Writing stronger responsibility lists
Build an impressive resume
Writing stronger responsibility lists
Writing stronger responsibility lists
5 minutes
Showcase your fit for a role through strong responsibility statements. These three guidelines will help you capture the attention of both the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and the hiring manager, so you’re more likely to be shortlisted rather than screened out.
1. Use bullet points
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Research shows that using bullet points is a more effective way to reach a broader audience and guide them to the most important elements of your resume. Rather than writing paragraphs, create concise and meaningful sentences that provide context around your key responsibilities.
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You don’t need a long list of tasks for each role. Be selective with including the responsibilities that really highlight your fit for the role (and what you enjoyed doing).
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Choose the right verb tense in writing your job responsibilities. For current roles, use the present tense. For previous roles, use the past tense instead.
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The same verb tense rules apply to accomplishments. For past/completed accomplishments, use past tense. For ongoing projects expected to be achievements, use present tense (with initial results, if possible).
Tip: Avoid using &, > or + opting instead for ‘and’, ‘greater than’, ‘less than’ and ‘over 200’ as special characters confuse resume parsers.
2. Mirror skills and keywords from the job ad
Mirroring the keywords and terminology used in the job ad is the most effective and easiest way to demonstrate your fit for the role.
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) find and filter candidates based on their relevance to the role. By incorporating keywords related to functions, skills and tasks, you’ll increase your alignment with these systems.
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) find and filter candidates based on their relevance to the role. By incorporating keywords related to functions, skills and tasks, you’ll increase your alignment with these systems.
Tip: In mirroring the job ad’s keywords, it’s important to be exact. For example, if the job ad uses the term ‘client’, use ‘client’ instead of ‘customer’ in your resume.
3. Highlight your responsibilities and tasks that are most relevant for the job
Employers and recruiters provide all the information needed to create a highly targeted and effective resume. Pay attention to what organisations highlight in their job ads, position descriptions, and on company websites. To better tailor your applications, take a look a sections referring to organisational values
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Look out for role functions, skills and technologies that they either mention first or multiple times throughout the job ad
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When customising each resume, cross reference the job ad and ensure that you have prioritised your Key Responsibilities according to what the job ad has prioritised.
Tip: If the job description mentions something you left out because you thought it was obvious, make sure to include it. Do not assume anything. The ATS looks for those exact keywords.
Your resume is your key to landing a job interview. With stronger responsibility lists, you show how well your experience fits the role you're interested in and increase your likelihood of passing through an ATS.
Check out these examples of strong responsibility statements.
Check out these examples of strong responsibility statements.
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jobaccelerator