Should I Write My Resume in Past or Present Tense

Should I Write My Resume in Past or Present TenseShould I Write My Resume in Past or Present Tense?Should I Write My Resume in Past or Present TenseLets talk about verb tenses past, present, and future. Only two of these should ever be used on your resume, and future isnt one of them.Confused yet? Heres a grammar refresherPast tense verbs express actions that already happened, and they usually end in -ed (except the funky ones like ran or made)Example Organized and analyzed data obtained during testing.Present tense verbs refer to current or ongoing actionseither something youre doing right now, or that you do repeatedlyExample Develop studienplan for K-12 environmental program.But how do I know what tense to use in my resume?Its simple If youre employed and writing about the responsibilities and accomplishments in your present job, use the present tense. If youre writing about a past job, use past tense.See? Easy-peasy.But wait Heres a curve ball What if your current job involves a responsibility that you no longer have? Like hiring seven new staff members? You accomplished that goal, but technically you cant describe it in the present tense because youre no longer performing that duty.So now what do you do? One option is to write your everyday responsibilities in present tense and your accomplishments in past tense. In this case, make sure all of your current responsibilities are followed by your past accomplishments for that position. Heres what that might look likeCreate and maintain quarterly department reportsManage product engineering and development processHired and trained 7 staff membersDeveloped new task management system that increased productivity 25%When in doubt...The simplest option is to put everything in past tense (yes, even your current responsibilities). After all, if youre an active job seeker, youre ready to put that current job in the past and make your next career move, so you might as well start with your resume.But whatever you do, th e key is to be consistent throughout the entire resume. Random mixing and matching of verb tenses is a resume dont.