185 Powerful Verbs And 45 Adverbs To Make Your Resume Awesom
185 Awesome Action Verbs + 45 Adverbs For Resume
Does your resume look like everyone else's? Do you feel that it's written correctly but lacks the convincing power and energy? If yes, then it's time to liven up your resume using the list of powerful verbs and adverbs which will transform your resume and show you in different light.
The magic of action verbs
The majority of applicants stuff their resumes with mundane and dull words like "Led", "Responsible for" "Managed", etc.
When a hiring manager sees another resume with an excess of verbs like these, he/she might think that you have limited vocabulary or you're too uninterested to make your resume easy or pleasant to read. Meanwhile, using a wide variety of action verbs can:
- Show you as an achiever capable of making an impact on business
- Demonstrate your literacy and knowledge of professional jargon
- Make your resume easy and enjoyable to read and use keywords
185 Action verbs to add to your resume
The main reason to use action verbs is to highlight your contribution and draw the attention of recruiters. Since other job-seekers worked on similar project types and accomplished similar things, resume action verbs and phrases can make all the difference.
Here are the exact power words you should incorporate.
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How to use resume action verbs?
Knowing the resume power words is only half of the success. Simply replacing managed with a power word will not make the cut. It is important to use them right when listing your job duties and achievements.
Here are some strategies to use resume action words effectively.
Start each bullet point with an action verb
The best place to locate power verbs is at the beginning of your bulleted statements. Put developed, resolved, or integrated at the beginning of job descriptions to make the right impression of the reader right from the onset. Strong action verbs make the reader slow down and take notice.
Be specific
Resume action verbs work great for describing specific projects and tasks from your work history. As you start the sentence with a strong verb, be sure to provide details and context to your professional history.
For example, instead of simply writing that you responded to requests from customers, mention how many complaints you resolved a day or how exactly the clients benefited fro your assistance.
Quantify your job duties and accomplishments
In addition to powerful, confident language, employers look for specific examples of success in your work history. Whenever possible, illustrate your professional history with numbers and percentages. Not only will you stand out from other job-seekers who cannot describe their experience persuasively but also you will prove your ability to deliver tangible results.
If you trained new hires in your company, don't write this in your resume word for word. Be more specific: Trained 8 new support managers, resulting in turnover reduction by 20%.
Vary the strong action verbs you use
Even if you particularly like words like modified and integrated, don't use them in every bullet point. Vary the language you use to describe your key responsibilities.
For one thing, if you use developed three times for one job, it can bore the hiring manager. Plus, it can indicate a deeper problem. If you are tempted to use the same action verb multiple times, you are probably focusing on one aspect of your job and completely overlook the others.
An example of using resume power words
Let's look at the examples of how action verbs can completely transfer your resume.
Before: Responded to customer requests.
After: Resolved 30+ customer complaints daily, leading to a 25% increase in client satisfaction.
The second example shows how resume action verbs work their magic. Firstly, they focus on the specific activity (resolving a problem) rather than a generic one (responding to clients). Secondly, in conjunction with numbers and details, they showcase that the candidate is a result-driven, proactive individual that any organization will be happy to have onboard.
Want a resume that creates an impression like this? Contact our experts. At ResumePerk, we create custom, result-driven resumes for every profession. We will match you with a writer who knows your industry and can show you in the best light to get you shortlisted faster.
45 High-Impact Resume Adverbs
Adverbs work great to emphasize the candidate's personal qualities. If the job posting asks for specific personality traits, you can show them not only through action verbs. You can leverage adverbs to illustrate how you approach things in the workplace.
Enrich the text with adverbs, and you'll be surprised at how solidly and professionally you will appear on paper. Not each adverb will do, though. Undercover Recruiter suggests using these adverbs to create a unique and impressive description of your responsibilities and skills:
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How to use adverbs on your resume?
Use the adverbs sparingly
Nothing kills your resume faster than overusing adverbs. If you write that you effectively and enthusiastically taught students, the adverbs will make the opposite impression. When used not appropriately, adverbs sound like fluff and don't make much sense to recruiters.
However, when used rarely, powerful adverbs can create the right vibe for your resume. Use 2-3 adverbs for the entire document, but add them to illustrate the most crucial elements of your experience.
Specify your impact
Just like with resume action words, adverbs sound best when backed up with numbers. You may write that you checked customer accounts thoroughly, but when you add that you achieved 100% accuracy, your statement will look more solid.
Add them to your cover letter
Adverbs work in cover letters even better than they do in resumes. This is because the cover letter allows you to expand on your personality and approach to work rather than give a raw list of facts and accomplishments. Leverage the power of adverbs to their fullest, explaining how your approach to work and personality traits helped you succeed.
Example of using adverbs on your resume
Before:Reduced the page load time.
After: Significantly reduced the page load time by increasing code efficiency by 35%.
As you can see, adverbs can illustrate your contribution when numbers are not available or you cannot provide them because of NDA.
If the company asks for specific traits, such as logical thinking or creativity, you can also illustrate these by incorporating adverbs into your job descriptions.
This adverb list is a real helper when you ran out of words to describe how perfect for the job you are :) Include them when listing your achievements and you will look as a reliable and successful candidate in the eyes of the employer. For more inspiration on using powerful resume language, look at 100 descriptive words for your resume.
The basics of a successful resume
Writing a job-winning resume takes more than finding the right words to wrap up your achievements. To make sure that your resume is perfect in every aspect, take a look a these basic principles of resume writing:
- Avoid cliches and buzzwords. Employers are tired of words like team player, thought leader, and result-oriented. If you use them, be sure to give examples.
- Add a dedicated Skills section.The relevant skills work as keywords and will help you pass the ATS screening. Plus, a well-structured Skills section helps your resume look focused and organized.
- Keep your resume to one page.Whenever possible, do not exceed one page. If you have decades of experience and all your past jobs are important, you can use the second page.
- Use the right tenses.Use the present tense for your current jobs and projects, and the past tense for old ones. Multiple surveys and research has proven that good English skills will add you points.
- Format professionally. Write in bullets instead of paragraphs, and boldface the important details. With a well-formatted resume, you can be sure that the recruiter will not overlook anything important.
With the right set of action verbs, you will not have to rely on responsible for to describe what you did in the past roles. The employers will surely appreciate your language skills and your contribution.
Ace your job search with a standout professional resume
Resume power words can transform your resume, helping you make the stellar impression on employers. However, it takes more than using the right words to win interviews. If you are not sure how to describe your experience persuasively, our professional writers can help. The expert will replace dated work history and weak language with specific skills and achievements, and add keywords.
Want to make sure that your resume looks marvelous before you send it? Take advantage of our free critique. We will evaluate the quality of your resume and send you a detailed list of what should be improved.
Have you used powerful verbs when updating your resume? Which are your favorite verbs to use?