The document provides instructions for creating bullet points for a resume or career profile using power verbs and answers to journalistic questions. Specifically, it instructs the user to: 1) Select a power verb from a career development guide; 2) Answer the journalistic questions of what, who, where, when, and why to describe a task or accomplishment; 3) Begin each bullet point with the power verb followed by relevant answers to the journalistic questions to concisely describe the task or accomplishment.

1. 1. Select a power verb from the Career Development Guide (or elsewhere).
2. Answer the journalistic questions:
What? (e.g., What duties did you perform?)
Who? (e.g., With whom did you work?)
Where? (e.g., Where did your job fit into the organization?)
When? (e.g., What timelines were you working under?)
Why? (e.g., What goals were you trying to accomplish?)
How? (e.g., What procedures did you follow?)
3. Next, begin your bullet with the power verb (not with “I” or as a completed sentence) and
mash that together with the answers to the journalistic questions in a way that makes sense.
There are many different ways to do this. You do not have to use all the answers to the
questions—only the answers that add value. If everything adds value but seems like it might
be TMI for one bullet, you can make two or three bullets using the answers. Do this for each
bullet so that you can identify the most pertinent information.
Mash-Up Game
Bonus Information:
• Use varied power verbs to show creativity and appeal to
prototypes/word associations.
• Use a past-tense power verbs if you are no longer engaging in a
past task/accomplishment.
• Use quantitative figures or descriptors that indicate how often
(daily), how many, or how much.
Power Verb & Answers to Journalistic Questions