What is the Big Deal About Action Verbs?
Most resume experts counsel their clients to pack their resume full of action verbs. What exactly is an action verb? It might be easiest to explain by giving a few examples of what an action verb is not.
- Worked with preschoolers in daycare setting.
“Worked” is not an action verb. It does not describe what the child care provider did; it does not create a visual picture in the reader’s mind. Besides, wouldn’t our child care provider have already implied she worked in a day care when she gave the name and location of her employer? Consider instead this sentence:
- Engaged preschoolers in cooperative learning activities. Trained them to recognize shapes, colors, numbers, and letters; read stories aloud and involved children in role play and interactive games.
The words “engaged,” “trained,” “read,” and “involved” gave us a much more dynamic picture of what this worker did. But the active verbs do not stand alone; they are supported by the use of vivid adjectives and detailed descriptions. Just beginning the phrase with an action verb invites us to infuse the descriptions with life.
One word of caution about action verbs – try not to use the same verb more than once. Saying that you developed this, developed that, and developed something else becomes boring, and causes the invigorating effect of the action verb to falter. Instead, write that you developed this, designed that, and created something else. Variety truly is the spice of life!
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