You want to take every opportunity you can find to incorporate resume action verbs. The main way to do that is to replace any weak verbs you’ve written.
Learn some resume action verbs to replace with weak verbs
Have you ever wondered why your resume doesn’t seem to be generating enough traction or positive responses to move along in the interviewing process? There are a host of reasons why life science professionals can be frustrated with their resumes. Perhaps their resume reads more like a boring list of job descriptions that they’ve held previously. It’s also common for individuals to leave off some of their key contributions and accomplishments because they forgot to mention them, or feel like they’d be bragging to write about them.
If you know that you’re a quality candidate but that isn’t coming across on your resume, there are some things you can do to tweak your resume for a job. In addition to what we’ve covered in the past, including more compelling, resume action verbs in your document will help you stand out. Action verbs are simply words used to describe the physical or mental action taking place. Some other terms for action verbs are strong verbs and dynamic verbs.
Useful Resume Action Verbs
Replace Weak Verbs – You want to take every opportunity you can find to incorporate the resume action verbs in your CV. The main way to do that is to replace any weak verbs you’ve written. Weak verbs are those that are overused, and don’t provide much detail. Some examples of weak verbs are:
- Worked
- Talked
- Handled
- Continued
- Believed
- Told
- Met
- Put
- Set
- Stopped
General Action Verbs
There are some resume action verbs that can be used by most life science professionals regardless of their specialty. Here are the top action verbs for life science resumes. They include:
- Generated
- Earned
- Obtained
- Solicited
- Executed
- Resulted
- Recognized
- Achieved
- Effected
- Won
- Awarded
- Succeeded
- Ensured
- Accomplished
- Mastered
- Resolved
- Exceeded
- Attained
- Produced
- Accelerated
- Reduced
- Consolidated
- Strengthened
- Simplified
- Enhanced
- Streamlined
- Increased
- Expanded
- Restructured
- Restored
- Eliminated
- Corrected
- Advised
- Consulted
- Coached
- Informed
- Educated
- Acquired
- Negotiated
- Partnered
- Secured
- Aligned
- Facilitated
- Fostered
- Guided
- Mentored
- Hired
- Trained
- Unified
- Shaped
- Recruited
- Supervised
- Oversaw
- Directed
- Taught
- Centralized
- Integrated
- Merged
- Overhauled
- Revamped
Science-Related Resume Action Verbs
There are more specific action verbs that can be used by life science professionals as well. They are:
- Experimented
- Assessed
- Calculated
- Formulated
- Tracked
- Analyzed
- Forecasted
- Collected
- Explored
- Investigated
- Conducted
- Defined
- Extracted
- Examined
- Researched
- Inspected
- Reviewed
- Modeled
- Tested
- Observed
- Inquired
- Detected
- Measured
- Surveyed
- Found
- Located
- Studied
- Discovered
- Calculated
- Critiqued
- Derived
- Estimated
- Recommended
- Clarified
- Diagnosed
- Determined
- Organized
- Derived
- Prescribed
- Tabulated
- Interpreted
- Systematized
- Summarized
- Formulated
- Compiled
- Compared
- Classified
- Clarified
- Rated
- Converted
- Regulated
- Upgraded
- Coded
- Engineered
- Programmed
- Designed
- Mapped
- Qualified
- Quantified
- Pioneered
Incorporating resume action verbs into your resume can help it come across as more compelling and generate more interviews for you. Strong action verbs help to paint a clear mental picture of what you do and any challenges you’ve overcome. Read through your resume and consider removing any weak verbs you’ve used. Think about inserting action verbs that can set you apart from other professionals. How would your resume be transformed by including more action verbs?
Porschia Parker is a Certified Coach, Professional Resume Writer, and Founder of Fly High Coaching. (https://www.fly-highcoaching.com) She empowers ambitious professionals and motivated executives to add $10K on average to their salaries.
