Using Strong Action Words to Craft High-Impact IT Resumes

Most IT professionals don't have perfect writing skills on professional level.  It's just fine if you don't.  That doesn't mean you have to depend on professional resume writers to craft your resume.  No matter what level of writing skills you are, by following certain rules, you can craft high impact IT resumes to optimize your marketability. 

One of the important rules is to use action words.  Action words empower your resume by increasing your creditability.  When you describe your skills and experience as an past action, it sounds more like a true story, -- something really happened, thus your self-claimed experience gets transformed into proven experience, that makes your qualification more creditable and trustable.  Resumes packed with tons of actions words always deliver persuading power.

To make your IT resume action-oriented, write to describe your knowledge, skills, and experience by starting with a strong action word.  Especially when explaining your previous works and experience, make everything you did a past action, that tells everyone, you did it.  For instance, instead of saying "my responsibilities include database design and application development", present it as:

• Designed logical and physical database on IBM DB2 Universal Database Server for enterprise-wide data management..
• Developed  a web-based application for over 1000 users to report contract funding status in 10 western states.

Here you can see, the key to make your statement a high impact is to:

1. Use strong action words -- designed, developed.
2. Make it specific -- logical/physical, IBM DB2, web-based, contract funding status, etc.
3. Empathize scope, make it sound like an important task  -- enterprise-wide,  over 1000 users, 10 states.

Also, always use a bullet for one sentence.  The sentence should be as short as possible and packed with all important information specific to the action.  That gives you best chance to draw recruiters attention.

The following action words are specifically selected for empowering IT resumes.  Each word comes with a example sentence to describe an IT related activity.

100 Action Words for IT Resumes

1. achieved better database performance by tuning memory area.
2. adapted Rational Unified Process (RUP) for software development project.
3. adjusted data retrieval query for optimized performance in data analysis and reporting.
4. administered multiple instances of Oracle Server Enterprise Edition on Windows NT platform.
5. analyzed business rules and user requirements.
6. assembled mold detection devices on PCs.
7. assessed wireless network implementation impacts.
8. audited enterprise-wide network systems security policy and implementation.
9. budgeted corporate financial management system integration project.
10. coded C++ programs for image processing.
11. computed total expenditure for performance budget forecasting.
12. conducted SQL Server database performance tuning.
13. configured MAXIMO Asset Management System on Windows 2000 Server.
14. converted historical data in ASCII test files to XML format.
15. created FTP-based file transfer utility on UNIX platform.
16. cut IT cost by 10%.
17. defined project scope and system use case.
18. delivered high-quality software and services on schedule.
19. designed a web-based inventory tracking software application.
20. detected network performance bottlenecks.
21. developed a Java SWING desktop application.
22. diagnosed agency-wide WAN network performance issues.
23. differentiated data presentation from business processing logic.
24. distributed a .NET Mobile application to over 200 Palm handheld users.
25. documented user requirements and business logic.
26. eliminated software defect in production by QA enhancement.
27. enforced industry standard methodology in software development projects.
28. enhanced user authentication and security module for the existing application.
29. established enterprise-wide software development and deployment framework.
30. expanded VPN network to more users in remote locations.
31. extracted online store transaction data from Oracle data warehouse.
32. fixed bugs in existing software.
33. formulated expenditure calculation in contract management system.
34. identified memory leak and connection pooling problems in current C++ application.
35. implemented Struts Framework in web-based application on JBoss.
36. increased customer satisfaction by improved user interface.
37. initiated software development quality control and assurance.
38. integrated inventory management process into PeopleSoft system.
39. interacted with customers to define functional requirements.
40. introduced MVC architecture into web application projects.
41. installed Maximo Asset Management System with WebLogic and SQL Server.
42. invented automatic dust control system for coal preparation plants.
43. investigated network security failure and operating system configuration defects.
44. led SAP ERP implementation projects.
45. made data standardization and classification policy.
46. maintained Oracle data warehousing database for business banking data.
47. managed multiple IT projects concurrently.
48. minimized the risk of data lose by implementing stand-by database replication.
49. modeled e-commerce transaction data.
50. modified user interface.
51. monitored LAN network performance.
52. negotiated new contract for current project extension.
53. operated mainframe database server machines in corporate data center.
54. obtained hands-on skills in Cisco network equipment installation.
55. optimized SQL query plan for faster data transaction.
56. oversaw project planning and management.
57. performed Oracle database backup and recovery tasks.
58. piloted a prototype project for migrating a PowerBuilder application to J2EE platform.
59. planned IT department projects and budgeting.
60. prepared agency-wide LAN network wiring and configuration.
61. processed historical accounting data.
62. programmed ETL scripts to covert SSA data into data warehousing database.
63. provided consulting solutions and technical support.
64. proposed agency-wide financial system integration.
65. published white papers on web services implementation topics.
66. recommended backup & recovery procedures to improve user data availability.
67. redesigned application's interface to improve end user experience.
68. reduced network installation costs.
69. reengineered enterprise-wide human resource management process.
70. repaired Cisco switches and routers.
71. researched data sorting algorithm for complicated data structures.
72. resolved user authentication conflicts in the current system.
73. restored Oracle instance from backup files.
74. restructured the business tier for a J2EE web application.
75. reviewed functional and technical documentations.
76. revised functional specifications and technical specifications.
77. served the State of California as an IT professional for 8 years.
78. serviced clients on-site for database administration and performance tuning.
79. simplified software license tracking process in IT department.
80. solved SSL and client certificate authorization problems in web applications running on Tomcat.
81. specified end user requirements and business logic.
82. standardized data classification procedures.
83. started business process reengineering project as the team leader.
84. strengthened enterprise wide network security policy.
85. studied grid computing impacts on database engine performance.
86. summarized system requirements and specifications for new software development projects.
87. supervised the QA team in software testing.
88. tested the system's functionalities and performance.
89. transformed ETL tasks from script-based process to Informatica implementation.
90. trained the Java developer team to migrate to .NET technology.
91. traveled worldwide to provide on-site data management services for international clients.
92. troubleshot LAN network connection problems.
93. updated company's operating system from Windows NT to Windows XP Server.
94. upgraded database server from Oracle 9i to Oracle 10g.
95. used Visual Basic to develop a client/server application.
96. utilized PDFLib library to generate PDF reports in Java applications.
97. verified system design and architecture assumptions in IV&V projects.
98. wired LAN network and installed switches and routers.
99. won several new contracts for GIS projects from State of New York.
100. wrote proposals in response to customer's RFP.