Effective Terms to Put in Your Resume

When it comes to a resume, time is of the essence. That is, the amount of time a recruiter or hiring manager skims over your resume before deciding that you deserve further consideration or that you’re not a good fit.

How long is this time? Careerbuilder.com earlier this year performed a survey and found that 17 percent of hiring managers said they take just 30 seconds or less to read a resume. Others said they may take a whole two minutes before placing it in the keep or toss pile. Regardless, 30 seconds or two minutes is not a lot of time.

So how can you improve your chances of having your resume placed into the “take a second look” pile?

Read below for some effective terms to put in your resume to help you stand out.

  • First, here are some words not to use: “go-getter,” “team player,” “highly motivated.” These are descriptive words/phrases. They don’t show that you’ve actually accomplished anything.
  • Instead, use words (and their accompanying phrases) that show that you actually got things done. For example: “Improved quarterly sales target by 10 percent each month.” “Created and managed warehouse safety program which resulted in 50 percent decrease in workplace accidents within six months.”
  • Notice that the above sentences are specific and show accomplishments. The words used are verbs: “created,” “managed,” “improved.”
  • In other words, show, don’t tell. Use verbs rather than adjectives or adverbs.

Here are some action words you can use to help you think of workplace accomplishments you’ve achieved in your career: trained, mentored, improved, managed, resolved, created, volunteered, achieved, increased/decreased, negotiated, launched, influenced, won, revenue/profits, under budget

Companies don’t hire people just because they have a bit of extra money in their coffers. Instead, businesses hire people to solve problems. They need more sales, so they hire salespeople. They need a warehouse stocked, so they hire people to stock shelves. They need an office organized, so they hire an administrative assistant.

Make sure your resume shows what you’ve done, the problems you’ve solved for other companies. Doing so will help a hiring manager see what you can do for him or her and will help you stand out among a sea of “team player,” “customer-service oriented,” “high-energy” job applicants.

If looking for work in Ontario, send your accomplishment-rich resume to the recruiters at Arrow Staffing. We look forward to helping you solve problems for some of the Inland Empire’s top employers. Contact us today.

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