how to write a resume in present tense

How to Write in Present Tense on a Resume

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Should you use present tense for a resume?

When to use present tense, examples of present tense resume verbs, when to use past tense, the exception to a past tense resume, examples of past tense resume verbs.

In this article, explore the best ways to evaluate your current job status so that you can write your resume in the correct tense and highlight your work experience effectively. Discover when you should write in present tense on your resume and how to use past tense to improve the descriptions of your work experience.

Present tense : A present tense resume is important if you’re talking about the current ways that you are using your skills and experience in a job.

Past tense : Use past tense to write about your work experience when conveying accomplishments.

Present tense helps you maintain consistency when describing your work experience. You’re also discussing ongoing actions that improve your skills and the results for the company you work for. Hiring managers look at a present tense resume to see if you have the right experience and aim to achieve the same results they are seeking.

Here is a list of the best situations to write in present tense on a resume.

To talk about your current job responsibilities

You should use a present tense resume to discuss your work experience with your current employer. Highlight the most important job functions for your current position using a bullet point list. Be sure to list the specific results each function has helped you obtain.

An employer should notice which experience you think is essential to work in the role you applied for. It gives them details to plan interview questions if they wish to proceed with your candidacy. It’s important to take time to find the most valuable experience, so you can underline which experience they should review first.

To describe relevant experience outside of your current job

Talk about your volunteer experience or extracurricular activities if you’re looking for an internship or an entry-level position in the workforce. Describe the achievements you’ve had when working with members of the community. You’ll give the employer a better idea of the impact you’re trying to make outside your primary role. The way you detail your experience gives the interviewer clues if you fit in with the company’s culture.

To list any trade associations or relevant memberships

A trade or industry association is a group of businesses representing a particular industry. These associations typically work in a non-profit capacity. Participants in these organizations strive to collaborate with other businesses and influential members of their community. They can publish newsletters, maintain a website that discusses their objectives, and print yearbooks to promote association members. List these types of experiences on your resume so an employer knows about your current contributions.

Here are some present tense verbs you can use when writing your resume.

Brainstorming relates to the generation of ideas. Listing that you’ve brainstormed ideas for a company exhibits how you’ve played a major role in solving an organization’s problems. Describe how the ideas from the brainstorming sessions lead to achievements for the company. For example, an art director can brainstorm design concepts for a publication’s upcoming magazine.

Spearhead is another word for managing. Spearheading is used to detail who leads a project in the workplace. List the number of people you’ve led in addition to explaining the tangible outcome of the project. A project manager may spearhead a project that drives 20% more revenue over five years if it’s a successful long-term project.

List the types of documents you’ve written, how many you’ve written, and the period in which you wrote those documents. A copywriter may write three articles a day on industry content. You can say where the content is published to increase the value of the documents you wrote.

A teacher is accountable for teaching students about topics while administering and grading assignments. Detail the number of students you taught, the subject of the class, and the average grade the class receives if you’re applying to become a teacher.

You should write in past tense on your resume if you want to showcase previous work experience. Highlighting your previous work experience presents your qualifications for a job you’re interested in. Make sure the accomplishments you’ve earned match the job description. An employer is more likely to call you in for an interview if you have applicable or transferrable work experience.

An exception to the rule of using present and past tense is when you mix the tenses on your resume. For instance, you can combine past and present tense if you’re listing previous jobs you’ve held and the experience you’ve gained while holding your current job. You can mix tenses if you’ve worked on previous projects or achieved noteworthy goals at your current company. For example, in one description, you might discuss how you increased the production of staff members by 30% while working with your current company.

Here are some past tense verbs you can use when writing your resume.

Design implies that you created something from scratch. Design can refer to multiple industries like art, engineering, or marketing. You may have designed artwork for a local museum, a car engine for the latest model, or a company’s print materials layout. Either way, note the tools you used to design the product to demonstrate your skillset and how it’s relevant to the position you’re applying for.

Streamlined

Streamlined reveals that you have experience in improving the efficiency of an organization. Project managers use this terminology to talk about the expansion of the workflow of a project. You may list this verb on a resume if you have a proven track record of improving processes that lead to beneficial results for an organization. Make sure you get exact metrics of how you streamlined a company’s operations to elevate your chances of getting an interview.

Enhanced differs from streamlining because it outlines how to increase your output at work. You can enhance the production of materials or the percentage of on-time and completed deliverables. Use percentages to quantify your accomplishments and make it easier to read about your output.

Diversified

A company wants to diversify if they’re looking to expand their products or their operations. A product marketing manager may have increased a company’s product line by five products. An operations manager might expand the company’s operations to include six new offices in four states.

If you need help writing a resume, use our data-backed resume builder .

Should your resume be in past or present tense?

When sitting down to write your resume, you’ve probably wondered, “Should my resume be written in the past or present tense?

Well, the answer is actually both.

Different sections of your resume will require different tenses.

This guide will show you where to use which tense in your resume and how to write in them.

Resume templates 

Where to use present tense in your resume

You should use the present tense in 2 key areas of your resume :

• Your resume summary (the opening paragraph)
• Your current job position , if you are in a job right now

In these 2 sections you are explaining what you are currently doing, and what your abilities are in this current period of time.

So, it’s important to use the present tense here.

Your summary

Your resume summary sits at the top of the first page and is your chance to introduce yourself to the recruiter with a short paragraph.

Your summary is a high-level overview of what skills you currently posses, and what you can offer employers

Because you are talking about who you are and what you do right now, you need to use the present tense in your resume summary.

For example;

• Do write: “ An accomplished administrator with practical knowledge of Microsoft Office”
• Don’t write: “ I have previous admin experience an have used Microsoft Word”

Here are some example to show you how to do this:

Example resume summaries

Your current job

Your resume work experience is where you describe your current and previous jobs.

If you are currently employed, then your current job must be written in the present tense to show recruiters that you are actively carrying out the responsibilities and achievements you are writing about.

For example:

• Do write: “ Supporting a team of sales reps and providing regular reports to management”
• Don’t write: “ I supported a team of sales reps and provided regular reports to management”

Check out some examples of how to do this below:

Example resume current jobs

• Compose, publish, and update job advertisements for vacancies to online job boards.
• Work closely with managers to fill positions quickly and accurately.
• Source candidates and conduct comprehensive background checks.
• Manage multiple vacancies at one time using Trello software to ensure KPIs are met.

Outline Administer IV medication and fluid therapies for paediatric patients at Seattle Children’s Hospital, working alongside doctors and Registered Nurse’s to coordinate and execute acute and long term patient treatment plans.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive nursing assessment of patients before, during and after procedure.
• Establish IV access for infusion patients, monitor IV and document all actions and assessments appropriately in EMR.
• Accurately prepare and administer IV therapies per physician orders.
• Anticipate and proactively plan for educational needs of patients and families.

Outline Handle cages and platforms to move supplies, for one of the leading rigging companies that specializes in rigging and moving heavy machinery and industrial equipment, such as HVAC systems, generators, and CNC machines.

• Operate various material-moving equipment according to schedule and instructions from project managers.
• Drive pilings into earth to provide support for buildings and other structures.
• Set-up the correct cranes and hoist objects to complete tasks efficiently, while responding to questions and instructions clearly and quickly.
• Inspect machines and tools, perform routine maintenance processes, and initiated additional repair requests from mechanics when necessary.

Where to use past tense in your resume

As lots of the information you’re providing in your resume is based on past employment, studies, or accomplishments, there will be sections that require you to use the past tense when writing it .

These sections mainly include your previous jobs and education section.

Your previous jobs

When talking about your previous job roles, you need to write each job’s details in the past tense to show the work was done in the past.

This means that when listing your key responsibilities and accomplishments during your time in that particular job or company, you use language that lets the employer know this was something you used to do, or that you once achieved – not something you are still doing.

The same applies to your education, achievements, or hobbies sections. If these were completed in the past or you no longer take part in these activities, they must be written in the past tense.

Example previous jobs on resume

Outline Worked for a private mental health clinic in Houston with 3,200 patients from across the state, supporting office staff with daily administration and patient file management.

• Informed clients of required documentation needed for their appointments.
• Processed client contacts, insurance providers and information changes.
• Transcribed doctor’s notes and provided administrative support for all written correspondence.
• Prepared and completed office reports as projects as assigned by the office coordinator including prebilling and insurance audits.
• Managed and operated picture cameras to record scenes related to TV broadcasts, advertisements, and motion films.
• Executed each shot according to technical aspects, such as light, lenses, camera film, and filters to accomplish desired effects.
• Decided on camera placement to capture pictures, compose shots, and shoot scenes.
• Communicated with the director of photography, make-up artists, lighting crew, and sound employees to create the finest optical effects.
• Processed all incoming 911 and non-emergency telephone calls to calmly determine necessary steps in a multitude of circumstances.
• Dispatched calls for nine police divisions, eight fire departments, four ambulance services and other emergency/non-emergency providers.
• Created electronic records and logs of activity using dispatch CAD systems.
• Established precedence of importance in seeking and passing on information and coordinating action.

What is present tense?

Tense refers to the use of verbs that allow you to show or express time (or when something happened) when writing.

Present tense means using language to express an action that is happening now or something that is ongoing.

So, in your resume, the present tense is used when writing about work that you are currently doing, or to explain that you are currently qualified in a profession.

For example: “I am currently providing business consulting services and am Prince2 qualified.”

What is past tense?

The past tense is when you’re using language to discuss something that has already happened or the previous state of something.

It is the verb form you use for an event that has passed, for example, describing something that happened yesterday, last year, or 10 years ago.

In your resume, you would use the past tense to write about previous jobs, or achievements you made in studies.

For example: “Led an experienced research team and created a number of published reports”

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What Tense Should a Resume Be In? Data-Backed Answer

When you sit down to write your resume, your brain starts bombarding you with questions. 

Which resume format should I use? How to style my header area? Should my resume be in the past tense? 

We answered the first two in earlier posts — and now want to chime in on the endless debate: resume present or past tense? 

What Tense Should a Resume Be In?

Because a resume offers a summary of your work experiences, it should be written in the past tense. Stylistically, it is correct to use past simple for describing your past duties and accomplishments in the work experience section, education, and professional resume summary (if you choose to have one). You can, however, use present tense for describing your current role, plus listing general details about the company. 

To give you a better idea, here’s how a some of your resume bullet points might look: 

Region Sales Manager  Acme Corp, NYC, NY May 2020-June 2021 

• Led a sales team of 3 regional managers, covering the East Coast Market 
• Cultivated a client list of 100+ local manufacturing companies 
• Increased monthly company product sales by 50% in 2020. 

OK, But Why are Some Resumes Written in Present Tense?

Using present tense for your current job entry isn’t a faux pas. Likewise, you can use the present simple tense in a professional bio or resume summary section. 

As Purdue University guide rightfully notes 

Verbs should be present tense for jobs you currently hold: Run point of sales register. An exception to this is using a verb for something that happened in the past at your current job (from the example above: Won “Employee of the Month” May 2006, April 2008).

The key, however, is to have tense consistency within the same work entries to avoid confusing the reader. 

For example, in a teacher resume you might style your work experience entry the following way:

Adjunct Arts Instructor 01/05/2018 – present  Sunnydale Community College, Wales MI

• Deliver lectures on contemporary US art to bachelor students
• Host practical watercolor workshops for part-time students
• Organized an on-campus Pop Art Exhibition together with Sunnydale Gallery 
• Participated in developing “America Arts History: The Present” together with academic staff 

As you can see from this sample, the work entry uses both present and past tenses. In this case, using the present tense indicates the person’s current duties. Past tense, in turn, is used to describe on-the-job accomplishments and completed projects.  

You can check more resume samples on our website to get a better sense of how to balance different tenses. 

Should a Resume be Written in First Person?

This is a follow-up question many people have in connection to the resume tense. Yes, your resume should always be in first-person (not third). The caveat, however, is that you should omit the “I” pronoun — and instead imply it in your writing. This is called the “first-person implied” writing style. 

Using first-person implied in resume writing is easy to do. Structure a sentence as you normally would when describing yourself. Then remove the personal pronouns like “I”, “me”, and “my”. 

Here are several quick examples for resume entries in present and tenses. 

For present job:

• First-person: I created a new homepage design. 
• First-person implied: Created new homepage design. 

For past jobs:

• First-person: My average CSAT was 98%
• First-person implied: Maintained average CSAT of 98% 

You should also use first-person implied for writing a resume summary — a quick snippet of your main skills, sitting atop of your resume. For example, for your product manager resume , you should style your summary the following way: 

B2B SaaS product manager with significant experience in ecommerce and project management industries and a background in UX. Team player with strong emotional intelligence skills who loves to apply design thinking principles to bring in-demand product features to the market. 

Should I Strip Away All Personal Pronouns? 

No, in some cases, keeping “my”, “I”, and “me” pronouns is fine, especially if you struggle to convey an idea without them. When writing your resume, clarity is your first priority. If you can’t describe your line of work without throwing in a couple of personal pronouns, it’s fine. No one will hold this fact against you. 

What Tense and Pronouns Should I Use for My LinkedIn Profile?

If you also want to optimize your LinkedIn profile for extra impact, use the same logic as for your resume:

• Present tense for LinkedIn summary + current position 
• Past tense for other work experiences + accomplishments 

As for pronouns: LinkedIn is a social media network, so it’s fine to be more colloquial and use “I” when speaking of yourself in your LinkedIn profile summary . Think of it this way: when you professionally introduce yourself in person, you don’t speak of yourself in the third person or use the first-person implied. That would be weird, right? 

LinkedIn is a platform for online introductions, so treat it as such! Make your profile sound human and personified. That’s the tone even season execs adopt like Karen S. Lynch , CEO of CVS Health, or Chris Capossela, CMO of Microsft. 

Source: LinkedIn 

Final Thoughts 

Now you know what tense to use in your resume for past experiences and for current positions. So you are out of excuses for procrastinating. Go grab yourself a professional resume template and start putting words on the page.

Elena runs content operations at Freesumes since 2017. She works closely with copywriters, designers, and invited career experts to ensure that all content meets our highest editorial standards. Up to date, she wrote over 200 career-related pieces around resume writing, career advice... more

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Past vs. Present Tense on Resumes: Best Practices

9 min read · Updated on March 20, 2024

Should a resume be in the past or present tense?

How sick are you of hearing that you must proofread your resume? The reason that proofreading is brought up so much is that it is of the utmost importance. If you take hours or even days crafting the perfect document and never discover grammar , punctuation, and spelling errors, your time has been wasted. 

There's more to proofreading than just using spell check, though. Your verb tense is also important for your overall resume writing style. Of course, that raises an important question: should your resume be in past tense or present tense?

The short answer is, “It depends.” 

In this post, we'll explore each of these tenses, examine the best practices for using each type, and offer some helpful tips you can use to ensure that your resume narrative is delivering the right message to employers.

What is past tense? What is present tense? 

First, let's have a review of what past and present tense means. Is your sentence describing something that's happening now, or did it already occur? 

Past tense is anything that's already happened. The verbs that describe past tense often end with -ed. Of course, there are some exceptions like “oversaw.” Reminder: every sentence of your resume should start with a verb.

Present tense is anything that's happening now. You'd use present tense in the summary paragraph at the top and in the bullets that you use to describe your current job. 

Pro tip: The gerund form of present tense verbs often adds an -ing at the end. There is some debate as to whether the use of the gerund is appropriate for a resume. With that said, you should avoid using it.

Related post : 11 Key Things to Put on Your Resume

Should I use past tense or present tense on my resume? 

You will likely use both the past and the present tense in your resume. However, it can get tricky because you don't want to mix both in the same section. If you have one-off achievements like successfully completing a project in your current role, you shouldn't talk about that in the present tense because it already happened. 

In the spirit of being consistent, here are some rules to help you recognize when to use past or present tense:

When to use past tense on your resume

Describe your education, past jobs, awards, and accomplishments using the past tense. You aren't in school anymore, and you no longer work at your previous jobs. Therefore, they belong in the past. For example:

Championed a 20% increase in sales by onboarding 30 new customers each month.

Architected complex algorithms that improved the efficiency of gathering, scrubbing, and merging data from more than 20 disparate sources.

Engaged in real-time troubleshooting with approximately 40 customers per day and achieved an 85% first-call resolution rate.

When to use present tense on your resume

While much of your resume will be in the past tense, there are certain sections that should focus on the present. These include the resume headline, resume summary, and the first entry in your work experience section if you're describing your current position. Let's look at each one of these critical sections and examine why it's important to use the present tense to describe your skills and ongoing achievements.

Related post : Seven Key Resume Sections and How to Organize Them

1. Resume headline

Your resume headline should always be written in the present tense since you want to ensure that the employer understands that you're actively engaged in your role. Remember, the headline is a brief description of your job title and key specialties, so make it as compelling as you can. For example:

Creative Marketing Manager Focused on Data-Driven Results in Branding and Client Engagement

Solutions-Oriented Project Manager with 10+ Years of Team Building and Client Management Success

Innovative Software Engineer with 5 Years of Experience Developing Industry-Leading Gaming Apps

Related post : 27 Great Resume Headline Examples to Stand Out

2. Resume summary

Your summary goes right below your resume headline and should provide employers with a brief elevator pitch to sell your qualifications. Include three or four sentences that highlight your experience, skills, and notable achievements. The goal here is to emphasize your qualifications in a way that shows you're prepared to provide real value to any employer who hires you. Here's an example:

Ambitious IT specialist with more than seven years of experience in network management and systems analysis. Expert troubleshooter and project lead with expertise in cloud platform, data migration, and client support. Proven track record of success in reducing network delays by 80+%, with 95+5 reported satisfaction rating on troubleshooting calls. Resilient problem-solver, capable of working both independently and in collaboration with colleagues and clients.

Related post : Resume Profile Explained (with Examples)

3. Work Experience

When you list your current job in your work experience section, it should always be in the present tense. The skills you list in this prominent section of your resume are skills you use all the time. This is the it-can-get-tricky part because you can also talk about your current position in the past tense – more on this in just a bit. Here are a couple of examples:

Direct full-cycle hiring processes, including telephone interviews, to ramp up department operations.

Source, interview, hire, and onboard a new team of 7 developers. 

Train 6 associates and 2 clerks to ascertain the needs of clients and improve customer satisfaction.

Of course, when you're listing achievements in your work experience section, you're primarily going to focus on things that you've already done. After all, if one of those achievements involved designing a new sales program that boosted revenues by 30% over two quarters, that's a one-time achievement, right? Obviously, that accomplishment needs to be presented using the past tense.

Confused? Don't be. We'll explain how to handle that situation in our next section.

When to use both past and present tense

Your resume is supposed to be a customized career marketing document that demonstrates you're the best candidate for a specific position. You sell yourself to new companies by highlighting career accomplishments. 

So, how do you handle talking about past and present items in the description of your current role if you shouldn't mix past and present tense within the same section of your resume? 

Take that example that we cited above. How would you include that type of achievement in the work experience listing for your current job? It's easier than you might imagine.

The best way to deal with that situation is to separate the bullet points under your current role into things you do every day first and achievements last. Write your daily responsibilities in the present tense and your achievements in the past tense. This is what that would look like:

Document, report, and present project milestones, performance KPIs, and status updates in weekly executive meetings attended by as many as 12 board members.

Implement and execute all standard operating procedures to ensure adherence to protocols, mitigate risk, and improve overall safety rating to 0 incidents per month. 

NOTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Saved more than $300K by tracking spending, identifying waste, and authoring/implementing new project metrics that reduced costs.

Nominated by leaders for the I'm-The-Greatest-Employee award, 2021. 

Another great way to manage this concern is to include a brief paragraph that highlights your ongoing achievements using the present tense while making sure that all your bullet point accomplishments are listed in the past tense. Below, we've provided an example of what that might look like:

Marketing Director, ABC Marketing, Anytown Anystate, 2014 to Present

Manage daily marketing operations, including strategic campaign development, overseeing multiple project teams, evaluating and monitoring staff, and managing client expectations. Collaborate directly with senior management, finance department, and sales team to facilitate operations and ensure that the company always remains on mission.

Designed and implemented training program credited with 42% reduction in staff onboarding times.

Developed multiple marketing and advertising campaigns that brought in $100+ million over a six-year period.

Redesigned more than 20 failing client projects, leading to results that exceeded expectations by an average of 20%.

Created company's innovative “Green Marketing” campaign that drew national exposure and led to 15% spike in new client acquisition.

Tips to get the most out of your use of past and present tense

The following tips can help you maintain your focus when you're creating achievement statements and highlighting your current qualifications.

Resumes are not like standard prose documents. You don't need to stick to just one tense since you'll likely be highlighting both present skills and past achievements. Just remember to make sure that your reader can easily follow any tense changes that occur throughout your resume narrative.

If you find yourself asking, “Should this part of my resume be in past tense or present tense” just take a moment and consider the message you're trying to deliver with that statement. If you're attempting to focus attention on specific skills and qualifications, then you'll probably want to use the present tense. If you're demonstrating value by highlighting an accomplishment from a previous job, use the past tense.

Try to avoid mixing your tenses within any given bullet point section. Again, be consistent in different areas of your resume to avoid reader confusion.

If you're struggling to decide how to use the different tenses within the same resume, try a different and simpler approach. Instead of using the present tense, simply present all your information using the past tense. Most employers are used to seeing past tense used in resumes and won't be put off by that approach.

Related post : 17 Resume Tips to Get Seen and Hired Faster

Knowing if your resume should be in past tense is easy

The next time you're wondering whether your resume should be in past tense or present tense, take a deep breath and focus on your narrative. Sometimes, reading your own resume a few times can help you gain insight into the message that you're delivering. Just keep things simple and remember what each tense is designed to convey to the reader. If you can successfully do that, you'll have a better chance of choosing the right tense and making the best possible impression on employers.

Are you still confused about which resume tense you need to use? Get a free resume review from our team of experts today!  

“This article was originally written by Marsha Hebert and has been updated by Ken Chase.”

Recommended reading:

• 5 Powerful Verbs to Pump up Your Resume
• Proofreading Tips to Improve Your Resume and Cover Letter
• How to Make Your Resume Stand Out With Action Verbs

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Should Your Resume Be in Past or Present Tense? Here’s How to Decide

Grammar and consistency are key when it comes to your resume . Uniform and error-free writing not only makes your resume easier for a recruiter or hiring manager to understand, but it also shows that you are conscientious, pay attention to detail, and care about your job search. (Don’t say you’re meticulous, then submit a typo-filled resume!) And the verb tense or tenses you use are one vital way to make sure your resume is professional and easy to read.

“Using proper tense is an essential detail for a well-organized resume that will help you stand out to future employers,” says Muse career coach Jennifer Smith . Resumes are primarily written in past or present tense. Past tense (think verbs ending in -ed , primarily) describes actions that are no longer happening, while present tense describes actions that are currently happening.

But overall, the most important resume rule for verb tenses is to be consistent. When Smith was a recruiter, she “would notice if a resume [was] a mix of present and past without any consistency.” Mixing tenses inappropriately makes resumes more difficult to read—which means you’re less likely to move to the next stage.

When to Use Past Tense on a Resume

Most of your resume should be in the past tense because the bulk of your resume space is taken up by past work experiences . “Use past tense for sections of your resume you are no longer doing,” Smith says. This means your previous jobs, completed accomplishments, volunteering or other activities you’re no longer participating in, awards you’ve won, certifications you’ve earned, or education you’ve completed.

A bullet point for a past job might look like this:

• Conceived, planned, scheduled, and wrote copy for 20+ social media posts weekly for Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

When to Use Present Tense on a Resume

You’ll use present tense on your resume anytime you’re describing something that’s currently happening. Present-tense verbs primarily belong in your resume summary and descriptions of your current job duties and ongoing accomplishments because those are about who you are and what you’re doing right now . If your resume headline has a verb or if there are any activities, volunteer work, or projects you’re currently working on outside of a full-time job, those should use the present tense as well. Basically, if the date range ends with “Present,” that’s a good indicator you should be using the present tense, Smith says.

Here’s an example resume summary that uses present tense:

Personable and motivated SaaS account manager who takes pride in finding the right solutions and products for every client through individual attention and relationship building. Team player who is always willing to help others and has a strong track record of reducing churn.

When You Can Mix Tenses

You should avoid mixing your verb tenses within the same resume entry or section whenever possible. The one exception is in the entry for your current job or any current volunteer work or activities— if you want to highlight accomplishments that are fully completed and not ongoing.

When you have both past and present tense in the same entry, group the present-tense bullet points at the top of the entry and all of the past-tense bullet points at the end, Smith says. You might consider creating a “Key Achievements” or similar subsection under your current job and putting the past-tense bullets under that heading to make things even more clear for anyone reading your resume.

For example, a project manager might write this about their current job:

Project Manager | OrangeYellow Co | Cleveland, OH | August 2018–Present

• Lead the delivery of initiatives using Agile/Scrum methodologies
• Define timelines, budgets, KPIs, and milestones for each initiative
• Coordinate a cross-functional team of 20+, delegating duties and allocating resources using Asana, Google Workspace, and Airtable
• Communicate with key stakeholders from conception through completion

Key Achievements

• Oversaw the creation of a new $100k client portal, meeting all key milestones on time and coming in 5% under budget, leading to a 50% increase in customer satisfaction and 20% increase in client renewals year-over-year
• Won Manager of the Year 2020 for receiving the highest scores from direct reports in a company-wide survey on management styles and employee satisfaction

Still confused? There’s an easy fix: To keep things simple and ensure consistency, some people choose to keep every verb on their resume in the past tense, Smith says. So if you’re not sure, sticking to the past tense is a safe bet.

What Tense to Use On Your Resume, Past or Present Tense?

Reading your resume is one of the first ways that a prospective employer gets to know you. To put your best foot forward, you should make sure that you write a resume that is neat, accurate, and grammatically correct. This may seem obvious, but because a resume reflects your past, present, and (hopeful) future, it can be easy to get tripped up on verb tenses.

Below, we will go through each section of a resume and give examples of how you should phrase statements so that your future boss notices your experience, not any small mistakes.

Objective/Summary

At the top of your resume, it’s a good idea to include a summary or objective statement to give prospective employers an overview of your qualifications and what you are looking for in the next stage of your career. This should be in the present tense, but also passive voice, meaning that the subject is being acted upon by the verb. Your English teachers may have warned you against from overusing the passive voice in your writing – and they are right – but it is appropriate to depend more heavily on this voice in a resume.

“Enthusiastic recent graduate with certification in bookkeeping. Looking for an entry-level position with growth opportunities while preparing for my CPA exam. Hardworking, curious, and diligent.”

“Experienced programmer seeking the opportunity to share expertise and mentor teams. Fluent in JavaScript, Python, and C++. Five years of experience in customer support.”

“Results-driven sales manager with 15+ years of experience ready to grow into a VP of Sales position. Led large sales teams to exceed annual targets. Well-established network of prospects in the hospitality industry.”

Job History

When discussing your employment experience, you want to portray yourself as a proactive “do-er,” so, therefore, you will limit the passive voice. Instead, start each bullet point with a verb in the first person (“I”) – first-person present tense when you are describing a current task or responsibility; first-person past tense for previous jobs or accomplishments that happened in the past.

Current position description:

“Recruit, hire, and train technical support staff.”

Current position achievement:

“Established evaluation processes that were adopted across departments and recognized by national leadership. Enforce standards with department managers and provide technical assistance as needed.”

Past position description:

“Cultivated sales prospects throughout the tri-state area.”

Past position achievement:

“Selected as Employee-of-the-Month following the implementation of a successful interoffice recycling program.”

Depending on your industry or experience level, you may want to go into more detail about your education or experiences in school. Just like with your job history, you should only use the present tense for anything that describes your current situation. Anything else should be in the past tense.

Examples: Current student and experience:

“Mentor first-year students as part of the Student Advising Project.”

Current student and experience/past achievement:

“Lead study groups and give feedback on undergraduate papers. In the first semester, my cohort received grades above 90% on all exams.”

Current student/past experience:

“Elected chair of Sustainability Alliance and planned annual Earth Day events around campus.”

Past student and experience:

“Planned social events for Graduate Student Association.”

Before you send your resume, make sure to give it one last thorough review. Don’t trust your grammar-check – it doesn’t know your experience or the context of what you are writing. Read it out loud to yourself to see if flows well and ask a friend or family member to review as well. By following these simple rules and avoiding common resume mistakes, you can ensure that a hiring manager won’t get stuck on minor details and can focus on what makes you a great candidate for the job.

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What Tense To Use In A Resume? Past Tense Or Present Tense?

Writing a resume can be a daunting task. After reviewing hundreds of resumes over the past decade, I’ve noticed that the area people often get wrong is determining what tense to use in a resume.

From crafting a compelling summary to listing your skills and experience, every element in a resume plays a crucial part in creating an impactful document.

But have you ever wondered about the importance of tense in a resume?

That’s right folks – with hiring managers only taking 6-7 seconds to review your resume , the choice between past tense and present tense can significantly impact how potential employers perceive your professional story.

Let’s find out how.

Understanding the Importance of Tense in a Resume

Before we dive into the details, let’s take a moment to understand why tense matters in a resume.

Your resume is essentially a snapshot of your career journey, and the tense you choose helps convey where you currently stand and where you’ve been.

The right choice of tense can enhance your professional image and demonstrate your competence.

The Role of Tense in Conveying Your Career Story

Imagine reading a resume that constantly switches between tenses.

Would it feel cohesive and professional? Probably not. Consistency is key when telling your career story.

Using the appropriate tense allows you to paint a clear picture of your past experiences and accomplishments. It helps your potential employer understand the timeline of your career progression and identify your strengths.

For example, when describing your current job responsibilities, it is recommended to use the present tense.

This gives the impression that you are actively engaged in your work and are currently contributing to your organization.

On the other hand, when discussing previous roles and achievements, it is advisable to use the past tense.

This indicates that you have successfully completed tasks and made tangible contributions in your past positions.

Moreover, using the appropriate tense can also help you highlight the skills and qualities you possess.

By using the present tense to describe your current job responsibilities, you can emphasize your ongoing expertise and relevance in your field.

Conversely, using the past tense to describe previous roles and accomplishments allows you to showcase your past achievements and the impact you have made in your previous positions.

How Tense Impacts Perception of Your Professionalism

The use of past tense in a resume is generally preferred, as it creates a sense of clarity and professionalism.

By describing your previous roles and achievements in past tense, you demonstrate that you have successfully completed tasks and made tangible contributions in your past positions.

This gives your potential employer confidence in your abilities and showcases your track record of success.

Additionally, using the appropriate tense can also help you establish credibility and authority in your field.

When you describe your accomplishments and responsibilities in past tense, it implies that you have already gained the necessary experience and expertise to excel in your role. This can make you appear more reliable and capable in the eyes of your potential employer.

However, it is important to note that there may be exceptions to the general rule of using past tense.

For example, if you are currently working on a project that is ongoing and relevant to the position you are applying for, you may choose to use the present tense to highlight your involvement and ongoing contributions.

This can demonstrate your current ability to handle long-term projects and showcase your dedication to your work.

The choice of tense in a resume plays a crucial role in conveying your career story and showcasing your professionalism.

By using the appropriate tense, you can effectively communicate your past experiences, achievements, and skills to potential employers, leaving a lasting impression and increasing your chances of securing the job you desire.

Deciphering When to Use Past Tense in a Resume

When it comes to crafting a compelling resume, every word matters. One important aspect to consider is the use of past tense.

By using past tense, you can effectively highlight your completed tasks and achievements, showcasing your ability to contribute to your previous employers’ goals.

Highlighting Completed Tasks and Achievements

When describing your previous job responsibilities and achievements, it is essential to use past tense.

This emphasizes that you have already accomplished those tasks and successfully contributed to your previous employers’ goals.

For example, instead of saying “Manage cross-functional teams,” you would write “Managed cross-functional teams.”

By using past tense, you provide a clear distinction between your past accomplishments and your current abilities.

It allows potential employers to see the concrete results you have achieved in your previous roles, demonstrating your value as a candidate.

Describing Past Roles and Experiences

Similarly, when discussing your past roles and experiences, past tense helps to clearly communicate that these positions are no longer ongoing.

It allows you to articulate the skills and expertise you gained during those periods of your career.

For instance, you can say “Led a team of sales representatives” instead of “Lead a team of sales representatives.”

Using past tense in this context not only provides a chronological perspective but also adds credibility to your resume. It shows that you have a track record of successfully fulfilling your responsibilities and achieving results in your previous roles.

Moreover, by using past tense, you create a sense of progression in your career journey. It allows potential employers to see how you have grown and developed over time, highlighting your adaptability and ability to take on new challenges.

The use of past tense in your resume is crucial for effectively showcasing your completed tasks, achievements, and past roles.

By employing this grammatical technique, you can provide a clear and concise overview of your professional history, demonstrating your value as a candidate for future opportunities.

Navigating the Use of Present Tense in a Resume

When it comes to writing a resume, the use of past tense is generally the norm. However, there are instances when present tense can be used effectively to enhance your professional profile.

In this article, we will explore the situations where present tense can be utilized to showcase your current roles, responsibilities, projects, and initiatives.

Discussing Current Roles and Responsibilities

One of the key areas where present tense can be employed in your resume is when describing your current job responsibilities.

By using present tense, you can effectively convey that you are actively engaged in these activities. This not only demonstrates your ongoing commitment to your current role but also gives potential employers a clear understanding of your current skillset and expertise.

For instance, instead of stating “Collaborated with cross-functional teams,” you can use present tense and say “Collaborate with cross-functional teams.”

This subtle change not only adds a sense of immediacy but also portrays you as someone who is currently involved in meaningful work.

Presenting Ongoing Projects and Initiatives

In addition to current roles and responsibilities, present tense can also be used to highlight ongoing projects and initiatives that you are currently involved in.

By using present tense, you effectively convey the continuous nature of these endeavors and showcase your ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.

For example, instead of stating “Developed marketing strategies for ongoing campaigns,” you can use present tense and say “Develop marketing strategies for ongoing campaigns.”

This simple change emphasizes your active involvement in these projects and demonstrates your ability to adapt and thrive in dynamic work environments.

By strategically incorporating present tense in your resume, you can effectively communicate your current engagement, ongoing projects, and active involvement in your professional endeavors.

However, it is important to maintain consistency throughout your resume and use past tense for previous roles and completed projects. This will ensure clarity and coherence in presenting your professional journey.

Mixing Past and Present Tense: A Balanced Approach

When crafting your resume, one important aspect to consider is the usage of past and present tense.

Depending on the context, you may find yourself switching between these two tenses to accurately portray your experiences and achievements. However, it is crucial to maintain consistency and avoid confusion for the reader.

Determining When to Switch Between Tenses

Understanding when to transition between past and present tense is essential in creating a well-structured and coherent resume.

Generally, past tense should be used when describing past experiences and accomplishments, while present tense is more suitable for current roles and ongoing tasks.

For example, when highlighting your previous job positions, it is recommended to use past tense verbs to describe your responsibilities and achievements.

This helps convey that these experiences have already occurred and are not ongoing.

On the other hand, when discussing your current job or any ongoing projects, it is appropriate to use present tense verbs.

This indicates that these tasks are currently happening and showcases your current skills and responsibilities.

By carefully selecting the appropriate tense for each section of your resume, you can effectively communicate your professional journey and avoid any confusion or ambiguity.

Avoiding Common Tense Mistakes in Resumes

While it is important to understand how to switch between tenses, it is equally crucial to avoid common tense mistakes that can undermine the overall quality of your resume.

One common mistake is inconsistent tense usage throughout the document. Inconsistency can confuse the reader and create an unprofessional impression.

To prevent this, make sure to either review your resume thoroughly or request a trusted professional or acquaintance to review it for you and ensure that the chosen tense remains consistent within each section.

Another mistake to avoid is using present tense to describe past experiences or vice versa. This can disrupt the clarity and cohesion of your professional narrative.

To maintain a strong and coherent resume, double-check that you are using the appropriate tense for each specific experience or achievement.

Lastly, it is essential to pay attention to verb conjugation to ensure grammatical correctness. Incorrectly conjugated verbs can not only affect the overall readability of your resume but also reflect poorly on your attention to detail.

By being mindful of these common tense mistakes, you can enhance the professionalism and effectiveness of your resume, allowing your experiences and achievements to shine through.

Final Thoughts on Choosing the Right Tense for Your Resume

Recap: The Do’s and Don’ts of Resume Tense Usage

In summary, choosing the right tense for your resume is crucial in portraying your career journey accurately.

Use past tense to showcase completed tasks, achievements, and past roles. Utilize present tense to describe current responsibilities and ongoing projects.

Remember to maintain consistency throughout your resume and avoid common tense mistakes.

Moving Forward: Making Tense Work for Your Resume

Now that you understand the significance of tense in a resume, take a moment to review your own resume.

Consider whether you have used the appropriate tense for each section and make any necessary adjustments.

By paying attention to this small yet significant detail, you can craft a polished and professional resume that effectively communicates your expertise and accomplishments.

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Which Tense to Use in Resume: Past or Present?

It might seem simple, but it is a question that begs to be answered as you sit down to carefully craft your resume . Should you write your resume in the past or present tense? Although the answer might seem logical, one can never be too sure or help double and triple-checking. After all, your resume is the all-important professional document that can either open or close doors for you during a job search. While grammar and its many rules might seem like a bit of a pain when you are crafting your resume you might want to pay it some attention. You don’t want to ruin your first impression on your hiring manager , do you? In this article, we will explain to you when you should use past tense and when to use the present tense in your resume .

Past Tense: When and How

The rule is pretty simple: If you are referencing your past jobs or achievements then you must write in the past tense. Considering most of the work and laurels and accolades you will be highlighting in your resume have happened in the past, then you will write most of your resume in the past tense. For instance, if you are referencing your last job in the resume then under the job title you should list your role, responsibilities, and achievements all in the past tense (Mentored a team of 10 freshers and oversaw their day-to-day activities). As always, use bullet points to highlight your work. Adding numbers to back up your claim and quantify your achievements is always an added bonus.

Here are a few resume action words in the past tense that you could consider using while creating your resume.

• Contributed
• Collaborated
• Participated
• Volunteered

Present Tense: When and How

The present tense is best used when you are writing about your current job, volunteer project, or education status. This includes your summary where you might be describing your current role and responsibilities. Use the present tense to describe the things you still do at your job, the relevant activities you perform, and anything associated with industry associations that you belong to.

Here are a few resume action verbs you can consider using.

• Collaborates
• Contributes
• Participates/ Participate

Mixing Past and Present Tense

As a general rule, you should avoid mixing past and present tense under a single topic. It is a reflection of poor language skills. However, there is an exception: if you are listing your current position you can use the present tense. But for accomplishments ,  you can use the past tense. For eg: ‘Oversees a large team’ would be an indication of your current responsibilities. ‘Received the best employee award in 2019’ is a reflection of your achievements in the same role in the past. It is important to note that while it is all right to use both past and present tense in your resume as the situation warrants it, it is important to maintain consistency. It is the inconsistency that will create a poor impression on hiring managers.

Samples of Past and Present Tense in a Resume

Resume tense sample 1(text-version).

In this sample, we will list the employment history of a Media Professional .

Employment history

Jenks Communication Inc. Assistant Editor (February 2015 to 2019)

• Curated and edited content for the weekly technology pages.
• Authored bi-weekly column on apps for 2 years.
• Mentored a team of cub reporters.
• Worked with other team members to bring out a well crafted daily.
• Collaborated with the online team to bring out a series of learning videos.

Resume Tense Sample 1

resume-tense-sample1

Resume Tense Sample 2(Text-Version)

In this sample, we will list the current job profile of a teacher .

Garnett Elementary School Teacher (June 2018 to present)

• Prepares lesson plans for grade seven students.
• Works with faculty members to evaluate curriculum.
• Collaborate with parents to ensure students have access to and understand the learning material.
• Creates innovative learning mediums to ensure student participation and enthusiasm.

Resume Tense Sample 2

resume-tense-sample-2

When writing your resume do keep grammar in mind as well. It will aid you in presenting your skills and achievements in the most compelling manner. Most companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to filter and shortlist resumes before a hiring manager or recruiter goes through them. As it turns out, ATS not just scan resumes for keywords, it is also influenced by the tense of a verb. Something as simple as, if the job posting said ‘mentor’ and you typed ‘mentored’ can work against you as the ATS will overlook it.

Before you dash off that resume, do take the time to carefully read the job posting and tailor your resume accordingly . Don’t opt for a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to job applications. It is in your best interest to optimize your resume in a manner that it will be picked up by the ATS from the sea of job applications and give you an edge over the rest.

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Resume Verb Tense: Past or Present?

Jul 24, 2019 | Resumes

Wondering whether you should write your resume in the past or present tense? Read our quick and easy guide to resume verb tense. Let us explain the nitty-gritty so you can focus on the big picture: landing your dream job.

By: Daniel Lorenzo | Marketing Manager at Let’s Eat, Grandma

To be, or not to have been? That is the question…

…if you’re writing a resume, that is. Hamlet’s question was big, but he only worried about one tense! You have a bigger question, job-seeker: should you write your resume in the past or present tense?

This is a valid question – and you’ve probably heard different answers. It makes sense to write some parts of your resume in the present tense, while some places make the past tense seem appropriate.

The best answer is much more simple than you might think, with one tricky exception . Let’s break it down:

Best Practices for Choosing a Resume Verb Tense

When to use past tense on a resume:.

Write your previous professional experiences in the past tense . Old jobs, past volunteer experiences , and details of your education ( if you’ve graduated ) should all be written using the past tense, as they… well… happened in the past!

Example of past tense on a resume:

You can also use past tense on your resume (even in your current job) to describe previous accomplishments in your bullet points. More on this later…

When to use present tense on a resume:

Use the present tense to describe absolutely anything you’re still doing at the time of writing your resume.

Write your current job, any ongoing activities, or your education ( if you’re still in school ) in the present tense.

Here’s an easy trick to remember this: If you’ve written “Present” instead of an end date for an experience, use…you guessed it! The present tense.

Remember the exception:

There’s one exception to the above rules on resume verb tense: while you should write your current job in the present tense, write specific accomplishments from it in the past tense.

Your summary paragraphs for current experiences should still be in the present tense, but your accomplished-focused, metrics-bound bullet points should be in the past tense if they already happened.

This rule makes sense – the accomplishments you’re listing for your current job have already happened in the past, that’s why you can list them!

Here’s an example:

Now you know whether to use past or present verb tense on your resume and where to use each! With this knowledge under your belt, now you can focus on bigger questions to write an incredible resume. Get after it and land that dream job!

For the answer to every career development question you can think of, check out the many articles on our blog or our Career Warrior Podcast . Better yet — sign up now for a FREE phone consultation with one of our business writing experts on our homepage.

Not landing interviews? Get a free resume critique from one of our top writers to learn why.

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Should Resume Be in Past Tense? + Writing Tips

Should resume be in past tense read the resume writer’s answer.

Accurate, grammatically correct writing is essential for a resume. According to a survey, 59% of hiring managers will reject a resume that has typos or grammar mistakes. Hiring professionals believe that spotless writing translates to attention to detail and good communication skills in the workplace.

However, job-seekers often get confused ty the resume tense. If you are puzzled by choosing between the past or present tense, read our guide. A resume expert will explain when to use past and present tense verbs to make your document look consistent and logical for the future employer.

Are you a non-native English speaker? To compete for the best jobs with the native English speakers, you will need a flawless resume. If English is not your first language, consider hiring an experienced resume editor.

At ResumePerk.com, we offer resume editing services on budget. Our consultant will strengthen your resume text, fix errors and shortcomings, and update the formatting for a better visual impact. Don’t let past and present tense confuse you – our editor will correct everything in no time!

Situations when you need to use past tense verbs

Let’s have a quick English class first. Past tense verbs are the ones that end with –ed, with few exceptions like bring – brought, rise – rose. This tense refers to events that already happened or ended. Therefore, past verb tense is used in these cases:

To give a job description of your past positions

If you describe a past job, education, project or volunteering, each bullet point should go in past tense. Experts also recommend using strong action verbs (i.e. not just Led or Managed, but Organized, Headed, Initiated, etc.) So, most of your resume will use the past tense, and this is considered a norm.

To describe accomplishments

Accomplishment means a specific action that brought a measurable result to the employer. Since accomplishments have a sense of completion, they should use past tense as well. Example: Onboarded and trained 5 technical support specialists resulting in customer satisfaction increase by 20%.

Rules for using present tense

Present tense in English is used for repeated or usual actions (i.e. Develop, Analyze, Create). This is why you should avoid describing past jobs in this tense. Here’s how to use it correctly:

To list current duties in the role you have now

You should use present tense to outline duties in the current job – the ones you do repeatedly or time after time. If you are tasked with preparing presentations for senior management each quarter, write “Deliver presentation to senior management on a quarterly basis”.

In a summary paragraph

Career Summary, an opening paragraph of your resume, should be written in present as well. This paragraph refers to your overall areas of expertise and skills that you can apply in the next job if hired. During a job search, summary serves as a presentation of your abilities, so verbs in present will sound more convincing.

Is it acceptable to mix tenses in a resume?

Resume experts don’t recommend mixing past and present in one job description. When the hiring manager sees the mixture of bullets in past and present, they get an impression that you’ve just failed to proofread. There’s one exception, though.

Let’s assume that your current job had some responsibilities or key achievements that you had a year ago, and haven’t repeated since then. In this case, it’s best to list your current duties in present at the top of the list, and put achievements in past at the bottom. Here’s an example:

• Use consultative sales approach to identify customer needs
• Develop sales strategies for existing accounts
• Awarded #2 Sales Rep in the company in 2021.

That’s it! We hope that we have untangled the confusion between the past or present tense for you. If you would like to analyze your resume further, take advantage of our free resume critique . Email the resume to us, and our experts will explain how it looks like from the perspective of the hiring manager. We will also recommend what should be fixed or updated.

6 tips to perfect a written resume

Once you’ve worked things out with tenses, take a critical look at the resume content in general. Check if your resume meets this criteria:

• Check the resume for grammar, punctuation mistakes and typos. Use one of online spell checkers or ask a friend to read it. Error-free resumes generate more responses from employers.
• In addition to the right tense, use a consistent writing style throughout the document. Keep it formal, but not very technical. Whenever possible, avoid abbreviations and contractions, and opt for full word forms.
• The document should be easy to read (large margins, font no less than 10 pts, bullet points instead of paragraphs, and enough white space between sections). Recruiters are more likely to skim through resumes rather than read them top to bottom.
• Keep it to 1-2 pages. Longer resumes rarely get read by a human reader. If yours is too long, consider removing jobs older than 15 years or irrelevant positions.
• Double check the contact information. If you misspell your email address or a phone number, a recruiter will not be able to reach you. Speaking of email, use a professional one that consists of your first and last name.
• Do not lie or exaggerate on a resume! If the hiring manager asks, you should be able to give proof for all information stated on a resume: your degrees, past and current job duties, skills, etc.

Mistakes to avoid when putting your resume together

In addition to confusing between past tense or present, there are many other mistakes that applicants make. Based on our experience, here are the most popular ones:

• Work experience, college education or skills doesn’t match with the job requirements. In this situation, a resume is most likely to be rejected;
• Resume is too short. If the resume takes under 1 page, a candidate can come across as unexperienced or not particularly motivated. If you lack paid employment, fill up the space with voluntary work, part-time jobs or personal projects;
• Missing information. Lack of company names, job titles, college names or even contact details is not uncommon. Check that you’ve included all the important details.
• Frequent job changes without objective reasons. If you have a good reason for quitting after 3 months (say, the company went out of business or was acquired), write it.
• Lack of keywords. Modern resumes need to be optimized for applicant tracking systems. For that you need to use keywords from the job posting. If you don’t add search terms to resume text, it can be tossed by ATS.
• Unprofessional writing style or humor. Avoid writing personal details, stories and don’t use humor. Of course, there is a tiny chance that some recruiter will appreciate your joke, but most of them will find it unprofessional.
• Lack of professional growth and development. Ideally, a resume should reflect promotions and an increase of responsibility. It’s also a good idea to include courses, seminars, conferences and similar events.

Get your resume fixed and improved to the modern standards

Now you are aware of how to choose verb tenses. Yet, the resume success depends on many tiny elements you shouldn’t overlook. So, if you want better results from your job search, consider working with a resume professional.

A resume expert from our website will perform a spell check, improve sentence structure and document layout. We guarantee customer satisfaction for all writing orders: if you aren’t happy with a new resume, we offer 2 weeks of free revisions. Contact us anytime for resume or career advice in the chat. All new clients also get 20% off the first order, so don’t hesitate to claim your code!

Our experienced writers can create a powerful resume suitable for each position. However, you may also request a specific resume depending on the job you are applying for, thus it will be tailored individually for your profession:

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Using powerful resume action words is key to communicating your professional experiences, skills, and accomplishments in as few words as possible. Whether you’re a first-time job seeker or simply want to beef up your current resume, strong action words are a necessity.

To help you incorporate some into your resume, we’ve put together a list of powerful action words that you can use to describe a variety of skills and experiences.

Key Takeaways

Resume action verbs and power words are used to showcase your professional skills, experience, and passion.

When using action words in your resume, choose phrases that refer to your particular skills and experience, write in the active voice, and use the correct verb tense.

Three of the top action verbs to showcase management and leadership skills are oversaw , planned , and coordinated .

What are resume action words?

How to use action verbs in your resume, action verbs for management and leadership, action verbs for accomplishments, action verbs for job responsibilities, action verbs for communication skills, action verbs for creativity, action verbs for technical experience, action verbs for work efficiency, action verbs for research skills, action verbs for teamwork, action verbs for sales and customer service, best power words to add adjectives to your resume and cover letter, resume action words faq, final thoughts.

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Resume action words are verbs that bring your resume to life , showcase your hireability, and demonstrate your biggest professional strengths , skills, and abilities.

The best resume action verbs convey your passion, enthusiasm, and drive. They also aren’t overused buzzwords, but instead paint a vivid picture of what you’ve accomplished.

When writing your resume, no matter what sort of job you’re applying for, it’s important to use unique and specific action verbs . These powerful words can help you capture a hiring manager ’s attention and move forward in the hiring process.

To use action verbs in your resume effectively, you need to choose relevant words, write in the active voice, and use the correct tense.

If your resume is poorly written and riddled with generic, overused verbs and adjectives, you’re not going to get the same effect as you would if you properly structure your resume with significant and relevant action verbs.

The key to properly using action verbs in your resume is:

Choosing action verbs that specifically enhance your personal skill set and experiences. Action verbs can give hiring managers a lot of insight into your accomplishments, so pick the ones that accurately describe the extent of your work experience.

Writing in the active voice. This means using phrases like, “Led a team of 30” rather than “Team of 30 led by me.” This not only saves space but also makes your bullet points more powerful.

Using the correct tense when discussing your career highlights. When using action words to describe your professional skills or your responsibilities at a current job, use the present tense. When discussing your responsibilities at previous jobs, use the past tense.

Double-checking your grammar and tenses, and working to only include action words that closely align with your skills and experiences will enable you to properly and efficiently use resume action verbs and power words.

Having solid leadership and management skills is a huge plus when applying for jobs. No matter the industry or job, hiring managers are always on the lookout for their company’s future leaders. If you have experience overseeing projects or coordinating a team, it’s essential to showcase this on your resume.

Here are some of the most powerful words you can use to showcase your leadership abilities:

Coordinated

Orchestrated

Administered

Implemented

Since your resume is a document used to showcase your professional accomplishments and abilities, you must use strong verbs to describe your biggest and most relevant achievements.

To show your best professional accomplishments, try using verbs like these:

Streamlined

Transformed

Spearheaded

Capitalized

Established

Clearly and concisely conveying your previous job responsibilities is immensely important when creating your resume and searching for your dream job . Efficiently communicating your previous work experience and responsibilities will give you a leg-up among competing applicants.

Here are some of the most impactful verbs you can use to illustrate your previous job responsibilities:

Accomplished

Constructed

Facilitated

Incorporated

Centralized

Being able to effectively communicate, both verbally and in writing, is necessary to finding professional success in nearly every industry. Whether you’re applying for a job as a delivery driver or a chief executive officer , you’ll be expected to have good communication skills.

When describing communication skills on your professional resume or CV, consider using words like these:

Illustrated

Corresponded

Collaborated

Creative thinkers are usually very highly regarded by hiring managers and prospective employers. Showcasing your creativity on your resume will help you land the job of your dreams.

Here are some of the best action verbs you can use to express creativity and originality:

Conceptualized

Storyboarded

Having technical experience and the job-specific skills and knowledge needed to complete tasks and be successful in your role is essential. This is particularly true if you’re applying for a role in information technology, project management, programming, or business intelligence.

When showcasing technical skills on your professional resume or CV, consider using words like these:

Reengineered

Accelerated

Reconstructed

Architected

Consolidated

Using strong action verbs on your resume to showcase your work efficiency will illustrate your passion and drive and help you get hired.

Here are some of the top action verbs you can add to your resume to illustrate your work efficiency and high productivity levels:

Outperformed

These days, research skills are important in a wide range of professional careers, not just science and research analyst occupations. Hiring managers are looking for job-seekers who are well-versed in collecting data, exploring and investigating new ideas, and analyzing information.

To showcase your state-of-the-art research skills on your professional resume or CV, try using action verbs like these:

Investigated

Troubleshoot

Companies want employees who are team players, so including a few resume action words that highlight your teamwork skills is key to setting you apart as a job candidate.

Volunteered

Diversified

Resume action verbs are essential in highlighting your strongest skills, experiences, and accomplishments, but that’s not to say that powerful adjectives aren’t equally as important. Incorporating a few thoughtfully placed and impactful adjectives around the action verbs in your resume will make your job application even stronger.

When using adjectives in your resume, it’s important to select the most relevant descriptors for them to have the biggest impact on hiring managers and future employers.

Here’s a list of the top adjectives you can add to your resume to help you stand out and get hired:

Fast-learning

Enthusiastic

Intelligent

Cutting-edge

First-class

Progressive

Revolutionary

Imaginative

Groundbreaking

Sophisticated

Significant

Cost-effective

Wholehearted

Detail-oriented

Professional

Multifaceted

Knowledgeable

Disciplined

What are good action words for a resume?

Good action words for a resume include:

What are the weak action verbs on a resume?

Weak action verbs on a resume include:

Experienced

Worked with

These words are vague and make you sound wishy-washy rather than confident. They also don’t tell hiring managers much about your accomplishments and responsibilities.

Making use of powerful and insightful verbs and adjectives when writing your professional resume will help you highlight your key skills, stand out among job seekers, make a great first impression on hiring managers, and get the job of your dreams.

When applying for jobs, whether you’re looking for a gig right out of college, switching careers, or searching for a new role to grow in your chosen industry, writing an effective resume is an essential step in the hiring process .

Since hiring managers typically review your resume and cover letter before ever meeting or speaking to you, you must use the professional documents to professionally introduce yourself , describe your qualifications, and make a lasting first impression.

The best resumes stand out during the hiring process through the intelligent incorporation of action verbs, power words, and buzzwords.

By using the resume tips and action words outlined in this article, you’ll be well on your way to writing an impressionable professional resume, highlighting your strongest career successes during the hiring process, and landing the job of your dreams.

University of Colorado Boulder – Action Verbs to Use on Your Resume

The Ohio State University – Action Verbs for Resume Development

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Elsie is an experienced writer, reporter, and content creator. As a leader in her field, Elsie is best known for her work as a Reporter for The Southampton Press, but she can also be credited with contributions to Long Island Pulse Magazine and Hamptons Online. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Stony Brook University and currently resides in Franklin, Tennessee.

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Write a Targeted Resume: How to Tailor Your Resume to a Job

Targeting your resume is a simple process — figure out what it is employers are looking for, then highlight those things on your resume. Here's a guide on how to do that.

3 years ago   •   9 min read

If you’re applying to every job you come across with the same resume — stop doing that! Submitting a generic resume is the fastest way to get screened out of a job, either by Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) scanning for keywords or by hiring managers who are looking for specific skills and experience. Targeting your resume is the easiest way to turn that ‘no’ into a ‘yes’ — and here’s how to do it properly.

How to target your resume

Targeting your resume is a simple process — figure out what it is employers are looking for, then highlight those things on your resume.

Know what employers are looking for

Typically, hiring managers are looking for two things on your resume: experience and hard skills .

Hard skills are things that are quantifiable and verifiable — degrees or other professional qualifications , software packages, programming languages, industry-specific methodologies. This doesn’t include soft skills like teamwork, leadership, and communication.

Experience means using those skills in a professional context. If you’re a recent graduate or career changer without relevant paid experience, you can use volunteer work , education , or personal projects to demonstrate your skills in a pinch.

Find out what skills to highlight

You can find out exactly what technical skills and experience the role needs by:

• Reading the job description, which will list the most important skills and experience needed in the role. For example, a product designer job posting will likely mention Photoshop, UI, and Illustrator — those are your key skills.
• Using our Targeted Resume tool to give you feedback on your resume and suggest additional keywords.

Sell yourself as the perfect candidate

No, this doesn’t mean writing, “I would be the perfect candidate for this position” on your cover letter. In fact, never do that! Once you have a good idea what kind of candidate an employer is looking for, tailor your resume to present yourself in a similar light.

If you have experience directly related to the position you’re applying for, that’s perfect. Select the most relevant achievements from past roles to highlight in your bullet points. If not, that’s still fine — choose accomplishments that demonstrate transferable skills and highlight any relevant hard skills or qualifications you’ve picked up.

Remember, your resume shouldn’t be a summary of everything you’ve done, or even of your most impressive accomplishments. It needs to emphasize the parts of your experience that best fit the job you’re applying for .

Why you need to tailor your resume

Resumes that are tailored to a specific role are more successful than a ‘one size fits all’ approach, because they:

Make a good impression

Tailoring your resume shows that you’ve put some effort into your application and aren’t just resume-bombing. It also helps you stand out from the crowd — that is, from the majority of applicants who don’t bother customizing their resumes.

Highlight your experience

While some hiring managers are willing to spend the time and money to train up a promising applicant, most want someone who can hit the ground running. The best way to show that you can do the job you’re applying for is by having the specific skills and experience needed by someone in the role — which means tailoring your resume to emphasize your value.

Do I need to completely rewrite my resume?

No. Tailoring your resume doesn’t mean rewriting it from scratch. Some parts of your resume, like your work experience, may remain largely the same. If you’re applying to similar jobs, you’ll need to make fewer changes than if you’re applying across different industries.

Is it time-consuming?

No, it doesn’t have to be! If you’re short on time, there are ways to customize your resume in as little as a few minutes.

Whether you’re building a resume from scratch for your dream job or looking for a few simple hacks to get the job done quickly, our examples below will help you build the perfect targeted resume.

Examples of how to target your resume

There’s more than one way to target your resume. Here are some of our best tips, from the quickest to the most advanced.

Use a resume title

This one takes about two seconds, and it’s one of the easiest ways to get your resume past ATS . Adding the title of the job you’re applying for at the top of your resume makes it obvious that you’ve customized your resume and will help you bypass ATS even if you’ve never held a position with that exact title.

To find out if your targeted resume is readable by ATS, upload your resume to the tool below — it’ll let you know if your resume is readable by ATS. It’ll also scan your resume to check if you’ve highlighted your accomplishments and skills the right way.

Include a resume summary

If you choose to write a resume summary, it needs to be customized for every job you apply for. A resume summary isn’t always necessary, but you should consider including one if you have extensive experience, if you’re changing careers, or if you want to contextualize something that’s not otherwise obvious from the body of your resume.

A resume summary should include the title of the job you’re applying for, a brief overview of your experience, and a few top accomplishments that show your skills in action. For a more complete overview, see our detailed guide to resume summaries .

Here's another example of someone changing careers. Notice how the resume summary is carefully tailored to the new role (HR Manager) this person is changing careers into, and not focused on their previous skills.

Customize your skills section

While it’s possible to demonstrate your skills through your bullet point accomplishments, it’s never a bad idea to include a dedicated skills section. Why? Most recruiters only spend a few minutes reading your resume, and a skills section helps them find the information they’re looking for at a glance.

This is another section that should always be customized . Tailoring your skills section is so easy that there’s no excuse not to do it — read the job description or use Targeted Resume to find out the top skills for the job you’re applying to and include the ones you genuinely possess.

You can also use the tool below to get a list of hard skills and keywords relevant to the job you’re applying for.

Use the exact job title in your resume

If you work somewhere that uses unconventional job titles — think ‘Programming Ninja,’ ‘People Team,’ or ‘Social Media Rockstar’ — it’s better to avoid the buzzwords and list your job title in a more standard format, like Software Engineer, Human Resources Manager, or Social Media Coordinator. Not only is this more likely to tick the right boxes for resume screeners, it also makes it far easier for recruiters to understand what your actual job was. And, most importantly, it emphasizes that you have the necessary experience doing the job you’re applying for.

When applying for a position, you can list your job title as it appears in the job description, as long as it still accurately describes your role. You can clarify your actual job title by listing both — eg. “People Team Leader / Human Resources Manager” — or by providing additional context — eg. “Software Engineer (alternate internal job title is Programming Ninja).”

Use a different resume for specific roles

If you’re applying to similar roles in different industries, or to multiple sub-fields or specializations within the same industry, consider creating separate resumes for each. This way allows you to customize your resume in greater depth and avoids having to make major changes every time you apply for a new position.

For example, if you’re applying for marketing roles, you might want to have separate resumes focused on:

• Sales, focusing on cold calling, emailing, and new client conversions.
• Digital marketing, highlighting technical skills and emphasizing your experience with Google and Facebook Ads, SEM, and SEO.
• Copywriting and content marketing, highlighting your experience writing sales copy , blog posts, and landing pages and (optionally) including a writing portfolio.
• Design , showcasing hard skills with software like Photoshop and InDesign in creating ads, banners, and logos (again, with an optional portfolio).
• Operational experience, centered around leading a team, managing a budget, and structuring a department.

Tailor your work experience

Tailoring your work experience itself is more time-consuming than some of the other options, but it’s also the most effective since that section is where hiring managers will pay the most attention to. In your bullet points, highlight the accomplishments that are most relevant to the job you’re applying for. Skip the temptation to include everything — generally, you should be aiming for around 3-6 bullet points per job. This means you might have to leave out some of your more impressive achievements if they aren’t as relevant to the new position, and that’s okay!

Consider this: You’re applying for a marketing position with a lot of emphasis on SEO in the job description. You can emphasize your experience with SEO by highlighting a specific project you’ve worked on where SEO was a focus. This is a way more effective strategy than including a more comprehensive list of less relevant experience. By concentrating on the most relevant part of your experience, you’re creating a targeted resume that immediately stands out to a hiring manager as being exactly what they’re looking for.

How to structure your bullet points

If you’re writing your bullet points from scratch, here’s how to get started:

• Write down everything you accomplished in each position you’ve held. You can use bullet point builder to do this — it’s a free tool that helps you store all your bullet points.
• Pick the handful of accomplishments that are the most relevant for each role or industry you’re applying to.
• List each bullet point starting with an action verb and including numbers or specific metrics where appropriate — see more in our guide to resume bullet points.
• Prioritize your bullet points to list the more relevant accomplishments first — they’re the first thing a hiring manager sees.
• Check your resume bullet points on Score My Resume , to ensure they're effective and highlight your achievements correctly.

Prioritize relevant experience

Your most relevant experience should always be at the top of your resume. If your most recent experience is in a different role or industry, you can still do this without resorting to a functional resume (which most hiring managers hate). Instead of a catch-all “Work Experience” section, break your resume down further — for example, make your top section “Marketing Experience” and then include an “Other Experience” underneath. This still allows you to present your most relevant experience first without compromising the standard — and preferred — chronological resume format.

Frequently asked questions

What about my cover letter.

Yes, you should write a new cover letter for each job you apply for, even if it’s for a similar role or industry. A cover letter is more personal than a resume and should be fully customized.

What if I’m changing careers?

Don’t worry about it! If you don’t have the exact experience an employer is looking for, that’s still fine. Think about what you’ve accomplished in other positions that could still be relevant and focus on highlighting your transferable skills . Maybe you’re applying for a project manager role but don’t have direct experience — but if you’ve organized an event, managed a budget, or led a team, those all demonstrate applicable skills like leadership, organization, and attention to detail.

Will I be sacrificing quantity for quality?

Very likely, yes. And that’s a good thing! It’s always better to shoot for quality than quantity when it comes to job applications. It may seem counterintuitive, but if you’re sending out hundreds of job applications and not hearing anything back, you probably need to apply for fewer jobs, not more. A single targeted, high-quality resume is far more likely to result in a callback from a recruiter than a dozen generic applications.

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• Past vs. Present Tense on...

Past vs. Present Tense on Resumes: Best Practices

9 min read · Updated on March 20, 2024

Should a resume be in the past or present tense?

How sick are you of hearing that you must proofread your resume? The reason that proofreading is brought up so much is that it is of the utmost importance. If you take hours or even days crafting the perfect document and never discover grammar , punctuation, and spelling errors, your time has been wasted. 

There's more to proofreading than just using spell check, though. Your verb tense is also important for your overall resume writing style. Of course, that raises an important question: should your resume be in past tense or present tense?

The short answer is, “It depends.” 

In this post, we'll explore each of these tenses, examine the best practices for using each type, and offer some helpful tips you can use to ensure that your resume narrative is delivering the right message to employers.

What is past tense? What is present tense? 

First, let's have a review of what past and present tense means. Is your sentence describing something that's happening now, or did it already occur? 

Past tense is anything that's already happened. The verbs that describe past tense often end with -ed. Of course, there are some exceptions like “oversaw.” Reminder: every sentence of your resume should start with a verb.

Present tense is anything that's happening now. You'd use present tense in the summary paragraph at the top and in the bullets that you use to describe your current job. 

Pro tip: The gerund form of present tense verbs often adds an -ing at the end. There is some debate as to whether the use of the gerund is appropriate for a resume. With that said, you should avoid using it.

Related post : 11 Key Things to Put on Your Resume

Should I use past tense or present tense on my resume? 

You will likely use both the past and the present tense in your resume. However, it can get tricky because you don't want to mix both in the same section. If you have one-off achievements like successfully completing a project in your current role, you shouldn't talk about that in the present tense because it already happened. 

In the spirit of being consistent, here are some rules to help you recognize when to use past or present tense:

When to use past tense on your resume

Describe your education, past jobs, awards, and accomplishments using the past tense. You aren't in school anymore, and you no longer work at your previous jobs. Therefore, they belong in the past. For example:

Championed a 20% increase in sales by onboarding 30 new customers each month.

Architected complex algorithms that improved the efficiency of gathering, scrubbing, and merging data from more than 20 disparate sources.

Engaged in real-time troubleshooting with approximately 40 customers per day and achieved an 85% first-call resolution rate.

When to use present tense on your resume

While much of your resume will be in the past tense, there are certain sections that should focus on the present. These include the resume headline, resume summary, and the first entry in your work experience section if you're describing your current position. Let's look at each one of these critical sections and examine why it's important to use the present tense to describe your skills and ongoing achievements.

Related post : Seven Key Resume Sections and How to Organize Them

1. Resume headline

Your resume headline should always be written in the present tense since you want to ensure that the employer understands that you're actively engaged in your role. Remember, the headline is a brief description of your job title and key specialties, so make it as compelling as you can. For example:

Creative Marketing Manager Focused on Data-Driven Results in Branding and Client Engagement

Solutions-Oriented Project Manager with 10+ Years of Team Building and Client Management Success

Innovative Software Engineer with 5 Years of Experience Developing Industry-Leading Gaming Apps

Related post : 27 Great Resume Headline Examples to Stand Out

2. Resume summary

Your summary goes right below your resume headline and should provide employers with a brief elevator pitch to sell your qualifications. Include three or four sentences that highlight your experience, skills, and notable achievements. The goal here is to emphasize your qualifications in a way that shows you're prepared to provide real value to any employer who hires you. Here's an example:

Ambitious IT specialist with more than seven years of experience in network management and systems analysis. Expert troubleshooter and project lead with expertise in cloud platform, data migration, and client support. Proven track record of success in reducing network delays by 80+%, with 95+5 reported satisfaction rating on troubleshooting calls. Resilient problem-solver, capable of working both independently and in collaboration with colleagues and clients.

Related post : Resume Profile Explained (with Examples)

3. Work Experience

When you list your current job in your work experience section, it should always be in the present tense. The skills you list in this prominent section of your resume are skills you use all the time. This is the it-can-get-tricky part because you can also talk about your current position in the past tense – more on this in just a bit. Here are a couple of examples:

Direct full-cycle hiring processes, including telephone interviews, to ramp up department operations.

Source, interview, hire, and onboard a new team of 7 developers. 

Train 6 associates and 2 clerks to ascertain the needs of clients and improve customer satisfaction.

Of course, when you're listing achievements in your work experience section, you're primarily going to focus on things that you've already done. After all, if one of those achievements involved designing a new sales program that boosted revenues by 30% over two quarters, that's a one-time achievement, right? Obviously, that accomplishment needs to be presented using the past tense.

Confused? Don't be. We'll explain how to handle that situation in our next section.

When to use both past and present tense

Your resume is supposed to be a customized career marketing document that demonstrates you're the best candidate for a specific position. You sell yourself to new companies by highlighting career accomplishments. 

So, how do you handle talking about past and present items in the description of your current role if you shouldn't mix past and present tense within the same section of your resume? 

Take that example that we cited above. How would you include that type of achievement in the work experience listing for your current job? It's easier than you might imagine.

The best way to deal with that situation is to separate the bullet points under your current role into things you do every day first and achievements last. Write your daily responsibilities in the present tense and your achievements in the past tense. This is what that would look like:

Document, report, and present project milestones, performance KPIs, and status updates in weekly executive meetings attended by as many as 12 board members.

Implement and execute all standard operating procedures to ensure adherence to protocols, mitigate risk, and improve overall safety rating to 0 incidents per month. 

NOTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Saved more than $300K by tracking spending, identifying waste, and authoring/implementing new project metrics that reduced costs.

Nominated by leaders for the I'm-The-Greatest-Employee award, 2021. 

Another great way to manage this concern is to include a brief paragraph that highlights your ongoing achievements using the present tense while making sure that all your bullet point accomplishments are listed in the past tense. Below, we've provided an example of what that might look like:

Marketing Director, ABC Marketing, Anytown Anystate, 2014 to Present

Manage daily marketing operations, including strategic campaign development, overseeing multiple project teams, evaluating and monitoring staff, and managing client expectations. Collaborate directly with senior management, finance department, and sales team to facilitate operations and ensure that the company always remains on mission.

Designed and implemented training program credited with 42% reduction in staff onboarding times.

Developed multiple marketing and advertising campaigns that brought in $100+ million over a six-year period.

Redesigned more than 20 failing client projects, leading to results that exceeded expectations by an average of 20%.

Created company's innovative “Green Marketing” campaign that drew national exposure and led to 15% spike in new client acquisition.

Tips to get the most out of your use of past and present tense

The following tips can help you maintain your focus when you're creating achievement statements and highlighting your current qualifications.

Resumes are not like standard prose documents. You don't need to stick to just one tense since you'll likely be highlighting both present skills and past achievements. Just remember to make sure that your reader can easily follow any tense changes that occur throughout your resume narrative.

If you find yourself asking, “Should this part of my resume be in past tense or present tense” just take a moment and consider the message you're trying to deliver with that statement. If you're attempting to focus attention on specific skills and qualifications, then you'll probably want to use the present tense. If you're demonstrating value by highlighting an accomplishment from a previous job, use the past tense.

Try to avoid mixing your tenses within any given bullet point section. Again, be consistent in different areas of your resume to avoid reader confusion.

If you're struggling to decide how to use the different tenses within the same resume, try a different and simpler approach. Instead of using the present tense, simply present all your information using the past tense. Most employers are used to seeing past tense used in resumes and won't be put off by that approach.

Related post : 17 Resume Tips to Get Seen and Hired Faster

Knowing if your resume should be in past tense is easy

The next time you're wondering whether your resume should be in past tense or present tense, take a deep breath and focus on your narrative. Sometimes, reading your own resume a few times can help you gain insight into the message that you're delivering. Just keep things simple and remember what each tense is designed to convey to the reader. If you can successfully do that, you'll have a better chance of choosing the right tense and making the best possible impression on employers.

Are you still confused about which resume tense you need to use? Get a free resume review from our team of experts today!  

“This article was originally written by Marsha Hebert and has been updated by Ken Chase.”

Recommended reading:

• 5 Powerful Verbs to Pump up Your Resume
• Proofreading Tips to Improve Your Resume and Cover Letter
• How to Make Your Resume Stand Out With Action Verbs

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Spring Cleaning Your Resume: Tips for Keeping it Concise

Host/Hostess Skills: Add to Improve Your Resume!

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