When looking for a new job, job seekers should describe any previous work experience in the best light possible while identifying the most relevant duties performed. Job descriptions are no longer seen as helpful ways for employers to evaluate potential employers, and many of them are looking for accomplishment-focused phrases and results-oriented statements, said Michelle Phillips, a job readiness instructor. Phillips, who works for the non-profit employment-assistance organization Polk Works in Florida, described techniques to increase ability to be hired during a June 10, 2010 job training session televised through PGTV.
When looking for a job in a specific industry, or within the same industry that a previous job was held in, incorporating industry lingo can show that the applicant already has general knowledge and won't need to be trained in general tasks. Avoiding creative abbreviations and eliminating unnecessary words helps a resume read more clearly and lets the emphasis remain on the action verbs and transferable skills that best show off an applicant.
Using Action Verbs in Resumes
Action verbs are words that are used specifically in resumes to accurately and succinctly indicate what a job applicant accomplished in their last position. "These phrases begin with an action word such as designed, sold or instructed and leave out unnecessary words such as the, a and also," explain Sharon L. Hanna, Doug Radtke and Rose Suggett in Career by Design: Communicating Your Way to Success [Pearson, 2009]. "The phrases sound crisp and leave the distinct impression that you have been active."
The best action verbs depend on the specific job duties performed, but some example action verbs include: billed, wrote, supervised, managed, analyzed, directed, trained, planned, taught, developed, maintained, organized, initiated, produced. According to Phillips, the job readiness instructor, resume writers should pick one verb for each line and then elaborate.
Accomplishments to Mention on a Resume
Some job applicants – particularly those that haven't had to look for a job for several years – may have a difficult time figuring out which of their past accomplishments are best to focus on when choosing the action words for their resumes.
These questions may help when trying to determine which verbs are best to describe the results of each pertinent job duty:
- Did I improve efficiency – how?
- How did I perform the job better than expected?
- Did I implement anything new that benefited the organization?
- Did I receive any awards or special recognition as a result of past performance?
Tips When Changing Careers
PolkWorks' Phillips told job applicants that researching the new field or profiling the specific job the applicant is looking for is the most important aspect of changing careers. The knowledge is necessary to better market existing skills. The authors of Career by Design agree: "Employers are impressed by applicants who have taken the time to find out about their businesses."
Much of the experience a job applicant has can be used in other industries. These are called transferable skills, and job applicants that show they have skills that will help them in the new position will have an advantage over others new to the industry.
Examples of transferable skills include:
- leadership
- customer orientation
- oral/written communication
- self motivation/initiative
- problem-solving
- technical skills/knowledge
- working with special equipment/materials
- business acumen and
- implementing/initiating changes.
Job applicants that are planning on changing careers can focus on developing an executive hybrid resume, which is the combination of a chronological and functional. Finding the right kind of job is easier when job seekers understand their personality type, and getting an interview is more likely with an amazing cover letter.
Heidi DeVries - Heidi DeVries was a resume screener for a communications firm and shares tips to secure an interview and be a successful job applicant.
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