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Keywords and Action Verbs
Employers receive numerous letters and resumes from eager applicants. Often you prepare your letters and resume without emphasizing your unique qualifications and lose your opportunity to stand out from others. Letters should be professional and each word and phrase should communicate that you can achieve results. Review the information on keywords and action verbs and prepare your letter and resume to achieve more concise and clear communication.
Keywords
What are keywords?
Keywords describe the knowledge, understanding, skills or motivation that demonstrate you can perform a task or job. Keywords are:
l nouns
l adjectives
l phrases and/or
l action verbs1
Keywords can be:
l job titles
l responsibilities
l competencies
l acronyms, jargon, and employer terminology
l education, memberships, leadership roles, certification1
Why are they important?
Many employers are electronically scanning resumes. Scanning resumes for keywords produces "hits" related to the experience and competencies the employer determined are important for the job. With more "hits," the chances increase the employer will contact you for an interview.
Some Tips for Using Keywords
l Evaluate your resume to identify the keywords the computer might recognize as
keywords and add more nouns, adjectives, phrases and/or active verbs
l


 Use different keyword forms; for example, if you use "coordination" in the resume use "coordinate" in the cover letter or elsewhere in the resume
l

 Use both full keywords and acronyms in the letter and resume: for example, "BS" and "Bachelor of Science"
l



 Develop a master keyword log by compiling a list of keywords that apply to a particular job that you have performed or would like to perform, or to a particular type of industry; include unique "buzzwords"1
Where can you learn more about keywords?
As a first year student your resume will contain more action verbs than keywords. Progressing through your curriculum and obtaining work experience you learn more about the keywords that are important to perform as a professional in the workplace. When at work on cooperative education, an internship or a summer job, discuss with your mentor or supervisor the types of keywords that should be emphasized in your letters and on your resume.
1Donna Vinton, "Keyword Resumes," Career Center, University of Northern Iowa, at Iowa Association for Internships and Cooperative Education, April 30, 2002.
Action Verbs
accelerated decentralized instilled remedied
acclimated decreased instituted remodeled
accompanied deferred instructed renegotiated
accomplished defined insured reorganized
achieved delegated interfaced replaced
acquired delivered interpreted repaired
activated demonstrated interviewed reported
actuated depreciated introduced represented
adapted described invented requested
addressed designated invested researched
adhered designed investigated resolved
adjusted developed involved responded
administered devised issued restored
admitted diagrammed restructured
advanced directed joined resulted
advertised discovered retained
advised dispatched launched retrieved
advocated displayed liquidated revamped
aided dissembled located revealed
allocated distinguished reversed
altered distributed maintained reviewed
amended diversified managed revised
amplified divested mapped revitalized
analyzed documented marketed rewarded
anticipated drafted maximized
appointed measured safeguarded
appraised earned mediated salvaged
approved edited merchandised scheduled
arbitrated elected merged screened
arranged eliminated modeled secured
ascertained encouraged moderated segmented
assembled endorsed modernized selected
assigned enforced modified separated
assumed engaged monitored served
assessed enhanced motivated serviced
assisted enlarged multiplied settled
attained enriched shaped
attracted established narrated shortened
audited estimated negotiated showed
augmented evaluated signed
authorized examined observed simplified
automated exceeded obtained solved
awarded exchanged offered specified
executed opened speculated
balanced exercised operated spread
bargained expanded organized stabilized
budgeted expedited oriented staffed
built explained originated staged
exposed standardized
calculated extended paid steered
canvassed extracted participated stimulated
capitalized extrapolated patterned strategized
centralized perceived streamlined
challenged facilitated performed strengthened
chaired familiarized permitted stressed
changed figured persuaded structured
channeled financed planned studied
charted focused prepared submitted
checked forecasted presented substantiated
circulated formalized preserved substituted
clarified formed presided summarized
classified formulated prioritized superseded
cleared fortified probed supervised
co-authored functioned processed supported
collaborated produced surpassed
collected gained profiled surveyed
combined gathered programmed synchronized
commissioned gauged projected synthesized
committed generated prompted systematized
communicated governed proposed
compared granted proved tabulated
compiled grouped provided tailored
complied guided publicized targeted
completed published taught
composed handled purchased terminated
computed headed pursued tested
conceptualized hosted tightened
concluded quantified traded
condensed identified trained
conducted illustrated ranked transacted
conferred illuminated rated transferred
consolidated implemented received transformed
constructed improved recommended translated
consulted improvised reconciled transported
contracted inaugurated recorded tripled
contrasted indoctrinated recovered
contributed increased recruited unified
controlled incurred rectified updated
converted induced redesigned upgraded
coordinated influenced reduced utilized
corresponded informed referred
counseled initiated refined validated
created innovated regained valued
critiqued inquired regulated verified
cultivated inspected rehabilitated viewed
inspired reinforced
debugged installed reinstated weighed
decided instigated related won
wrote