Action Word Phrases

Steps to writing a Action Word Phrases

Choose an action word: Action Words are written in present tense for current experiences and past tense for experiences which have ended.

Identify skills, attributes, or accomplishments from your experiences

  • Examples: built professional relationships, used written communication skills, friendly and efficient
  • Access a comprehensive list of Transferable Skills

Describe the skill, attribute, or accomplishment: Be specific and concise: How many, how often, what type, where, with/for whom.

  • Examples: “over 20 customers,” “monthly”, “20% increase of sales from 2014 to 2015”

Be specific, concise, and quantify if possible (to help you be specific, consider the following questions: how many, how often, what type, where, with/for who, how much)

  • Examples: “over 20 customers,” “monthly”, “20% increase of sales from 2014 to 2015”

Put it all together

Example:

Established professional relationships with over 20 customers monthly through friendly and efficient written communication resulting in an 20% increase of sales from 2018- 2020

Action statement writing tips:

  • Statements should not be paragraphs. They should be to the point including information specifically related to the role of application.
  • Quantifying your work helps to you to be specific.  The reader should be able to picture what you were doing by reading the statements.
  • Statements should not be paragraphs. They should be to the point including information specifically related to the role of application.
  • Review the transferable skills necessary for the position.  These may be listed in the job description or you many need to determine them on your own
  • Statements should be focused on your accomplishments and responsibilities not only on duties.  The statements should relate to what you did specifically.  They should not describe what any person would do in the role
  • Try to use vague action verbs as little as possible; assisted, helped, and worked

Check out the PAR Method, an easy to use formula for creating bulleted action word phrases.

Action Words