Skip Navigation

Career Development

Resume Action Words

Resume Assistance

Use a variety of action words in describing your skills and experiences to help convey actions, commitment, and accomplishments:

acted distributed located represented
adapted drew maintained researched
addressed
 drove managed responded
advertised established marketed retrieved
applied estimated modeled reviewed
arranged examined observed rewrote
assisted explained operated saved
built fielded ordered served
catalogued figured organized sketched
chaired fixed participated sold
changed forwarded planned sorted
collected founded prepared spoke
competed gathered presided straightened
computed headed produced suggested
conducted helped programmed supplied
constructed illustrated proposed tabulated
coordinated improved provided talked
created increased purchased taught
delivered informed recommended tended
demonstrated installed recorded transcribed
designed instituted referred translated
developed inventoried repaired transmitted
directed judged replaced treated
displayed led reported wrote

Your application material should convey some of these important traits:

adaptability efficiency pleasantness
attentiveness energy productivity
conscientiousness enthusiasm resourcefulness
creativity imagination self-reliance
dependability loyalty tactfulness
determination maturity talent

Skill Categories
Be aware of your skills and able to communicate them to others. This knowledge enables you to decide upon and reach your goals. Often it may be difficult to identify your skills. Perhaps it would help to see that skills can be divided into three categories:

1. Self-Management Skills
Also known as personality traits, we rarely think of them as skills. These skills have to do with how you deal with people and time. To identify self-management skills, ask yourself this question:

What personal characteristics do I have?
Examples:
punctual conscientious sincere
athletic imaginative industrious
leadership efficient patient
persistent loyal open-minded
dependable clear-thinking congenial

2. Content/Technical Skills
These are specific skills related to performing a job/activity in a particular field, work situation, or subject matter. They involve learning and memory. To identify your content/technical skills, ask yourself this question:

What sort of specific knowledge do I have?
Examples:

programming computers
 knowing anatomy
 using a 35mm camera
typing legal documents
 tailoring suits preparing a lesson plan
filing insurance claims repairing a car organizing an office

3. Transferable Skills
These are the skills needed to deal with data (information), people and/or things in any occupational field. They are not specific to any particular task, but transfer to a wide variety of settings. To identify your transferable skills, ask yourself :

What kind of actions have I used in various activities?
Examples:

Data People Things



synthesizing negotiating precision work
coordinating supervising setting up
analyzing consulting manipulating
computing treating
 operating
compiling instructing driving control
copying persuading handling
comparing diverting tending

exchanging

information

taking instructions

helping

Examples of Skills

Self-Management Skills

academic adaptable
 adventurous affectionate aggressive
ambitious analytical artistic assertive attractive
broad-minded business-like calm capable charming
cheerful clever competent competitive confident
conscientious conservative considerate consistent cooperative
dignified dominant deliberate dependable determined
farsighted firm flexible frank friendly
generous gentle goal-directed
 good-natured
 helpful
honest humorous imaginative independent industrious
informal initiative intelligent introspective inventive
kind likeable logical loving loyal
mature methodical meticulous modest motivated
open-minded opportunistic optimistic organized original
precise patient persevering poised practical
realistic progressive prudent quick rational
responsible reflective relaxed reliable resourceful
sincere sensible sensitive serious sharp
strong sociable spontaneous spunky stable
tenacious supportive sympathetic tactful teachable
unassuming thorough thoughtful tolerant trustworthy
wise understanding verbal versatile warm

wholesome witty

Transferable Skills

achieve adapt adjust administer advertise
advise analyze anticipate arrange assemble
assess assign assist author budget
build calculate catalog clarify collaborate
communicate compare conceive conceptualize conduct
create decide define delegate demonstrate
design determine develop devise direct
estimate evaluate examine exchange execute
expand expedite facilitate forecast formulate
fund raise guide lure implement improve
increase influence inform initiate innovate
institute instruct integrate interpret interview
investigate invent lead maintain manage
market mediate merchandise modify monitor
motivate negotiate obtain operate originate
perform persuade problem-solver preside plan
produce promote publicize publish reconcile
recruit report research resolve review
revise schedule select speak standardize
stimulate summarize supervise survey synthesize
systematize teach team build train transmit
update write


For more information, or to set up an appointment, contact Career Development at:
 Room 114 in the Houston Harte University Center
P.O. Box 11026, ASU Station
Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8am - 5pm
Phone:(325) 942-2255
Fax: (325) 942-2150
E-mail:career.services@angelo.edu

back to top