Resume wording is an important factor to consider when constructing a resume

Wording and content, along with the resume format and outline, will decide what kind of impact your resume will have.

Good wording can be the difference between getting a great response and getting no response for individuals carrying out job searches.

Add Impact to Your Job Descriptions

Concentrate on wording while listing your job descriptions in the experience section of your resume. Choosing the right words to describe job performance is extremely important.

Some sample job descriptions are:

• Performed general lifeguard duties.
• Supervised personnel, facilities, and membership.
• Trained and supervised a staff of ten people
• Manage four of the company largest accounts

Resume wording is important in job descriptions as this section allows you to convey to employers the skills you posses and have utilized during your previous jobs.

Use Action Verbs to Emphasize Your Skills

The job skill descriptions become especially important when you are changing careers. This is the way that employers may be able to gauge your abilities and see if you are right for the job.

Here is a partial list of the kind of verbs you can use while resume writing:

• Developed
• Supervised
• Trained
• Fixed
• Achieved
• Implemented
• Saved

You do not have to use the word ‘I’ before the sentences. Indent or use a bullet form to list your job descriptions after the job title.

Accomplishment and Skill Phrases

Examples of resume wording you can use in phrases that describe your accomplishments are:

• Received top academic honors for accounting research in school
• Handled $1,000 in cash daily at the cash register
• Reduced costs by 40% without compromising on quality of service provided.

Consider the resume wording in the following statements:

• Able to work independently as well as part of a team
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Well developed motivational and leadership qualities.

Be Specific to Support Your Achievements

Do not hesitate to include figures and percentages to accurately describe your accomplishments. Resume wording with exact figures give a better impression than general statements.

For example you can use dollar amounts to list your cash handling responsibilities or percentages to show how much you improved your department‘s output.

Notice the improvement by changing the resume wording describing the following achievements:

Before: Increased company sales over several months.

After: Increased company sales (15%) over the past (3) months.

Which of the above do you think would impress your prospective employer the most ?

Highlight Your Skills and Abilities

While describing your tasks on previous jobs, you are explaining to potential employers your skills and abilities. Therefore it is important to indicate a variety of tasks you have accomplished. You should highlight relevant job skills such as management skills, communication skills, creative skills, financial skills, etc.

When writing your job descriptions you have to be careful about the word tense. If you are describing a job you are currently working at, use present tense. Use past tense for resume wording for jobs that you have done in the past.

Some other quick tips and ideas on resume wording

• Write your resume in a positive light and avoid negatives.

• Think of it as marketing your best abilities.

• Do not title your page ‘resume’ as it is generally understood.

• Be concise and avoid being too wordy.

Resume Keywords

Resume keywords can be extremely important and are an essential part of professional quality resume wording. A keyword in this context refers to words that describe the key skills, experience, achievements and qualifications of the job seeker.

When submitting an online copy of your resume, it might end up in an employer database. If you have included relevant keywords for each of the main points into the job position you have applied for, your resume will appear at the top when the hiring manager searches the database with keywords.

The keywords will catch their eye so they know where to look for the information they want and your chance of selection is dramatically improved !

Make sure the focus is on what the employer wants and not on you. The resume wording should be employer-oriented so he knows what you can do for him.