain words and forms of speech, while excluding others.
In response to a recent article in which she lists 50 buzzwords job applicants should exclude from their resume, Karen Burns sought out to discover “the most powerful” words one can use in a resume. Burns suggests that the strongest words one can use in a resume are nouns, not verbs: employers, says Burns, are “looking for skills, certifications, degrees, job titles, names of products and services, names of processes, names of hardware and software, company names, names of professional or trade organizations, or names of schools.” That is, employers want to know what you have done—specifically—as opposed to what you will do or general information. Look at a job announcement, advises Burns, for specific key words which you can incorporate into your resume, and try to use these words in not one but two places. For example, Burns recommends job seekers include key words (if such apply) found in a job announcement both in their Summary of Qualifications sections (at the top of their resume) as well as in the body of their resume.
If you have to use verbs, Burns suggests that you use “powerful” ones, like “achieved, completed, managed, resolved, and increased.” In addition to this, replace adjectives with quantitative information. Instead of saying you skillfully managed a process, describe how your effective management style led to over $3,000 in savings. Burns reminds job seekers that a resume is not only an amalgam of job descriptions, but “the place to list accomplishments.”
If you would like a list of powerful action verbs, email resumehelp@apus.edu.
Comments are closed.