Career Trends: 3 ways to demonstrate your initiative on your resume

Edition: August 24th, 2021
Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS

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• Excerpts from article by Avery Blank, published on Forbes.com

A resume is an essential tool for job search because it presents your top skills and qualities. How you frame your resume and what information you choose to incorporate is very significant.

If you want your resume to stand out, you need to indicate a specific leadership quality: Initiative.

Show that you create opportunities and don’t wait for someone else to try and fix problems.

Here are 3 ways in which you can clearly demonstrate your initiative on your resume:

1. Use verbs like “initiated” or “drove” 

• The verb “lead” or “led” on a resume is used a lot. Trite words can lessen the impact of your work and your accomplishments.
• Be more descriptive and accurate with your verb choice. Start a bullet point with “initiated” or “drove.”
• Be clear about what you did.
• Don’t miss out on an opportunity to accurately communicate your impact.

2. Indicate self-created roles

• If you created your role, make sure people know.
• Most people are in or have been in roles that existed or that they applied for in response to a job posting.
• Few have created or sought out roles that initially did not exist.
• Demonstrate that you know what you want to do, know where the need is and can make the case to create the role or opportunity.
• This is a skill few have, so it’s an accomplishment that you want to communicate.
• You can write “self-created role” immediately to the right of where you list the job title. Impress the reader with your initiative.

3. Include side projects and hustles

• Don’t discount work that you may have done outside of your full time role.
• If you make the time to commit to doing something outside of your full time job, you demonstrate interest, drive and initiative.
• You show that when you want something, you make the time for it.
• Companies and colleagues want professionals who have a natural instinct to get things done and not wait around.
• Show on your resume that you step up and are proactive with your work and your career.

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(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)

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