RESUMES: Are Your Verbs Working Hard Enough?
Like most professionals in the job search field, I've reviewed tons of resumes. Some are very good, some are very bad and some resumes - the lion's share - are somewhere in the middle.
What separates the somewhere-in-the-middle resumes from the good ones? Tough question - there are many answers. But one of the most common things that hold resumes back is the choice of verbs.
Verbs on resumes should convey action and be strong. They should work double duty whenever possible and they should never be passive. Unfortunately, too many job seekers use weak verbs. Review your resume. Do you have weak verbs? Here are a few weak verbs to look for on your resume:
Worked. Sure, "worked" seems like a strong enough verb, but it's not. If you have a bullet point that starts with "worked," then you most likely follow it with the word "on" or "as" - neither of which are any good. Choose a different verb to start and rearrange your sentence. If, for instance, your bullet reads, "Worked as line cook,"
then you can re-write it as "Prepared dinners and lunches according to customer requests." Simply starting with a stronger verb ("prepared") makes for a stronger bullet.
Did. Too many novice resume writers start their bullets with "did," as in "did inventory." But that's too vague to really convince hiring managers to bring you in for an interview. "Did" for one business may only be a fraction of the job for - or ten times more than - another. A better verb might be "tracked," as in "tracked supply use an entered data into proprietary inventory system."
Functioned. We all function as something or another. But on your resume, "functioned" is far from the most descriptive - or best - verb you could use. Invariably, it's followed with the word "as," as in "functioned as a data entry specialist." A better way to write the bullet might be to start with the word "entered," as in "entered security data into spreadsheet to highlight company strengths and weaknesses."
IN THE CARAVAN: Review your resume for weak verbs. If your bullets start with weak verbs, then use a stronger verb and re-write bullet.
LATER TODAY: Are Resume Blasting Services a Good Deal? (Podcast)
NEXT MONDAY: Sleeper Words
Check out last Monday's posts:
RESUMES: Less Work, Better Results
RESUMES PODCAST: Real Estate Techniques and Menu Enticements
What separates the somewhere-in-the-middle resumes from the good ones? Tough question - there are many answers. But one of the most common things that hold resumes back is the choice of verbs.
Verbs on resumes should convey action and be strong. They should work double duty whenever possible and they should never be passive. Unfortunately, too many job seekers use weak verbs. Review your resume. Do you have weak verbs? Here are a few weak verbs to look for on your resume:
Worked. Sure, "worked" seems like a strong enough verb, but it's not. If you have a bullet point that starts with "worked," then you most likely follow it with the word "on" or "as" - neither of which are any good. Choose a different verb to start and rearrange your sentence. If, for instance, your bullet reads, "Worked as line cook,"then you can re-write it as "Prepared dinners and lunches according to customer requests." Simply starting with a stronger verb ("prepared") makes for a stronger bullet.
Did. Too many novice resume writers start their bullets with "did," as in "did inventory." But that's too vague to really convince hiring managers to bring you in for an interview. "Did" for one business may only be a fraction of the job for - or ten times more than - another. A better verb might be "tracked," as in "tracked supply use an entered data into proprietary inventory system." Functioned. We all function as something or another. But on your resume, "functioned" is far from the most descriptive - or best - verb you could use. Invariably, it's followed with the word "as," as in "functioned as a data entry specialist." A better way to write the bullet might be to start with the word "entered," as in "entered security data into spreadsheet to highlight company strengths and weaknesses."IN THE CARAVAN: Review your resume for weak verbs. If your bullets start with weak verbs, then use a stronger verb and re-write bullet.
LATER TODAY: Are Resume Blasting Services a Good Deal? (Podcast)
NEXT MONDAY: Sleeper Words
Check out last Monday's posts:
RESUMES: Less Work, Better Results
RESUMES PODCAST: Real Estate Techniques and Menu Enticements
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