Transforming your resume with power words

Using power words or action words and talking about your contributions can completely transform your resume or curriculum vitae.  To demonstrate this, I have taken a free resume template example from an unqualified resume writer on the Internet and completely transformed this by re-wording the content.

Note:  I have made up the outcomes/contributions within the example and framed this example within a few minutes.  My objective was to simply demonstrate how using power wording and thinking in an outcomes focussed way can enhance your resume or curriculum vitae.

Before

Employment History

2010 – current
Part-time Assistant to Project Manager – Belkin.com.au

• Assisted with the writing, editing and designing political email campaigns to members
• Worked with web developers on new webpages
• Wrote copy for eNewsletters to members
• Developed strategies for attracting new members

After

Employment History

2010 – current
Part-time Assistant to Project Manager – Belkin.com.au

• Delivered top-level support during the collaborative writing, editing and design of a political email campaign.  Campaign helped to significantly increased awareness on major issues for members.
• Developed new webpages for Belkin.com.au, resulting in the improvement in Google rankings and new relevant content and engagement with members.
• Increased open rates by 5% and identified new relevant content, while managing copy for the eNewsletter.
• Grew membership rates by 11%, through development and implementation of new strategies for attracting new members.

 

Now you have seen the difference, which person would you employ?

The reality is, how you present yourself on paper can really alter the perception of the reader and one vital way to present yourself as a strong candidate is to use action verbs, or power words within your résumé.

To assist you in this task, I have provided you with a list of action words, which you can utilise in your application and résumé.

Warning:  Strategic power words will always ensure that the overall thrust of what you are saying is maximised, but it is important to remain truthful at all times, as you will need to substantiate these claims at interview, and have referees that can back you up. So if you did not dramatically increase profit, replace this with a power phrase that more accurately reflects the truth, such as improved profitability.

 

A

ACCELERATED ACCOMPANIED ACCOMPLISHED ACHIEVED ACQUIRED ACTIVATED ADAPTED ADMINISTERED, ADVISED ANALYSED APPROVED ARRANGED, ASPIRED ASSEMBLED ASSISTED

 

B

BALANCED BRAINSTORMED BUDGETED BUILT

 

C

CHECKED CLARIFIED CLASSIFIED COMMANDED COMPLETED COMPOSED CONCEIVED, CONDUCTED CONSTRUCTED CONTROLLED CONVERTED COOPERATED COORDINATED CORRELATED CREATED

 

D

DECIDED DEFINED DELEGATED DELIVERED DEMONSTRATED DESIGNED DETAILED DETECTED DETERMINED DIAGNOSED DISPENSED DEVISED DISCOVERED DISPLAYED DIRECTED DIVERSIFIED DOUBLED

 

E

EARNED EDITED EDUCATED EFFECTED ELIMINATED ENACTED ENCOURAGED ENGINEERED ENHANCED ESTABLISHED ENSURED EVALUATED EXAMINED EXCEEDED EXECUTED EXHIBITED EXPANDED EXPEDITED

 

F

FACILITATED FILED FINALISED FINANCED FORMED FORMALISED FORMULATED FOUNDED

 

G

GENERATED GOVERNED GRADUATED GUIDED

 

H

HANDLED HEADED HELPED HIRED

 

I

IDENTIFIED ILLUSTRATED IMPLEMENTED IMPROVED IMPROVISED INCREASED INDUCED INFLUENCED INFORMED INITIATED INNOVATED INSPECTED INSPIRED INSTITUTED INSTRUCTED INTEGRATED INTERPRETED INVENTED INVESTIGATED

 

J

JUDGED JUSTIFIED

 

L

LAUNCHED LEAD LEARNED LECTURED LICENCED LOCATED

 

M

MAINTAINED MANAGED MANUFACTURED MARKETED MASTERED MEDIATED MEMORIZED MONITORED MOTIVATED

 

N

NAVIGATED NEGOTIATED NOMINATED NORMALISED

 

O

OBSERVED OBTAINED OFFERED OFFICIATED OPERATED ORDERED ORGANISED ORIGINATED OVERCAME

 

P

PAINTED PARTICIPATED PERCEIVED PERFECTED PERFORMED PERSUADED PILOTED PINPOINTED PIONEERED PHOTOGRAPHED PLACED PLANNED PRAISED PREDICTED PRESCRIBED PREPARED PRESIDED PRESENTED PROCURED PRODUCED PROGRAMMED PROGRESSED PROJECTED PROMPTED PROMOTED PROPOSED PROVED PROVIDED

 

R

REASONED RECEIVED RECOGNISED RECOMMENDED RECONCILED RECORDED RECRUITED REDUCED REFERRED REGULATED REINFORCED RELATED REORGANISED REPORTED RESEARCHED RESOLVED REVAMPED REVIEWED REVISED

 

S

SATISFIED SCHEDULED SECURED SELECTED SERVED SIMPLIFIED SHAPED SPEARHEADED SOLVED SORTED STABILISED STUDIED STIMULATED STREAMLINED STRUCTURED SUBSTANTIATED SUCCEEDED SUMMARISED SUPERVISED SUPPLIED SUPPLEMENTED SUPPORTED

 

T

TAUGHT TESTED TRAINED TREATED TRANSCRIBED TRANSFERRED TRANSFORMED TRANSLATED TUTORED TYPED

 

U

UNIFIED UNITED UPGRADED USED UTILISED

 

V

VERIFIED VERBALISED

 

W

WORKED WROTE