Improve your resume today: Using active voice

Nothing makes you look more qualified than a resume that shows how you sat around waiting for things to happen to you.

Doesn’t sound right? Yeah, didn’t think so.

A good resume shows what you did, not what was done to you. Hence, a cardinal rule of resume writing: use active voice.

What is active voice?

Active voice and passive voice refer to how the subject and the verb of the sentence are related.

Oh, grammar not your thing? To be honest, it isn’t mine either. So let’s keep this very simple.

If you write about something you did, that’s typically active voice:

“I did…”

“I went…”

“I stole…”

“I repaired…”

If you write about something that happened to you, it’s typically passive voice (HINT: look for variations on “was” as one red flag):

“I was recognized for…”

“I became aware of…”

“My work was thought to be…”

“Responsibilities included…”

Why use active voice in your resume?

Unlike some writers, I’m not completely against passive voice. However, I am a big fan of conveying action and impact in your resume. And if “passive” isn’t a clue that it’s not going to convey action, I don’t know what is.

So let’s work through some samples, before you run off to scour your resume for energy leeches.

Passive voice:

“Responsible for office management and travel planning.”

Active voice:

“Managed office of 15, and planned all executive travel.”

Passive voice:

“Was honored for customer service skills.”

Active voice:

“Delivered excellent customer service, leading to company recognition.”

Can I ever use passive voice in a resume?

In almost all situations, active voice will be more powerful, meaningful and effective than passive voice. However, there is one great example of passive voice that absolutely should be included on your resume if possible: “was promoted.”

How do you make your resume sound more powerful? More direct? Clearer? Share in the comments.

photo credit: Mariano Kamp

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2. The Curriculum Vitae (CV): Writing beyond the resume
3. Resume Writing: 7 phrases that kill your resume
4. Improve your resume today: Play up what you want
5. Embrace resume keywords, eschew buzzwords