Fill your Resume with Words that Impress

What can you do to make your resume stand out in the crowd and get you an interview? First, you must have the skills and experience that the job requires. Second, you must present your skills, experience, and accomplishments confidently.

How can you create a resume that portrays you as professional and confident?

For one thing, your resume should have an easy to follow format, be free of errors, and use words that convey action, expertise, and achievement. These words will persuade employers of your ability to meet the responsibilities of the position and help them achieve their goals.

Listed below are words that will help you communicate your qualifications to the employer and demonstrate why you are the best person for the job.

Action Verbs

Action verbs communicate accomplishments, experience, and job duties in an energetic, concise, and persuasive manner.

Accelerated	Established	Operated	Revised
Accomplished	Expanded	Ordered	Received
Achieved	Expedited	Originated	Scheduled
Adapted	Facilitated	Organized	Simplified
Administered	Found	Participated	Set up
Analyzed	Generated	Performed	Solved
Approved	Increased	Planned	Structured
Conceived	Influenced	Pinpointed	Streamlined
Conducted	Implemented	Prepared	Supervised
Completed	Initiated	Produced	Supported
Controlled	Instructed	Programmed	Surpassed
Coordinated	Interpreted	Proposed	Taught
Created	Improved	Proved	Trained
Delegated	Inspected	Provided	Translated
Demonstrated	Launched	Proficient in	Used
Designed	Led	Purchased	Won
Developed	Lectured	Recommend	Wrote
Directed	Maintained	Reduced
Earned	Managed	Reinforced
Eliminated	Mastered	Reorganized
Evaluated	Motivated	Revamped

Nouns

Abstract nouns refer to ideas, qualities, and concepts. They can be used to explain your qualifications and experience. Listed below are some nouns that you might consider using.

Ability	Flexibility
Adeptness	Know-how
Aptitude	Proficiency
Capability	Talent
Capacity	Versatility

Adjectives

Adjectives describe nouns. They can be used to paint a richer picture of you as a professional. When writing your resume, the following adjectives can help you create a positive and competent image.

Accurate	Courteous	Rational
Active	Diligent	Regular
Analytical	Effective	Reliable
Artistic	Energetic	Responsible
Assertive	Imaginative	Significant
Clear	Logical	Steady
Competitive	Patient	Strong
Confident	Practical	Substantial
Conscientious	Precise	Successful
Consistent	Proficient	Supportive
Cooperative	Progressive

Adverbs

Adverbs explain how things get done. In other words, they describe verbs. Adverbs like those listed below will help you explain how well you perform the duties of the positions that you’ve held.

Accurately	Courteously	Rationally
Actively	Diligently	Regularly
Analytically	Effectively	Reliably
Artistically	Energetically	Responsibly
Assertively	Imaginatively	Significantly
Clearly	Logically	Steadily
Competitively	Patiently	Strongly
Confidently	Practically	Substantially
Conscientiously	Precisely	Successfully
Consistently	Proficiently	Supportively
Cooperatively	Progressively

References

Southeastern Louisiana University Career Services, Action Verbs and Adverbs http://www.selu.edu/admin/career_srv/stu_alum/career_counseling/resume_assistance/action_verbs/index.html (accessed on July 17, 2009)

About.com, Distance Learning 25 Active Adjectives for Your Resume http://distancelearn.about.com/od/usingyourdegree/a/adjectives.htm (accessed on July 17, 2009)

Southworth, A Guide to Resume Writing, http://www.southworth.com/page.php?id=188 (accessed on July 17, 2009)