There is a lot of do’s and don’ts When it comes to writing your CVbut one of the main recommendations of career experts is the use of action verbs such as “directed” and “executed”.
“Action Verbs are your secret sauce for your resume,” says Octavia Goredema, career coach and author of “PREP, PUSH, PIVOT.” “They say a lot” because they really illustrate what you’ve done, she says.
An overwhelming majority, 93%, of CVs include one or more action-oriented sentences, according to the writing of the CV Kickresume, which recently analyzed 176,220 resumes written in 2022. So it seems job seekers are internalizing the message.
When it comes to knowing where to use them yourself, they can be included in your summary or the evidence points under each role you have fulfilled. “Begin your proof points with an action verb because it immediately grabs the reader and signals that you have a wide range of accomplishments,” says Goredema.
Here are seven action verbs recommended by experts.
- Improved
- Advance
- Spearhead
- Outmoded
- grew up
- Built
- Accomplished
“The best bragging points demonstrate what you’ve brought,” says Amanda Augustine, career expert at presume. That’s why she recommends using verbs like “built” and “grew.” “They’re powerful because of what’s attached after them” as a metric that illustrates your contribution, she says.
Likewise, Goredema recommends using “enhanced” and “advanced” because “it immediately shows you’re having a positive impact,” she says. Keep them relevant to your experience, of course. Don’t invent anything. But choose the verbs that really prove that you have contributed.
Also, remember not to overdo it in particular.
“Use it once, use it twice, great,” Augustine says. “More than that, you have to start getting more creative.” She recommends Googling the verb you repeated to see if any synonyms come up or even looking it up in a thesaurus for new ideas.
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Don’t forget this key section of your CV – it’s your first chance to impress hiring managers