Sample Resume Action Verbs

When I used to train managers and their staff members on writing performance reviews,  I explained that the wording that they needed to use had to be measurable. A person should never be rated on soft, intangible things such as "attitude" (good or  bad), or "to understand" or "to know". Rather than focusing on words that had no substance, a manager needed to look at activities and results. Questions such as "how many", "how much", "resulting in what", "why", "how", "who", "when"and "where" will help drill down to real activities and results.

Fast forward to the present and I use these same questions when helping someone craft their resume. Why? Because a resume should not read like a job description; it needs measurable results. In addition to asking questions, it is also important to use action verbs to better describe the results. Here is a listing of the very same action verbs that I used in performance management training. They can also be used when trying to find the perfect action verbs for your resume. There are many others verbs but these are a good place to start.

Resume Action Verbs

A-B
accelerated, acclimated, accompanied, accomplished, achieved, acquired, acted, activated, actuated, adapted, added, addressed, adhered, adjusted, administered, admitted, adopted, advanced, advertised, advised, advocated, aided, aired, affected, allocated, altered, amended, amplified, analyzed, answered, anticipated, appointed, appraised, approached, approved, arbitrated, arranged, ascertained, asked, assembled, assigned, assumed, assessed, assisted, attained, attracted, audited, authored, authorized, automated, awarded, avail, balanced, bargained, borrowed, bought, broadened, budgeted, built

C
calculated, canvassed, capitalized, captured, carried, out, cast, cataloged, centralized, challenged, chaired, changed, channeled, charted, checked, chose, circulated, classified, cleared, closed, co-authored, cold, called, collaborated, collected, combined, commissioned, committed, communicated, compared, compiled, complied, completed, composed, computed, conceived, conceptualized, concluded, condensed, conducted, conferred, consolidated, constructed, consulted, contracted, contrasted, contributed, contrived, controlled, converted, convinced, coordinated, corrected, corresponded, counseled, counted, created, critiqued, cultivated

D
debugged, decentralized, decreased, deferred, defined, delegated, delivered, demonstrated, depreciated, described, designated, designed, determined, developed, devised, devoted, diagrammed, directed, disclosed, discounted, discovered, dispatched, displayed, dissembled, distinguished, distributed, diversified, divested, documented, doubled, drafted

E
earned, eased, edited, effected, elected, eliminated, employed, enabled, encouraged, endorsed, enforced, engaged, engineered, enhanced, enlarged, enriched, entered, entertained, established, estimated, evaluated, examined, exceeded, exchanged, executed, exempted, exercised, expanded, expedited, explained, exposed, extended, extracted, extrapolated

F-H
facilitated, familiarized, fashioned, fielded, figured, financed, fit, focused, forecasted, formalized, formed, formulated, fortified, found, founded, framed, functioned, furnished, gained, gathered, gauged, gave, generated, governed, graded, granted, greeted, grouped, guided, handled, headed, hired, hosted

I
identified, illustrated, illuminated, implemented, improved, improvised, inaugurated, indoctrinated, increased, incurred, induced, influenced, informed, initiated, innovated, inquired, inspected, inspired, installed, instigated, instilled, instituted, instructed, insured, interpreted, interviewed, introduced, invented, inventoried, invested, investigated, invited, involved, isolated, issued

J-M
joined, judged, launched, lectured, led, lightened, liquidated, litigated, lobbied, localized, located, maintained, managed, mapped, marketed, maximized, measured, mediated, merchandised, merged, met, minimized, modeled, moderated, modernized, modified, monitored, motivated, moved

N-O
named, narrated, negotiated, nurtured, observed, obtained, offered, offset, opened, operated, orchestrated, ordered, organized, oriented, originated, overhauled, oversaw

P
paid, participated, passed, patterned, penalized, perceived, performed, permitted, persuaded, phased, out, pinpointed, pioneered, placed, planned, polled, prepared, presented, preserved, presided, prevented, priced, printed, prioritized, probed, processed, procured, produced, profiled, programmed, projected, promoted, prompted, proposed, proved, provided, publicized, published, purchased, pursued

Q-R
quantified, quoted, raised, ranked, rated, reacted, read, received, recommended, reconciled, recorded, recovered, recruited, rectified, redesigned, reduced, referred, refined, regained, regulated, rehabilitated, reinforced, reinstated, rejected, related, remedied, remodeled, renegotiated, reorganized, replaced, repaired, reported, represented, requested, researched, resolved, responded, restored, restructured, resulted, retained, retrieved, revamped, revealed, reversed, reviewed, revised, revitalized, rewarded, routed

S
safeguarded, salvaged, saved, scheduled, screened, secured, segmented, selected, sent, separated, served, serviced, settled, shaped, shortened, showed, shrank, signed, simplified, sold, solved, spearheaded, specified, speculated, spoke, spread, stabilized, staffed, staged, standardized, steered, stimulated, strategized, streamlined, strengthened, stressed, structured, studied, submitted, substantiated, substituted, suggested, summarized, superseded, supervised, supplied, supported, surpassed, surveyed, synchronized, synthesized

T-W
tabulated, tailored, targeted, taught, terminated, tested, testified, tightened, traced, traded, trained, transacted, transferred, transformed, translated, transported, traveled, treated, tripled, uncovered, undertook, unified, united, updated, upgraded, used, utilized, validated, valued, verified, viewed, weighed, welcomed, widened, witnessed, won, worked, wrote

Niche Job Search Boards

Lately I've been asked for information on job search sites; folks are asking me where to find work. While I am not a recruiter and don't have the resources that are available to recruiters, I do know how to research. My initial response to someone looking for work is to use your networking contacts (either personal or social). If that doesn't work or it is not realistic for whatever reason, I suggest that someone next go to company websites and look in the career sections.

These days though, there are many specialty or niche websites that are helpful to job seekers. Some of them cater to industries, others to entry level job seekers or recent graduates, still others are for executives. Whatever level you may be and in whatever field, you may find a job search site that is helpful for your needs.


Here are a couple to get you started:
Niche: https://www.smartrecruiters.com/blog/best-50-niche-job-boards/
Niche:  http://biginterview.com/blog/2014/10/best-job-search-sites.html
Niche: http://vetjobs.com/niche-job-board-sites/

Hope that helps!

Job Search Tips For My Friend Moving South

One of my high school friends is packing it up and moving South. She and her fiancé have decided to leave the North East’s cold winters, high taxes and home prices for an easier lifestyle. They are not quite ready to retire yet so they need to have the income to live comfortably.  My friend asked me for some job search advice. Here is what we talked about.

1.       Before the physical move, search for the names of companies within a certain radius. For example, in the search area of your search engine type, “Names of pharmaceutical companies within 25 miles of Charlotte, NC”.

2.       In LinkedIn use the search area to type “Banking Jobs in Richmond, VA”. Type people too and connect with some in your field or the field that interests you. Send them a personalized invitation to connect.

3.       Use you networking contacts both in person and in social media.

4.       If you are on Facebook, ask your friends if any of them know a contact in the new city that may be able to help you. Moving to Seattle? Ask your college friend if he knows anyone who might assist you or give you some guidance.

5.       If you have found a place to live, on your resume, swap out the name of your old town with the new one. Don’t worry about your cell phone. These days, with our transient workplaces, cell phone numbers are from all over the place. You might live and work in Boston but still have your New Jersey cell phone number.

6.       If you are switching careers or staying in the same field, match your personal skills and competencies to the open position. As always, include specific, measurable accomplishments (who, what, why, results) as you update your resume. Include the accomplishments from both your former job and any volunteer activities.

7.       Look for places where you can update your skill set such as libraries, community colleges, universities, or other training and development organizations.

8.       Look for professional groups. There are professional groups for just about every position.

9.       Use a site such as Glassdoor to get specifics about jobs, companies, workplace culture and salary.

10.   Speaking of salary, don’t expect your salary in the new state to match your previous salary.

I am excited for my friend and her new adventure. While these ten steps may help her in her job search, the networking contacts and friends can also share points of interest, new restaurants and fun things to do in the new area.

Story Telling

Today I went to a funeral for a former work friend. It was a sad, teary funeral but it celebrated the life of this remarkable man. There were two parts of the Mass that stayed with me and both involved stories. In the Homily, the priest told a story from his homeland. He related his story to the journey that a soul makes as it goes “home” to God. As I looked around the church, heads were nodding. People were listening.

The second story involved a series of stories told by my colleague’s brother. He had us laughing and crying as he related stories of mischief and fun, food and happy memories. At the end of his remarks, the church erupted into teary applause.

Why do I bring this all up? Other than to mourn the loss of a lovely man, I wanted to remind you of the importance of stories. Your past actions make up a series of stories and whether they are from work or everyday life, they open a door into your life.

As you prepare for an interview, think of real life stories and how they relate to the open job responsibilities. No one wants to hear what you “would do”.  No, they want to know what you “did do”.  Do that and you will have your  audience listening to your every  word.

Rest in Peace Pat Gleason.