Action Verbs that Get Your Resume Noticed

Most resumes are filled with the weak verbs and bullet points which might not grab a recruiter’s attention. Since hiring managers spend less than nine seconds to review a CV, you can get your resume noticed by using powerful words that matter.

• Led a team of three business developers to drive sales and revenue growth for xyz company

or

• Spearheaded a team three business developers to drive sales and revenue growth for xyz company

Did you notice the difference?

Always look for the words that are strong and have a personality. You’ll find many such words in your resume that you’ll be happy to replace with the words we’ve suggested below.

We’ve taken five key areas and have listed action words for each to make help you create a job-winning resume. 

1. Leadership Skills: if you were in the role of leading a team, then it becomes crucial to list that effectively. Leadership skills and team management skills are two of the highly demanded skills in the job market of Singapore. But how to make it interesting for the recruiter is the key. 
   
   For example, you were the one who headed team so rather than using the word ‘led’ you may use any of the words such as Chaired, Controlled, Coordinated, Executed, Headed, Operated, Orchestrated, Organized, Oversaw, Planned, Produced, Programmed, Prioritized, Established, Enforced, Inspected, Recommended, Strengthened, Tutored, Enhanced, Delegated, Aligned, Facilitated, Motivated.  The use of such words helps in explaining to the recruiter that you were at the centre of the action and played an active role.

2. Project Management Skills: Project management is one of the major tasks that is expected by almost all professionals in different work domains. To showcase the right skills in your resume and get a recruiter’s attention, it is important to mention your skills creatively. So, instead of using those old skills in your resume, you must use some new words to make it look better and compelling.
   
   The words you can use are as follows: Initiated, Administered, Built, Charted, Created, Designed, Developed, Devised, Founded, Engineered, Established, Formalized, Formed, Formulated, implemented, Incorporated, initiated, instituted, Introduced, Launched, Pioneered, Spearheaded. 

3. Sales and Acquisition Skills: To take up this job role and prove your worth, it is essential to mention your skills using power words. Here are a few action verbs that you may use in your resume.
   
   Accelerated, Achieved, Advanced, Amplified, Boosted, Capitalized, Delivered, Enhanced, Expanded, Expedited, Furthered, Gained, Generated, Improved, Lifted, Maximized, Outpaced, Stimulated.

4. Organisational Skills: To inform recruiter about your business and organisational skill set, here are the action verbs that you may use to increase your chances of getting a job. So, here are the action verbs that show how you helped the company.
   
   Conserved, Consolidated, Decreased, Deducted, Diagnosed, Lessened, Reconciled, Reduced, Yielded.
   
   
5. Communications Skills: Communication is key to any job role and your good communication skills can always help you to win over interviewer’s mind if you use it in the best way possible. So, here are a few action verbs that you can use in your resume to get noticed.
   
   The words that you can use are Authored, Briefed, Campaigned, Co-authored, Composed, Conveyed, Convinced, Corresponded, Counselled, Critiqued, Defined, Documented, Edited, Illustrated, Lobbied, Persuaded, Promoted, Publicized, Reviewed.

You may also like:

• Excited to Receive a Job Offer? Here's What You Should Check Before You Say Yes or No
• How to Search for a Job in COVID Times
• Tips and Ideas to Set Up a Home Office You Love