{"id":2383,"date":"2017-11-11T17:28:56","date_gmt":"2017-11-11T22:28:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/?page_id=2383"},"modified":"2020-04-20T11:04:15","modified_gmt":"2020-04-20T15:04:15","slug":"resumes-3-verb-accomplishment-statements","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/notes\/resumes-3-verb-accomplishment-statements\/","title":{"rendered":"R\u00e9sum\u00e9s Part 3: Verb (Accomplishment) Statements"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"stickmenu3\">\n<div style=\"font-size: 96%; padding-bottom: 3px;\"><a href=\"#overview\">overview<\/a> | <a href=\"#accomplishment\">verb\/accomplishment statements<\/a> | <a href=\"#weak\">weak vs. strong<\/a> | <a href=\"#targeted\">targeted verbs (&amp; adjectives)<\/a> | <a href=\"#structure-tense\">structure, tense, etc.<\/a> | <a href=\"#next\">next?<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"projectbox\">\n<div class=\"projectboxhead\" style=\"margin-top: 0.3em;\">R\u00e9sum\u00e9s Part 3: Verb [Accomplishment] Statements (Objectives)<\/div>\n<p>After reading these notes\u2014at the least\u2014you should<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>know <em>why<\/em> you should write verb\/accomplishment statements and <em>how<\/em> to write verb\/accomplishment statements<\/li>\n<li>know the difference between weak (generic, inspecific) verbs and strong (strategic, specific) verbs\n<ul style=\"font-size: 90%; margin-top: 0;\">\n<li>&#8230;and know that strong verbs are better than weak verbs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>know where to find good verbs (job descriptions, job advertisements, your job advertisement)<\/li>\n<li>know what verb tense\/s to use\n<ul style=\"font-size: 90%; margin-top: 0;\">\n<li>&#8230;if you&#8217;re describing a position or experience you had in the past, use past tense verbs<\/li>\n<li>&#8230;if you&#8217;re describing a current position or experience you&#8217;re involved in now, use present tense verbs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"projectboxhead\" style=\"margin-top: 1em;\">JSP Project Specific Take-Aways<\/div>\n<p>Regardless of whether you choose to write a chronological, skills\/functional, or combination (hybrid\/mixed resume), you must write verb\/accomplishment statements to describe what you did. You must write your verb statements in parallel structure (within sections\/subsections) and use strong, strategic, descriptive verbs. For things in the past, use past tense verbs. For things in the present, use present tense verbs.<\/p>\n<div class=\"projectboxhead\" style=\"margin-top: 1em;\">Professor Suggestions<\/div>\n<p>While I&#8217;ve tried to break up the course material\/notes into digestible sections, it&#8217;s difficult to understand what&#8217;s here in &#8220;R\u00e9sum\u00e9s Part 3: Verb (Accomplishment) Statements&#8221; without also understanding what&#8217;s in the previous section of notes\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/notes\/resumes-part-2-content\/\">&#8220;R\u00e9sum\u00e9s Part 2: Content&#8221;<\/a>\u2014and the next section of notes\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/notes\/resumes-4-frequently-asked-questions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">&#8220;R\u00e9sum\u00e9s, 4: Frequently Asked Questions&#8221;<\/a>. If possible, think of all the resume-related notes as parts of a whole. Material in the other sections may answer questions you have while reading this section.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"new\">\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"overview\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h3>Overview<\/h3>\n<p>The most common mistake resume writers make is to focus on the <em>duties<\/em> they had at a previous job rather than results and accomplishments. <em>Duties<\/em> are those things that <em>everyone<\/em> who has ever had that job had to do. For instance, in a previous job at a retail shop, you may have been responsible for opening the store, for restocking shelves, balancing the register, or depositing cash at the end of the night.<\/p>\n<p>Those duties \u2013 opening, restocking, balancing, depositing \u2013 are things that every sales associate has to do (or at least sales associates in similar positions). Those are the minimum responsibilities of your job \u2013 if you didn&#8217;t do those things, you would be fired. worse than being an ineffective sales associate, you would be a former sales associate without a job.<\/p>\n<p>Simply suggesting that you do your responsibilities means that you fulfill the duties of your position \u2013 the bare minimum to keep your job. It does <em>not<\/em> mean that you fulfill those duties effectively or fulfill those duties in a way that contributes to the goals and objectives of your organization.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"accomplishment\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3992\" style=\"margin: 10px auto 40px;\" src=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/04\/3213-rainbow-squares-divider-fade.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"141\" height=\"13\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Accomplishment Statements<\/h3>\n<p>Instead of speaking to your responsibilities (what you are expected to do) speak to your accomplishments (what you achieve\/d, what outcomes follow\/ed, and how you provid\/ed value to your organization, its mission, and its clients.<\/p>\n<p>Accomplishment statements take the form of: <strong>action + object + results.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Put another way: <strong>verb + subject + outcome. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/careerservices.princeton.edu\/undergraduate-students\/resumes-letters-online-profiles\/resumes\/accomplishment-statements\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Princeton&#8217;s Career Services<\/a> suggests thinking of it this way: <strong>APR (Action + Problem\/Project + Result):<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;APR&#8221; makes highlighting accomplishments easy. Think of a project you completed or problem you solved during a job or volunteer experience. Choose an action verb that describes your approach. Then describe the results you achieved, quantifying results when possible.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 0.5em;\">Here is their example, followed by a few more:<\/p>\n<table class=\"smpad\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"3\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 160%; font-family: 'Roboto Slab'; color: #7b1fa2; line-height: 1.2em; border-bottom: none;\" bgcolor=\"#FFFFFF\" width=\"20%\">Action Verb<\/td>\n<td style=\"border-bottom: none;\" bgcolor=\"#FFFFFF\" width=\"5%\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; border-bottom: none; font-size: 160%; font-family: 'Roboto Slab'; color: #1976d2; line-height: 1.2em;\" bgcolor=\"#FFFFFF\" width=\"32%\">Problem\/Project<\/td>\n<td style=\"border-bottom: none;\" bgcolor=\"#FFFFFF\" width=\"5%\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; border-bottom: none; font-size: 160%; font-family: 'Roboto Slab'; color: #00796b; line-height: 1.2em;\" bgcolor=\"#FFFFFF\" width=\"38%\">Result\/s<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; border-bottom: none;\" bgcolor=\"#F8F0F9\" width=\"20%\">coordinated<\/td>\n<td style=\"font-size: 300%; color: #a8a8a8; border-bottom: none;\" width=\"5%\">+<\/td>\n<td style=\"border-bottom: none;\" bgcolor=\"#E3F2FD\" width=\"32%\">three fundraising events for local shelters<\/td>\n<td style=\"font-size: 300%; color: #a8a8a8; border-bottom: none;\" width=\"5%\">+<\/td>\n<td style=\"border-bottom: none;\" bgcolor=\"#E0F2F1\" width=\"38%\">which raised more than $8,000 (20% over goal) and increased community awareness<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left; font-size: 120%; padding-left: 75px; padding-right: 75px; padding-bottom: 25px; font-family: 'Roboto Slab'; line-height: 1.4em; border-bottom: none;\" colspan=\"5\" bgcolor=\"#FFFFFF\">Coordinated three fundraising events for local food banks, which raised over $8,000 (20% over goal) and increased community awareness.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; border-bottom: none;\" bgcolor=\"#F8F0F9\" width=\"20%\">planned and promoted<\/td>\n<td style=\"font-size: 300%; color: #a8a8a8; border-bottom: none;\" width=\"5%\">+<\/td>\n<td style=\"border-bottom: none;\" bgcolor=\"#E3F2FD\" width=\"32%\">5 guest speakers for the Engineering Departments Student Outreach Series<\/td>\n<td style=\"font-size: 300%; color: #a8a8a8; border-bottom: none;\" width=\"5%\">+<\/td>\n<td style=\"border-bottom: none;\" bgcolor=\"#E0F2F1\" width=\"38%\">25% increase in student attendance<br \/>\nfrom the previous year<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left; font-size: 120%; padding-left: 75px; padding-right: 75px; padding-bottom: 25px; font-family: 'Roboto Slab'; line-height: 1.4em; border-bottom: none;\" colspan=\"5\" bgcolor=\"#FFFFFF\">Planned and promoted 5 guests speakers for the Engineering Departments Student Outreach Series resulting in a 25% increase in student attendance from the previous year.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; border-bottom: none;\" bgcolor=\"#F8F0F9\" width=\"20%\">wrote<\/td>\n<td style=\"font-size: 300%; color: #a8a8a8; border-bottom: none;\" width=\"5%\">+<\/td>\n<td style=\"border-bottom: none;\" bgcolor=\"#E3F2FD\" width=\"32%\">bylaws and governance documents<\/td>\n<td style=\"font-size: 300%; color: #a8a8a8; border-bottom: none;\" width=\"5%\">+<\/td>\n<td style=\"border-bottom: none;\" bgcolor=\"#E0F2F1\" width=\"38%\">to found FAU&#8217;s Apple Users Group student organization<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left; font-size: 120%; padding-left: 75px; padding-right: 75px; padding-bottom: 25px; font-family: 'Roboto Slab'; line-height: 1.4em; border-bottom: none;\" colspan=\"5\" bgcolor=\"#FFFFFF\">Wrote bylaws and governance documents to found FAU&#8217;s Apple Users Group student organization.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; border-bottom: none;\" bgcolor=\"#F8F0F9\" width=\"20%\">developed<\/td>\n<td style=\"font-size: 300%; color: #a8a8a8; border-bottom: none;\" width=\"5%\">+<\/td>\n<td style=\"border-bottom: none;\" bgcolor=\"#E3F2FD\" width=\"32%\">system for server shift changes<\/td>\n<td style=\"font-size: 300%; color: #a8a8a8; border-bottom: none;\" width=\"5%\">+<\/td>\n<td style=\"border-bottom: none;\" bgcolor=\"#E0F2F1\" width=\"38%\">to increase efficiency of administrative and operational tasks (servers were able to clock out 50% faster at the ends of shifts) and reduce unexpected overtime payments by 80%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left; font-size: 120%; padding-left: 75px; padding-right: 75px; padding-bottom: 25px; font-family: 'Roboto Slab'; line-height: 1.4em; border-bottom: none;\" colspan=\"5\" bgcolor=\"#FFFFFF\">Developed a system for server shift changes to increase efficiency of administrative and operational tasks (servers were able to clock out 50% faster at the ends of shifts) and reduce unexpected overtime payments by 80%.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; border-bottom: none;\" bgcolor=\"#F8F0F9\" width=\"20%\">led and coordinated<\/td>\n<td style=\"font-size: 300%; color: #a8a8a8; border-bottom: none;\" width=\"5%\">+<\/td>\n<td style=\"border-bottom: none;\" bgcolor=\"#E3F2FD\" width=\"32%\">team of four project group members by delegating responsibilities and tasks<\/td>\n<td style=\"font-size: 300%; color: #a8a8a8; border-bottom: none;\" width=\"5%\">+<\/td>\n<td style=\"border-bottom: none;\" bgcolor=\"#E0F2F1\" width=\"38%\">ensuring a successful project and an &#8216;A&#8217; from the professor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: left; font-size: 120%; padding-left: 75px; padding-right: 75px; padding-bottom: 25px; font-family: 'Roboto Slab'; line-height: 1.4em; border-bottom: none;\" colspan=\"5\" bgcolor=\"#FFFFFF\">Led and coordinated team of four project group members by delegating responsibilities and tasks ensuring a successful project and an &#8216;A&#8217; from the professor.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"weak\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3992\" style=\"margin: 10px auto 40px;\" src=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/04\/3213-rainbow-squares-divider-fade.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"141\" height=\"13\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Weak vs. Strong Verbs<\/h3>\n<p>Verbs like worked, made, used, gave, and was are incredibly weak. They&#8217;re inspecific and don&#8217;t speak to the actions you took to accomplish various tasks, meet (or exceed) the obejectives of your position, and fulfill the purpose\/s of your organization. They don&#8217;t speak to action or success. They speak to bare minimums, responsibilies, and duties required of anyone in your position.<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 80%; margin: 0 auto;\">\n<table class=\"ltpad\" style=\"width: 90%; margin: 20px auto;\" border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"3\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 130%; font-family: 'Roboto Slab';\" width=\"45%\">Intead of (Weak Verbs)<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 130%; font-family: 'Roboto Slab';\" width=\"55%\">Revise to (Strong\/Action Verbs)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"45%\"><u>Responsible<\/u> for customer accounts<\/td>\n<td width=\"55%\"><strong>Updated<\/strong> and <strong>maintained<\/strong> customer accounts&#8230;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"45%\"><u>Sent<\/u> customer invoices and overdue notices<\/td>\n<td width=\"55%\"><strong>Created<\/strong> and <strong>sent<\/strong> invoices and overdue account notices&#8230;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"45%\"><u>Worked<\/u> with customers to make payment plans<\/td>\n<td width=\"55%\"><strong>Negotiated<\/strong> payment plans with customers&#8230;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"45%\"><u>Settled<\/u> and closed accounts<\/td>\n<td width=\"55%\"><strong>Balanced<\/strong> accounts&#8230;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"45%\"><u>Was<\/u> leader in group project<\/td>\n<td width=\"55%\"><strong>Led<\/strong> team of five group members&#8230;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"45%\"><u>Made<\/u> sales<\/td>\n<td width=\"55%\"><strong>Sold<\/strong> merchandice&#8230;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"45%\"><u>Worked<\/u> with staff members<\/td>\n<td width=\"55%\"><strong>Collaborated<\/strong> with staff members&#8230;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"45%\"><u>Used<\/u> accounting principles&#8230;<\/td>\n<td width=\"55%\"><strong>Applied<\/strong> accounting principles&#8230;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"45%\"><u>Gave<\/u> presentations<\/td>\n<td width=\"55%\"><strong>Delivered<\/strong> presentations&#8230;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"45%\"><u>Made<\/u> newsletter<\/td>\n<td width=\"55%\"><strong>Developed<\/strong>, <strong>wrote<\/strong>, and <strong>published<\/strong> newsletter&#8230;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p>Browse these lists of precise action verbs organized according to skill categories like communication, creative, management, leadership, organization, and research (among others): <a href=\"http:\/\/www.quintcareers.com\/action-skills\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Quint Careers Action Verbs<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/notes\/resume-action-verbs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CSU Action Verbs<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/eoss.asu.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/Action%20Verbs.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ASU Action Verbs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"targeted\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3992\" style=\"margin: 10px auto 40px;\" src=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/04\/3213-rainbow-squares-divider-fade.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"141\" height=\"13\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Targeted Verbs (&amp; Adjectives)<\/h3>\n<p>Take a look at the Indeed.com seach for &#8220;executive assistant&#8221; in Miami Florida. Note the words\/phrases highlighted in blue and green.<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 750px; margin: 20px auto;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/rhetoricandwriting.com\/3213-F15\/indeed-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"1001\" \/><\/div>\n<p>Take a look at the verbs in blue: <strong>coordinate<\/strong>, <strong>balance<\/strong>, <strong>implement<\/strong>, and <strong>respond<\/strong>. Because of the frequency of these and related verbs in similar job advertisements, if you were applying for &#8220;executive assistant&#8221; positions, it would probably be a good idea to work these into your verb statements.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, you shouldn&#8217;t make up details to use various verbs (that would be unethical), but you should see if you can shift your language to match the language that&#8217;s out there.<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 80%; margin: 0 auto;\">\n<table class=\"ltpad\" style=\"width: 90%; margin: 20px auto;\" border=\"1\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"3\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 130%; font-family: 'Roboto Slab';\" width=\"45%\">Instead of Generic Verbs<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 130%; font-family: 'Roboto Slab';\" width=\"55%\">Shift to Targeted Verbs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"45%\"><u>Communicated<\/u> administrative needs to staff &#8230;<\/td>\n<td width=\"55%\"><strong>Coordinated<\/strong> communication between administration and staff<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"45%\"><u>Managed<\/u> various tasks simultaneously&#8230;<\/td>\n<td width=\"55%\"><strong>Balanced<\/strong> various simultaneous tasks in order to fulfill responsibilities&#8230;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"45%\"><u>Resolved<\/u> customer complaints&#8230;<\/td>\n<td width=\"55%\"><strong>Implemented<\/strong> solutions to customer complaints&#8230;.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"45%\"><u>Answered<\/u> clients&#8217; inquiries&#8230;.<\/td>\n<td width=\"55%\"><strong>Responded<\/strong> to clients&#8217; inquiries&#8230;.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p>Take a look at the adjectives in green: dynamic, flexible, adaptable, energetic, positive, proactive, and reliable.<\/p>\n<p>You can work those adjectives into your resume in other ways. Occasionally, you can shift them to verbs, as in the case of &#8220;adaptable&#8221; (adjective) to &#8220;adapt&#8221; or &#8220;adapted&#8221; (verbs). If not, perhaps those terms (or similar ones) can be worked into the objective statement, summary of qualifications, etc.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"structure-tense\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3992\" style=\"margin: 10px auto 40px;\" src=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/04\/3213-rainbow-squares-divider-fade.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"141\" height=\"13\" \/><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"margin-bottom: 0;\">Structure, Punctuation, Tense, Sequence, &amp; More<\/h3>\n<div style=\"text-align: center; background-color: #edf9fa; margin-bottom: 1px; padding: 3px; font-weight: 300; font-size: 110%;\"><a href=\"#structure\">structure<\/a><span style=\"color: #999;\">\u2002|\u2002<\/span><a href=\"#punctuation\">punctuation<\/a><span style=\"color: #999;\">\u2002|\u2002<\/span><a href=\"#verbtense\">verb tense<\/a><span style=\"color: #999;\">\u2002|\u2002<\/span><a href=\"#firstperson\">person<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;\"><span id=\"structure\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h4>Structure:<\/h4>\n<p>In resumes, it&#8217;s acceptable (and perhaps even preferred) to write in sentence fragments and omit articles. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.dummies.com\/how-to\/content\/five-tips-for-better-resume-writing.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">According to Max Messmer<\/a>, author of Job Hunting for Dummies (2nd ed.):<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Keep your sentences short and don&#8217;t worry about fragments. Resumes call for short, crisp statements. These statements do not necessarily have to be complete sentences; you can frequently leave out the articles a, an, and the.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 15px; padding-top: 20px;\">Instead of this:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 45px; font-family: 'Roboto';\"><em>Spent three years working on major accounts, as both a lead generator and a closer, demonstrating proven skill in organizing and managing a territory with efficiency as well as in developing customer databases.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 15px; padding-top: 20px;\">Write this:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 45px; font-family: 'Roboto';\"><em>Spent three years working on major accounts. Generated leads and closed sales. Demonstrated proven skill in organizing and managing a territory and in developing customer databases.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 15px; padding-top: 20px;\">Instead of this:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 45px; font-family: 'Roboto';\"><em>I was involved in the creation and implementation of statistical reports for a large metropolitan hospital, which required the use of spreadsheet software for cost analysis and, in addition, the creation of a database to track patient visits.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 15px; padding-top: 20px;\">Write this:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 45px; font-family: 'Roboto';\"><em>Created and implemented statistical reports for large metropolitan hospital. Analyzed costs with spreadsheet software. Created database to track patient visits.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 15px; padding-top: 20px;\">Or try a bulleted format:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-left: 40px; font-family: 'Roboto'; margin-bottom: 0;\">\n<li><em>Created and implemented statistical reports for large metropolitan hospital.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em> Analyzed costs with spreadsheet software.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em> Created database to track patient visits.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"punctuation\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h4>Punctuation<\/h4>\n<p>If the text of your bullet point is a full sentence, then you should use standard sentence punctuation. However, if the text is written as a phrase (technically, a sentence fragment, but perfectly acceptable for a resume), then it&#8217;s your choice whether to include end punctuation or not. The only real rule is to be consistent. If you decide to use periods after bulleted phrases, then you must use periods for each one. If you decide not to use periods, then none of the phrases should have periods.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"verbtense\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h4>Verb Tense<\/h4>\n<p>The rule for verb tense in resumes is simple. If the verb statement refers to a past position, the verb should be in past tense. If the verb statement refers to a current position (one you hold presently), the verb should be in present tense.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re writing verb statements to describe what you accomplished in a Retail Sales Associate position you held in 2010-2012, your verbs should be in past tense, e.g., Assisted, Managed, Resolved, Increased, etc.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re writing verb statements to describe what you accomplish in your current position as a Sales Manager, your verbs should be in present tense, e.g., Manage, Assist, Coordinate, Schedule, Balance, Motivate, etc.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"firstperson\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<h4>First Person, Sequence, Plain English, &amp; Parallelism<\/h4>\n<p>In short:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Avoid first person (&#8220;I&#8221; or &#8220;we&#8221;)<\/li>\n<li>Use plain English, avoid nouning, and focus on the &#8220;real&#8221; (see previous course material on <a href=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/notes\/conciseness-strategies\/#nouning\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nouning<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Maintain parallel structure in your bullet points (see previous course material on <a href=\"http:\/\/rhetoricandwriting.com\/3213-F15\/parallelism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Parallelism<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I recommend <a href=\"http:\/\/www.dummies.com\/how-to\/content\/five-tips-for-better-resume-writing.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Max Messmer&#8217;s 5 Tips for Better Resume Writing.<\/a><\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 1em;\"><span id=\"next\" class=\"anchor\"> <\/span><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 130%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3992\" style=\"margin: 10px auto 40px;\" src=\"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/04\/3213-rainbow-squares-divider-fade.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"141\" height=\"13\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>What to do Next&#8230;.<\/h3>\n<p>If you\u2019re trying to follow the notes and assignments in order, I suggest you complete the <a href=\"https:\/\/canvas.fau.edu\/courses\/76978\/assignments\/752328\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Job Ad Annotation<\/a> assignment next (it is due at 12pm noon on Saturday, April 11\u2014but you can certainly do it early!).<\/p>\n<div class=\"clear\" style=\"display: block; text-align: right; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 100px;\"><span class=\"arrowtop\" style=\"font-size: 150%; opacity: 0.5;\"><a href=\"#top\">\u2305<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"height: 125px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 350px; margin: 800px auto 20px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"margin: 0px auto;\" src=\"http:\/\/rhetoricandwriting.com\/3213-F15\/cc-fair-use-350px.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" height=\"75\" \/><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 350px; margin: 2px auto; font-size: 90%; text-align: justify; line-height: 125%;\">Portions of this course material are adapted from and supplemented with materials licensed under <a href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CC BY-NC-SA 3.0<\/a> and materials available under 1996 Fair Use Guidelines for Educational Multimedia courtesy of Andy Schmitz&#8217;s Creative Commons Book Archive.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>overview | verb\/accomplishment statements | weak vs. strong | targeted verbs (&amp; adjectives) | structure, tense, etc. | next? R\u00e9sum\u00e9s Part 3: Verb [Accomplishment] Statements (Objectives) After reading these notes\u2014at the least\u2014you should know why you should write verb\/accomplishment statements and how to write verb\/accomplishment statements know the difference between weak (generic, inspecific) verbs and <a href='https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/notes\/resumes-3-verb-accomplishment-statements\/' class='excerpt-more'>[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":205,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"no-sidebars.php","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2383"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2383"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2383\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4302,"href":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2383\/revisions\/4302"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/techrhet.com\/3213\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}