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Using Adverbs in Resume Writing

August 24, 2018 By Doug Perry

You only have seconds to grab an employer’s attention and hold it. An over- or wasted-use of adverbs can impede your ability to achieve that. So, let’s talk about using adverbs in resume writing.

Stephen King famously said, “The road to hell is paved with adverbs.” Adverbs are the words you insert with a verb to distinguish the verb (in what manner, to what extent, where, or when). They often end in “ly”, can be used to intensify an action, but are frequently redundant or awkwardly placed.

For example: “The patient completely rejected perio treatment” or “The dentist flatly refused to give his hygienist a pay raise.”

Therefore, remove the adverbs “completely” and “flatly” and let the verb do its job. In most instances, verbs don’t need that extra punch. They tend to function better as a lone wolf and create a more compact and concise sentence or statement.

Using adverbs in resume writing and other content is grammatically correct and can serve a useful purpose here and there to help clarify, as you will see in the example below. But they are sort of like periodontal disease that, once it gets going, infects several areas and ultimately requires some word therapy or even extraction.

Here are a couple types of adverbs to watch for, an exception for a certain type of writing you may notice in every-day-life, and some lists and various uses that you might find helpful when using adverbs in resume writing.

Redundant Adverbs

Redundant Adverb: “Each patient smiled happily after their visit.”

Without the Adverb: “Each patient smiled after their visit.”

Possible exception or alternate approach: “Each patient smiled broadly after their visit.”

Useless Adverbs

Useless Adverb: “Implemented an extremely effective periodontal protocol.”

Without the Adverb: “Implemented an effective protocol.”

Others to watch for: extremely, definitely, truly, very, and really

Dialogue is Different

Advertising and marketing writing is different than formal writing (including resumes) and tends to mimic every-day speech so that it will create more human interest and resonate with the audience. So, if you were writing a radio advertising script, or maybe developing content for your office’s social media account, less formal or “dialogue” types of writing would be fine.

For example, “She’s a totally cool hygienist.” or “He did amazingly well at his appointment today.”

Using Adverbs in Resume Writing

End in “-ly”

Many adverbs end in “-ly”. If you are not sure of the part of speech a word would be, and it ends with “-ly”, it is probably an adverb.

Examples include:

Financially
Willfully
Abruptly
Endlessly
Firmly
Delightfully
Quickly
Lightly
Eternally
Delicately
Wearily
Sorrowfully
Beautifully
Truthfully

Other examples of adverbs would be words that describe how something was done or the manner in which it was done. These would be words like:

Uneasily
Weirdly
Cheerfully
Expertly
Wholeheartedly
Randomly
Brutally
Really
Briskly
Sloppily
Wickedly

Tell Where Action Happened

Some adverbs tell the location of an action, or where it occurred. Adverbs like this would be:

Here
There
Everywhere
Somewhere
In
Inside
Underground
Out
Outside
Upstairs
Downstairs

Tell When Action Happened

Examples of adverbs that tell when an action occurred, or its time, include:

Now
First
Last
Early
Yesterday
Tomorrow
Today
Later
Regularly
Often
Never
Monthly
Always
Usually

Tell the Extent of the Action

Adverbs can describe to what extent something was done or an action was executed, including:

Very
Too
Almost
Also
Only
Enough
So
Quite
Almost
Rather

Adverbs are Intensifiers

Here are some sentences with the emphasizing adverb underlined:

I really don’t care.
He literally wrecked his car.
I am certain of the facts, for sure.
You simply don’t understand.
I so want to go to the concert.

Sentences that amplify would be like:

She completely rejected his proposal.
I heartily endorsed the new restaurant.
I so want that new toy.
He completely understands me.
I absolutely refuse to stay here any longer.

Adverbs and adverb phrases that tone down the feeling or mood would include:

I sort of felt betrayed by you.
You can improve on this to some extent.
She kind of likes the movie.
The boss almost quit his job after that.
I somewhat understand what you are saying.
She mildly disapproved of his actions.

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Doug Perry is an expert resume writer and job search coach. He and his wife, Tracie, who is a dental hygienist, created GetHiredRDH in response to the challenging dental hygiene job market and have helped thousands of dental hygienists through tips and individual services. If you need individual, click here to contact Doug.

Is Your Resume Packed with a Punch?

May 23, 2016 By Doug Perry, Dental Hygiene Resume Coach

Your dental hygiene resume is your most important career document – it’s the first impression most employers have of you. So, is your resume packed with a punch?

What you say is important, but so too is the space you use to say it, how you say it, what you don’t say.

Confused? Let’s discuss five points to positively packing your resume prose with power and punch.

Tight Writing

Bullet points are a useful tool on resumes. They help keep your writing clean, short and succinct. They also help employers more quickly absorb your content. If you are using the full width of the page, try to keep them from wrapping onto a second or third line.

Remember, readers have a visual response before they read so the appearance of too much writing is a turn off. So cut the clutter as much as you can.

Cluttered: “Started a new patient program that included an office tour and sit-down meeting with myself and the doctor. We improved patient retention by more than 25 percent and overall production by 10%.

Tight: “Implemented new patient-orientation program, elevating retention by 25% and production by 10%.”

Writing that Jumps

In resume writing, you begin lines of information with a verb to jump-start mini statements about your accomplishments, results, and achievements. In the examples above, both “started” and “implemented” are good verbs to do this.

There are lots of great verbs you can use, depending on what information you want to highlight. Ideally, you should try to mix them up and not use the same ones for each statement to keep it interesting. Here’s a list of 500+ positive words you can use to do this.

Active Writing

You also want to make sure your writing is in an “active” voice as opposed to “passive.” Active is often the best format for writing marketing materials, but especially in resume writing. It requires fewer words, is more readable, and more quickly absorbed by the reader.

Active Example: “Created unique periodontal protocols replicated in many offices.”

Passive Example: “Created unique periodontal protocols that have been replicated in many offices.”

In the examples, you’ll notice the active voice is shorter. But notice the differences in wording. The passive example is a correctly worded sentence but meanders longer than necessary. It takes the reader on a scenic route, instead of a straight path.

In short, passive writing creates bulkier wording. Sometimes you may feel forced to go with a passive statement, but keep them to a bare minimum.

Mindful Writing

I’ve written often about the importance of knowing what an employer is looking for and then delivering it. Your cover letter and interviews are the primary places to do this but consider your resume, too.

Carefully review the job description and find the keywords of things they are seeking in a candidate. Then make sure your resume hits on them. You may need to modify a word or two, move some lines around, and swap things in and out. Don’t think of your resume as a static document – it should evolve and morph.

Error-Free Writing

It goes without saying your resume should be error-free. No mistakes in grammar, punctuation or spelling. It’s sometimes hard to spot them, but there are grammarians everywhere so proof-read your resume many times.

It’s important to have one or two friends you trust to read it over. Or you can even hire someone to do it. There’s no shame in it. Even professional writers make mistakes and know the importance of a second pair of eyes.

And one more tip that might help. When proofing it yourself, read each statement and sentence backward. This forces your brain to focus on each word. Our brain is wonderfully-efficient, but when reading it sometimes fills in gaps or fails to notice mistakes subconsciously in an effort to read quickly.

Summary

Again, the words you use and how you use them matters. Your resume is the most important document of your career. Give lots of time, utilize the help of friends, or hire an expert so that you can land a great job.

Using Adverbs in Resume Writing

Redundant Adverbs

Useless Adverbs