Be innovative take a risk

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The job search is tough, the market is competitive, and it’s only natural to be cautious and by-the-book in your approach. But, as the saying goes, fortune favors the bold—and sometimes, taking risks in your career can pay off big time.

For example, if you see a job listing that makes your heart race with excitement, but you don’t quite qualify, apply anyway. If you’re applying to a highly competitive position at your dream company, consider a video application or dynamic online resume to stand out. Or, think outside the application process altogether—and see if you can set up informational interviews or meetings with people who work at awesome companies in your industry. These approaches might seem risky, but I’ve seen them reap big rewards more than once.

All the trappings of our modern lives can be easy to depend on—and sometimes you really can use them. But, make sure you weave in a few old school tricks as well, and you’ll surely impress potential employers with your renaissance approach.

Action Verbs for your resume

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Most resume bullet points start with the same words. Frankly, the same tired old words hiring managers have heard over and over—to the point where they’ve lost a lot of their meaning and don’t do much to show off your accomplishments. So, let’s get a little more creative, shall we? Next time you update your resume, switch up a few of those common words and phrases with strong, compelling action verbs that will catch hiring managers’ eyes.

No matter what duty or accomplishment you’re trying to show off, we’ve got just the resume action verb for you. Check out the list below, and get ready to make your resume way more exciting.

You Led a Project

If you were in charge of a project or initiative from start to finish, skip “led” and instead try:

  1. Chaired
  2. Controlled
  3. Coordinated
  4. Executed
  5. Headed
  6. Operated
  7. Orchestrated
  8. Organized
  9. Oversaw
  10. Planned
  11. Produced
  12. Programmed

Action Verbs 13-33You Envisioned and Brought a Project to Life

And if you actually developed, created, or introduced that project into your company? Try:

  1. Administered
  2. Built
  3. Charted
  4. Created
  5. Designed
  6. Developed
  7. Devised
  8. Founded
  9. Engineered
  10. Established
  11. Formalized
  12. Formed
  13. Formulated
  14. Implemented
  15. Incorporated
  16. Initiated
  17. Instituted
  18. Introduced
  19. Launched
  20. Pioneered
  21. Spearheaded

Action Verbs 34-42You Saved the Company Time or Money

Hiring managers love candidates who’ve helped a team operate more efficiently or cost-effectively. To show just how much you saved, try:

  1. Conserved
  2. Consolidated
  3. Decreased
  4. Deducted
  5. Diagnosed
  6. Lessened
  7. Reconciled
  8. Reduced
  9. Yielded

Action Verbs 43-61You Increased Efficiency, Sales, Revenue, or Customer Satisfaction

Along similar lines, if you can show that your work boosted the company’s numbers in some way, you’re bound to impress. In these cases, consider:

  1. Accelerated
  2. Achieved
  3. Advanced
  4. Amplified
  5. Boosted
  6. Capitalized
  7. Delivered
  8. Enhanced
  9. Expanded
  10. Expedited
  11. Furthered
  12. Gained
  13. Generated
  14. Improved
  15. Lifted
  16. Maximized
  17. Outpaced
  18. Stimulated
  19. Sustained

Action Verbs 62-87You Changed or Improved Something

So, you brought your department’s invoicing system out of the Stone Age and onto the interwebs? Talk about the amazing changes you made at your office with these words:

  1. Centralized
  2. Clarified
  3. Converted
  4. Customized
  5. Influenced
  6. Integrated
  7. Merged
  8. Modified
  9. Overhauled
  10. Redesigned
  11. Refined
  12. Refocused
  13. Rehabilitated
  14. Remodeled
  15. Reorganized
  16. Replaced
  17. Restructured
  18. Revamped
  19. Revitalized
  20. Simplified
  21. Standardized
  22. Streamlined
  23. Strengthened
  24. Updated
  25. Upgraded
  26. Transformed

Action Verbs 88-107You Managed a Team

Instead of reciting your management duties, like “Led a team…” or “Managed employees…” show what an inspirational leader you were with terms like:

  1. Aligned
  2. Cultivated
  3. Directed
  4. Enabled
  5. Facilitated
  6. Fostered
  7. Guided
  8. Hired
  9. Inspired
  10. Mentored
  11. Mobilized
  12. Motivated
  13. Recruited
  14. Regulated
  15. Shaped
  16. Supervised
  17. Taught
  18. Trained
  19. Unified
  20. United

Action Verbs 108-113You Brought in Partners, Funding, or Resources

Were you “responsible for” a great new partner, sponsor, or source of funding? Try:

  1. Acquired
  2. Forged
  3. Navigated
  4. Negotiated
  5. Partnered
  6. Secured

Action Verbs 114-122You Supported Customers

Because manning the phones or answering questions really means you’re advising customers and meeting their needs, use:

  1. Advised
  2. Advocated
  3. Arbitrated
  4. Coached
  5. Consulted
  6. Educated
  7. Fielded
  8. Informed
  9. Resolved

Action Verbs 123-142You Were a Research Machine

Did your job include research, analysis, or fact-finding? Mix up your verbiage with these words:

  1. Analyzed
  2. Assembled
  3. Assessed
  4. Audited
  5. Calculated
  6. Discovered
  7. Evaluated
  8. Examined
  9. Explored
  10. Forecasted
  11. Identified
  12. Interpreted
  13. Investigated
  14. Mapped
  15. Measured
  16. Qualified
  17. Quantified
  18. Surveyed
  19. Tested
  20. Tracked

Action Verbs 143-161You Wrote or Communicated

Was writing, speaking, lobbying, or otherwise communicating part of your gig? You can explain just how compelling you were with words like:

  1. Authored
  2. Briefed
  3. Campaigned
  4. Co-authored
  5. Composed
  6. Conveyed
  7. Convinced
  8. Corresponded
  9. Counseled
  10. Critiqued
  11. Defined
  12. Documented
  13. Edited
  14. Illustrated
  15. Lobbied
  16. Persuaded
  17. Promoted
  18. Publicized
  19. Reviewed

Action Verbs 162-173You Oversaw or Regulated

Whether you enforced protocol or managed your department’s requests, describe what you really did, better, with these words:

  1. Authorized
  2. Blocked
  3. Delegated
  4. Dispatched
  5. Enforced
  6. Ensured
  7. Inspected
  8. Itemized
  9. Monitored
  10. Screened
  11. Scrutinized
  12. Verified

Action Verbs 174-185You Achieved Something

Did you hit your goals? Win a coveted department award? Don’t forget to include that on your resume, with words like:

  1. Attained
  2. Awarded
  3. Completed
  4. Demonstrated
  5. Earned
  6. Exceeded
  7. Outperformed
  8. Reached
  9. Showcased
  10. Succeeded
  11. Surpassed
  12. Targeted

2 Tips to live and work by.

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Do Your Job Well

This goes without saying, but what some people may not realize is that it’s important to not only meet expectations but exceed them. Understand your role and responsibilities and do more than what is expected.  Not all roles, entry-level or not, are thrilling every day and most people are anxious to get that promotion, but first you need to master the basics and demonstrate your willingness to work hard and show results in your current role.

Develop a Specialty

Know your strengths and weaknesses, and identify a need in your business or industry that can leverage those strengths. If you’re not sure what your strengths are, use an assessment tool to discover them. This specialty should become a part of your brand. It will help you identify opportunities down the road as well as make you stand out to be identified for opportunities.

Free Career Assessment Tool

Are you good at public speaking?

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Work on your public speaking and presentation skills

If you solve an IT problem and no one notices, have you really solved it?

Public speaking is one of the most important skill that any employee can develop if he or she wants career advancement.

The person who gets noticed at a meeting or a conference is always one that has presented well. Other presenters may have known their subject inside and out or presented interesting ideas. But if they cannot present that message well, they won’t be noticed, and their message will suffer, too.

Presentation is the No. 1 skill to get you ahead. It’s not enough to know something well and do something well. You have to present it well, too. If you can present to your coworkers or to clients, you will stand out from the crowd and do well in your career.

Take ownership of your career…

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If you want to succeed in your career, you have to take ownership of both your triumphs and your failures.

Celebrate your triumphs, analyze them, and learn how you can emulate them and build on them in the future.

You need to take ownership of your failures as well, accepting responsibility for them without letting them drag you down and learning everything that you can from the mistakes you make.

Many times, failure is a much more effective teacher than success, and most if not all of the world’s most successful people would not be where they are today if they did not accept their mistakes and learn from them.

Is your LinkedIn Profile mobile friendly…

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MAKE SURE YOUR PROFILE IS MOBILE-FRIENDLY (CHECK YOUR PROFILE ON YOUR PHONE)

About 40 percent of LinkedIn users are using the mobile app. While LinkedIn itself is mobile-friendly, you will want to ensure that your profile is, too.
Like we mentioned earlier, your mobile device will preview up to 42 characters of your headline. Additionally, it will only preview up to 140 characters of your “About” section—the exact length of a classic tweet.  Make sure they count.
Frontload your headline and your summary with the most important keywords and details about you. Additionally, it will share your latest three pieces of activity—whether you shared, commented on, or liked an article. Under “Recommendations,” the LinkedIn app will only show your most recent recommendation. Make sure it’s a good one!
The best way to make sure your LinkedIn profile is impressive on mobile is by taking a look at yourself. Curate where you can. Make sure your “About” section isn’t getting cut off before you share crucial information.Is you

Leverage LinkedIn

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LET RECRUITERS KNOW YOU’RE ACTIVELY SEARCHING (CAREER INTERESTS)

Recruiter and hiring managers aren’t clairvoyant, but they are very active on LinkedIn. If you’re looking for new opportunities, let recruiters know.
Under Career Interests, switch the toggle over to let recruiters know you’re open to new paths. You can also be more specific and let recruiters know what you’re looking for from there four options:
  • Actively applying
  • Casually looking
  • Not looking, but open to offers
  • Not open to offers
You can also set the locations, how close to your current home you’d like your opportunities, whether you’re open to working remotely, and how much work you’re looking for (ie. full-time, contract, part-time, internship, volunteer, or temporary.)

Are you leveraging Social Media?

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Do you have a Linkedin or Twitter? Especially if you’re interested in tech, you’ll want both to keep up with tech news and professionals in the space. Make sure you have a nice headshot and don’t be afraid to share to the world what you’re working on.

Think your resume is complete?

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Get your resume edited, ASAP.

Consider paying a professional or getting someone in your future field to make some recommendations on your resume. Chances are there are ways they can help you sell yourself better. You only have a few seconds to impress a recruiter so you want to make sure your resume stands out.

Are you asking enough questions?

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Always ask questions.

Don’t know how to get from point A to point B? Ask! Need to know how to edit your cover letter for your dream job? Ask! There are lots of people who want to see you win. Reach out to HR at the company if you’re curious about the specific trajectory of a role. Get your colleague who’s in the role you want to give you feedback about your application. You can also check out Glassdoor, Reddit, or Quora and someone will be able to guide you to an answer.