The following two bullet points describe the same task; however the second point is stronger:
- Responsible for developing a policies and procedures manual
- Researched and wrote a policies and procedures manual
The second bullet point used the action words “researched” and “wrote”. These are both good action words for starting a bullet point.
The first bullet point is not as strong. Although it is good to be responsible for tasks, it is the specific skills used to complete the tasks that will catch the attention of an employer.
Take a minute now to scan your current résumé for the word “responsible”.
If you find a bullet point starting with “Responsible for”, think about possible action words you could replace it with. Ask ,“What was I responsible for?”
For example, Jon wrote, “Responsible for training team members” on his résumé. When he asked himself what he was really responsible for, he rewrote the bullet point to read:
- Coordinated and facilitated monthly, one day database training sessions for new team members in various satellite offices across the country