Resume Words Dos and Donts

RESUME WORDS DOS AND DONTS Besides the sprinkling of various job-related key words throughout your resume, it’s also crucial that you make use of action verbs in all of your descriptions. Action words need to be specific and provide a clear, concise picture of your accomplishments, skills, and experience. Here are some that you can consider. A Accelerated Accomplished Achieved Acted Activated Adapted Addressed Adjusted Administered Advertised Advised Advocated Analyzed Applied Appraised Approved Arbitrated Arranged Ascertained Assembled Assessed Attained Audited Augmented Authored B Balanced Billed Bound Briefed Budgeted Built C Carried out Charted Clarified Closed Coached Collaborated Collected Communicated Compared Compiled Completed Composed Computed Conceived Conceptualized Concluded Conducted Conserved Consolidated D Decided Decreased Defined Delegated Delivered Demonstrated Designated Derived Designed Detailed Detected Determined Developed Devised Diagnosed Directed Discovered Displayed Dissected Constructed Consulted Contracted Controlled Converted Coordinated Corrected Counseled Created Cultivated Curtailed Cut Distributed Diverted Drew up E Earned Edited Educated Effected Eliminated Enabled Encouraged Endorsed Enforced Engaged Engineered Entertained Established Estimated Evaluated Examined Exchanged Executed Expanded Expedited Experimented Explained Expressed Extracted Extended F Facilitated Fashioned Filed Financed Followed Formed Formulated Found Founded G Gathered Generated Governed Guided H Handled Hypothesized I Identified Illustrated Implemented Improved Improvised Increased Influenced Informed Initiated J/K Judged Kept Innovated Inspected Inspired Installed Instituted Instructed Interpreted Intervened Interviewed Introduced Invented Invested Investigated L Launched Lectured Led M Maintained Managed Manipulated Mastered Maximized Measured Mediated Mentored Merged Minimized Modeled Modernized Modified Monitored Motivated N Navigated Negotiated Notified O Observed Obtained Opened Operated Optimized Ordered Organized Originated Oversaw P Packed Participated Perceived Performed Persuaded Piloted Pinpointed Planned Predicted Prepared Presented Problem-solved Processed Q/R Questioned Queried Quizzed Raised Reasoned Received Recommended Reconciled Recorded Recruited Reduced Referred Procured Produced Programmed Promoted Proofread Projected Proposed Proved Provided Publicized Published Purchased Refined Regulated Rehabilitated Reinforced Rendered Renewed Reorganized Repaired Replaced Reported Represented Researched Resolved Responded Restored Restructured Retrieved Revamped Reviewed Revised Revitalized Risked S Safeguarded Scheduled Screened Selected Served Serviced Set up Shaped Shipped Simplified Sold Solved Sponsored Started Streamlined Strengthened Structured Studied Suggested Summarized Supervised Supplemented Supplied Surpassed Surveyed Synthesized Systematized T Taught Team-built Teamed Tested Trained Transcribed Translated Trouble-shot Tuned Tutored Typed U Understudied Undertook Unified United Updated V/W Verbalized Won Wrote Upgraded Used Utilized Here are nouns you can use too:      Ability Capacity Competence Effectiveness Vigorous And a few adjectives and adverbs:           Actively Competent Consistent Pertinent Proficient Qualified Resourceful Substantially Technically Versatile A Few Resume Words to Avoid There are also some resume words that can detract from the overall effectiveness of your resume. For one thing, you don't want to use confusing jargon or vague phrases. Cliches are out too. Unless you're trying to convey your ability to function as an integral part of a team, words like assisted, contributed, and supported are not going to be very effective. These words basically say you helped, but not how. If you must use these words, follow them with a more complete description of your role. Successfully is another meaningless resume word. Rather than using it, give concrete examples of your accomplishments that prove your success at your past jobs. The phrase, responsible for, takes up unnecessary space on your resume and should be avoided. Besides, your resume is the place to list your accomplishments, not your job duties or responsibilities. You also need to avoid "flowery" speech and words. By trying too hard to sound intelligent or "in the know," you may convince your reader of just the opposite—or even worse, confuse them. The key is to say what you mean, plainly and simply, using powerful resume action words. Stick to these resume words rules and you can't go wrong!