Page 26 - The Editors of VGM Career Books - Resumes for Computer Careers, Second Edition (2002)

Chapter

2

Writing Your

Resume

ow that you have gathered the information for each section of your
resume, it’s time to write it out in a way that will get the atten-
Ntion of the reviewer—hopefully, your future employer! The lan-
guage you use in your resume will affect its success, so you must be careful
and conscientious. Translate the facts you have gathered into the active, pre-
cise language of resume writing. You will be aiming for a resume that keeps
the reader’s interest and highlights your accomplishments in a concise and
effective way.
Resume writing is unlike any other form of writing. Although your
seventh-grade composition teacher would not approve, the rules of punc-
tuation and sentence building are often completely ignored. Instead, you
should try for a functional, direct writing style that focuses on the use of
verbs and other words that imply action on your part. Writing with action
words and strong verbs characterizes you to potential employers as an
energetic, active person, someone who completes tasks and achieves results
from his or her work. Resumes that do not make use of action words can
sound passive and stale. These resumes are not effective and do not get the
attention of any employer, no matter how qualified the applicant. Choose
words that display your strengths and demonstrate your initiative. The fol-
lowing list of commonly used verbs will help you create a strong resume:

administered assembled

advised assumed responsibility
analyzed billed

arranged built

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