When you create a stand-out resume, many job seekers focus on ensuring that their skills and experience are perfectly highlighted. Professional CV services may ensure that your resume looks appealing to a potential recruiter. However, how you present your qualification has the same importance as the content of your resume. In this case, action verbs come in resume writing.
Action verbs are words that describe specific actions or accomplishments. They can be used to make your resume more dynamic and exciting for a recruiter and to highlight your key skills and achievements better.
Tips on how to use action verbs
When used correctly, action verbs can impress hiring managers and increase your chances of landing an interview. Here are some tips on how to use action verbs in your resume:
– Use them throughout your entire resume: Action verbs can be used in both the professional experiences and skills sections of your resume.
– Use them to describe your accomplishments: Use action verbs to describe your achievements in your previous careers. This approach will help to paint a picture of you as a high-achieving individual who gets results.
– Use them to highlight your key skills: If you have specific skills that are particularly relevant to the role and rank you’re applying for, make sure to highlight them with action verbs.
– Use solid and powerful verbs: Avoid using weak or overused verbs such as “assisted” or “managed.” Instead, go for words that pack a punch, such as “led,” “created,” or “transformed.” Many recruiting firms look for these words in resumes.
Grammar Tips
– Use active voice: You should prioritize active voice before passive when building a resume. For example, “I created a new marketing campaign that generated $1 million in sales” sounds much better than “A new marketing campaign was created by me that generated $1 million in sales.”
– Be specific: Vague statements such as “I have experience in the customer service industry” will not impress recruiters. Instead, try to be as straightforward as possible and use numbers and figures to support your claims.
– Use industry-specific action verbs: If you’re applying for a role in a specific industry, make sure to use industry-specific action verbs that will resonate with potential employers in that field.
– Avoid using too many: While action verbs can be highly effective, it’s important not to overdo them. A few well-chosen verbs sprinkled throughout your resume should be enough to make an impact and get more interviews.
Formatting for the applicant tracking process
While the content of your resume is essential, how it is formatted is also crucial. This factor is relevant because many applicant tracking systems (ATS) cannot read certain types of formatting, which can result in your resume being rejected outright. An applicant tracking system is a resume scanning software that scans applications automatically and searches for keywords and skills.
This type of software makes a recruiter’s work easier but makes it harder to engage in a productive job search. You may apply to a career advice expert to get professional help on how to make your resume ATS-friendly.
Make sure to use simple, straightforward formatting that will be easily readable by an ATS system. Here are some tips:
– Use a standard font: Stick to using common fonts. The best options are:
- Times New Roman
- Arial
- Calibri.
These fonts are more likely to be readable by ATS bots.
– Avoid fancy formatting: Steer clear of using any type of fancy formatting, such as graphics, images, or tables. An ATS is unlikely to be able to read these, and they could end up making your resume unreadable.
– Use plain language: Avoid using any type of jargon or industry-specific language. An ATS may not understand these terms, which could result in your resume being rejected.
– Use standard headers and margins: Stick to using typical headings and margins instead of anything too fancy or unusual. Again, this will help ensure that you have a bot-beating resume, learn more about it.
How to make an impression: Additional tips
You can do a few other things to make sure your resume makes a positive impression on a hiring manager. In addition to using action verbs and formatting your resume correctly, here are some additional tips:
– Use keywords: Be sure to include relevant keywords throughout your resume, as this will help it to appear higher up in search results when a hiring manager is looking for candidates.
– Tailor your resume: Make sure to tailor your resume specifically for each job position you’re applying for. This tip means customizing the content to match the job description and including any relevant skills or experience.
– Highlight your strengths: Don’t be afraid to highlight your strengths and sell yourself in your resume. This advice implies your chance to show a hiring manager what makes you the ideal candidate for the role, so make sure to put your best foot forward.
– Keep it concise: While it’s essential to include relevant information in your resume, you don’t want to go overboard. Try to keep your resume as brief and straightforward as possible without leaving any necessary details for a potential career quiz.
– Proofread: Always proofread your resume before sending it off, as this will help to ensure that there are no typos or errors. A well-written resume that is free of mistakes is more likely to make a positive impression on a hiring manager.
Final words
By following these tips, you can ensure that your resume is packed with powerful action verbs that will impress hiring managers and give you a better chance of landing an interview and ultimately succeeding in your job search.