Even candidates with outstanding qualifications can be overlooked due to poor grammar, awkward phrasing, or inconsistent writing. This guide covers four essential grammar and writing tips that will elevate your resume from adequate to exceptional, helping you make a strong impression on potential employers.
Tip #1: Master Consistent Tense Usage
One of the most common resume writing errors is inconsistent verb tense. This seemingly minor issue can create a disjointed reading experience and suggest carelessness or poor attention to detail.
The Present-Past Principle
The fundamental rule for resume tense usage is straightforward: use present tense for current positions and past tense for previous positions. This clear distinction helps readers understand your current responsibilities versus your past accomplishments.
For your current position, use present tense verbs like “manage,” “develop,” “coordinate,” and “oversee” to describe ongoing responsibilities. For example: “Manage a team of five marketing specialists responsible for campaign development and implementation.”
For previous positions, use past tense verbs like “managed,” “developed,” “coordinated,” and “oversaw” to describe completed work. For example: “Managed a team of five marketing specialists and increased department productivity by 27%.”
Consistency Within Sections
Beyond the present-past principle, maintain consistent tense within each position description. Mixing tenses within a single job entry creates confusion and suggests careless writing.
Incorrect example:
“Marketing Manager, XYZ Company (2020-Present)
- Manage team of five marketing specialists
- Developed comprehensive marketing strategy
- Oversee budget of $500,000
- Implemented new CRM system”
This example inconsistently switches between present tense (“manage,” “oversee”) and past tense (“developed,” “implemented”) within a current position.
Corrected example:
“Marketing Manager, XYZ Company (2020-Present)
- Manage team of five marketing specialists
- Develop comprehensive marketing strategies
- Oversee budget of $500,000
- Implement new systems to improve efficiency”
Achievement Statements Exception
One common exception to the present-past principle involves completed achievements within your current role. When describing specific, completed accomplishments in your current position, past tense is appropriate even though the overall position is described in present tense.
Example:
“Marketing Manager, XYZ Company (2020-Present)
- Manage team of five marketing specialists
- Oversee annual marketing budget of $500,000
- Increased social media engagement by 45% through strategic content initiatives
- Launched successful product campaign that generated $1.2M in new revenue”
In this example, the ongoing responsibilities (“manage,” “oversee”) use present tense, while the completed achievements (“increased,” “launched”) use past tense. This distinction helps employers understand both your continuing responsibilities and your specific accomplishments.
Tip #2: Embrace Powerful Action Verbs
The verbs you choose significantly impact how employers perceive your capabilities and contributions. Strong action verbs create a sense of agency and accomplishment, while weak or passive constructions diminish your perceived impact.
Replace Weak Verbs with Strong Alternatives
Weak, generic verbs like “was,” “did,” “had,” and “made” fail to communicate the nature or quality of your contributions. Replace these with specific, powerful alternatives that precisely describe your actions.
Instead of: “Was responsible for customer service”
Use: “Resolved customer concerns and improved satisfaction ratings by 28%”
Instead of: “Did monthly reports”
Use: “Analyzed performance data and delivered actionable monthly insights to leadership team”
Instead of: “Had to manage team projects”
Use: “Orchestrated cross-functional team projects, consistently delivering results under budget”
Avoid Passive Voice
Passive voice constructions like “reports were prepared” or “the project was completed” remove you as the active agent of your accomplishments. These constructions feel indirect and fail to emphasize your personal contribution.
Instead of: “Customer satisfaction was improved by 20%”
Use: “Improved customer satisfaction by 20% through personalized service initiatives”
Instead of: “New procedures were implemented for the department”
Use: “Implemented new departmental procedures that reduced processing time by 35%”
Diversify Your Verb Selection
Many resumes repeatedly use the same few verbs (often “managed,” “responsible for,” and “helped”), creating repetitive, monotonous reading. Diversify your verb selection to create a more engaging document that fully expresses the range of your contributions.
For leadership accomplishments, consider verbs like: directed, spearheaded, orchestrated, championed, cultivated, fostered
For achievement-focused statements, try: achieved, surpassed, accelerated, maximized, transformed, revitalized
For problem-solving contributions, use: resolved, diagnosed, addressed, streamlined, optimized, troubleshot
For creation and development work, consider: designed, developed, created, established, formulated, pioneered
This verbal variety not only makes your resume more engaging but also more precisely communicates the nature of your contributions in each role.
Tip #3: Eliminate Unnecessary Words and Phrases
Resume space is valuable, and concise writing demonstrates respect for the reader’s time while allowing you to include more substantive information. Many resumes contain unnecessary words and phrases that dilute impact without adding meaning.
Remove Redundant Qualifiers
Words like “very,” “really,” “quite,” and “actually” rarely add meaningful information and often weaken your statements. Similarly, phrases like “responsible for” are usually unnecessary, as your bullet points inherently describe your responsibilities.
Instead of: “Responsible for managing a very large team of sales representatives”
Use: “Managed 15-person sales team, increasing regional revenue by 23%”
Instead of: “Actually created a really effective new filing system”
Use: “Created filing system that reduced document retrieval time by 70%”
Eliminate Filler Phrases
Common resume phrases like “duties included,” “tasked with,” and “worked on” consume space without adding value. Begin statements directly with strong action verbs instead.
Instead of: “Duties included overseeing the customer service department”
Use: “Oversaw customer service department, reducing complaint resolution time from 72 to 24 hours”
Instead of: “Tasked with improving team performance”
Use: “Improved team performance by implementing targeted training program, increasing productivity by 32%”
Use Pronouns Strategically
Traditional resume convention omits personal pronouns (“I,” “me,” “my”), as the entire document is understood to be about you. Consistently apply this convention throughout your resume.
Instead of: “I managed a team of five employees”
Use: “Managed five-person team, exceeding department targets by 18%”
Instead of: “In my role as project coordinator, I organized events”
Use: “Organized 12 corporate events annually as Project Coordinator, consistently under budget”
Focus on Specificity Over Generality
Replace vague, general statements with specific details that demonstrate the scope and impact of your work. Specific information is both more credible and more memorable than general claims.
Instead of: “Helped increase company sales”
Use: “Generated $375,000 in new business through targeted outreach to former clients”
Instead of: “Managed many important projects”
Use: “Managed 7 concurrent high-priority projects with combined budget of $1.2M”
Tip #4: Maintain Consistent Formatting and Punctuation
Consistency in formatting and punctuation may seem like a minor concern, but these details significantly impact how employers perceive your professionalism and attention to detail. Inconsistencies suggest carelessness that could extend to your work if hired.
Parallel Structure in Bullet Points
Ensure all bullet points within a section follow the same grammatical structure. This parallel construction creates a sense of order and makes your resume easier to read.
Inconsistent example:
- “Managing team of five sales representatives
- Increased regional sales by 23%
- Responsibility for client relationship development
- Trained new employees on CRM system”
This example mixes gerunds (“managing”), past tense verbs (“increased”), nouns (“responsibility”), and past participles (“trained”) in ways that create a disjointed reading experience.
Consistent example:
- “Managed team of five sales representatives
- Increased regional sales by 23%
- Developed strong client relationships
- Trained new employees on CRM system”
In this corrected version, all bullet points begin with past tense verbs, creating a smooth, consistent reading experience.
Punctuation Consistency
Decide whether your bullet points will end with periods and apply this decision consistently. Either approach is acceptable, but mixing punctuated and unpunctuated bullets creates a sloppy impression.
If your bullet points are complete sentences, periods are generally appropriate. If they are phrases or fragments, periods are often omitted. Whichever approach you choose, apply it consistently throughout your resume.
Similarly, maintain consistency in how you punctuate dates, job titles, and other recurring elements. If you use commas to separate job titles from company names in one entry, use the same approach for all entries.
Number and Date Formatting
Establish consistent conventions for numbers and dates throughout your resume:
- Decide whether to spell out numbers under ten or use numerals for all numbers
- Choose a consistent date format (month/year, abbreviated month with year, etc.)
- Determine how to present ranges (2018-2020, 2018 to 2020, etc.)
- Decide how to format percentages (15%, 15 percent)
Whatever conventions you choose, apply them consistently throughout your document. Inconsistent formatting suggests a lack of attention to detail that may concern potential employers.
Visual Formatting Elements
Maintain consistency in visual formatting elements like:
- Indentation depth
- Line spacing
- Font choices and sizes
- Bold, italic, and underline usage
- Bullet styles and spacing
- Section heading formats
These visual consistency elements create a professional, cohesive document that’s easy to navigate. Inconsistencies in these areas create visual discord that distracts from your qualifications.
Strong writing and impeccable grammar are not merely cosmetic concerns—they directly impact how employers perceive your professionalism, attention to detail, and communication skills. By mastering consistent tense usage, embracing powerful action verbs, eliminating unnecessary words, and maintaining consistent formatting, you create a resume that communicates your qualifications clearly and effectively.
Remember that your resume represents you when you’re not present to explain or clarify. The quality of its writing creates a lasting impression about your capabilities and professionalism. Taking the time to refine these four key writing elements will significantly enhance your resume’s effectiveness and improve your chances of securing interviews.
After completing your resume, set it aside for at least a day before reviewing it with fresh eyes. Consider asking colleagues with strong writing skills to review your document for these specific elements. The time invested in creating clear, powerful, consistent writing will pay dividends throughout your job search by presenting your qualifications in the most favorable light.
Leave a Reply