Describing duties in your CV: convince with action verbs and results
“Responsible for …” appears in almost every CV. Describing tasks with strong verbs and measurable results makes you stand out with recruiters and in the ATS.
Work experience is the most important part of your CV. Recruiters read here what you actually did and achieved – usually in seconds.
At the same time, ATS software scans these sections for keywords from the job ad. Good descriptions serve both: clear language for people, relevant terms for software.
The formula: verb + task + result
- Start with an action verb in the past tense (present for your current role)
- Name the task concretely, including tools or methods
- Make the result measurable: number, time frame, scope
- 3 to 5 bullets per role, most important first
Before and after
Before
“Responsible for social media and campaigns.”
Passive, no tools, no result.
After
“Designed and managed paid social campaigns on LinkedIn and Meta; cut cost per lead by 28% within 6 months.”
Active, keyword-rich and with a measurable result.
Strong action verbs by area
| Area | Action verbs |
|---|---|
| Leadership | led, coordinated, owned, built, developed |
| Analysis | analysed, assessed, identified, reviewed, modelled |
| Delivery | implemented, introduced, executed, automated, migrated |
| Improvement | optimised, reduced, increased, accelerated, simplified |
| Communication | presented, negotiated, advised, trained, facilitated |
| Nursing/Medicine | cared for, documented, supported, monitored, supervised |
Examples from different professions
- Software development: Built REST APIs with Node.js and cut load times by 40%
- Nursing: Cared for up to 12 ICU patients daily and documented in SAP IS-H
- Sales: Won 18 new B2B clients and increased revenue by €350,000
- Accounting: Prepared monthly and annual financial statements under HGB with DATEV
- Engineering: Designed assemblies in SolidWorks and reduced material costs by 12%
- Project management: Ran 5 parallel Scrum projects with budgets up to €1.2m
Don't invent numbers
Only use results you can back up in an interview. Where no figures exist, describe scope or impact: number of clients, team size, frequency.
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Common mistakes
- Copying duties from your old job description
- Listing responsibilities instead of results
- Too many bullets for old or irrelevant roles
- Not using terms from the job ad
- Full sentences with “I” instead of concise bullets
- Mixing tenses within one role
FAQ
How many bullets per role?
Three to five for current and relevant roles, one or two for older ones.
Present or past tense?
Present for your current role, past for earlier ones – or a consistent noun style throughout.
What if I have no measurable results?
Describe scope, responsibility and impact, such as team size, number of clients or processes introduced.
Should I reuse wording from the job ad?
Yes, if it is true for you. That helps the ATS find matching keywords.
Read on
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