What Are Some Action Words to Use on a Resume
Most job seekers' resume work experience sections are filled with words like "responsible for", "tasked with", or "handled". Such passive words don't illustrate what you actually accomplished at work, and using them is an easy way to lose the interest of anyone reading your resume.
Instead, using powerful resume action verbs in your bullet points highlights what you're capable of, showcases your most notable accomplishments, and makes your resume stand out — helping you land more interviews.
Here's our list of powerful resume verbs, categorized by when you would use them:
You increased something positive
From sales to productivity, there are tons of things that companies want to increase. Use the following action verbs to highlight a time you improved something at work:
Improvement action words
| Accrue | Advance |
| Amplify | Bolster |
| Boost | Enhance |
| Enlarge | Energize |
| Expand | Gain |
| Generate | Grow |
| Improve | Increase |
| Inflate | Lift |
| Magnify | Maximize |
| Multiply | Outpace |
| Propel | Raise |
Example
Here's an example of how to work these action verbs into a resume bullet point:
"Boosted website impressions by 14% through new organic SEO efforts"
You reduced something negative
If you managed to save time or money for an employer, use one of these action words:
Reduction action verbs
| Consolidate | Curtail |
| Cut | Decrease |
| Diminish | Drive down |
| Drop | Eliminate |
| Lessen | Lower |
| Minimize | Reduce |
| Save | Shave down |
| Shrink | Slash |
| Trim | Turn down |
Example
"Eliminated redundancies in the production process, cutting delivery time by 15 hours on average for new products"
You communicated effectively with colleagues and customers
From giving a great presentation to winning over clients during a meeting, communication skills are important for nearly any job. Show employers that you're a strong communicator with one of these resume verbs:
Communication action verbs
| Address | Advise |
| Brief | Compose |
| Consult | Converse |
| Convey | Correspond |
| Discuss | Explain |
| Illustrate | Introduce |
| Liaise | Listen |
| Negotiate | Network |
| Persuade | Present |
| Relay | Specify |
| Verbalize | Write |
Example
Here's an example of how to demonstrate your communication prowess with action words in a resume:
"Consulted with clients at each step of the design process to develop unique branding in line with their company values and mission"
You managed projects or people
Whether you supervise a whole team or are in charge of a product, management skills are essential for many jobs. The following action verbs on your resume help show employers that you're management-ready:
Management action verbs
| Administer | Command |
| Conduct | Coordinate |
| Direct | Facilitate |
| Govern | Guide |
| Head | Helm |
| Manage | Mastermind |
| Mobilize | Oversee |
| Pilot | Run |
| Shape | Steer |
| Superintend | Supervise |
Example
Here's an example showing how to use these action verbs in your resume:
"Supervised a team of 15 junior sales associates to organize a new Valentine's Day promotional sale, boosting sales by 70%."
You took the initiative to get something done
If you've made a difference in your workplace by taking the initiative, showcase it on your resume with one of these strong verbs:
Initiative action verbs
| Anticipate | Carryout |
| Commit | Deliver |
| Endeavor | Forecast |
| Handle | Improve |
| Overhaul | Shoulder |
| Spearhead | Specialize |
| Undertake | Volunteer |
Example
Here's how to put initiative-highlighting action verbs to use in your resume:
"Spearheaded a complete overhaul of our seasonal drink menu to fit modern consumer trends, ultimately improving sales by over 40% in October"
You led people to success
Every workplace needs team members with good leadership skills. Showcase those skills on your resume with emphatic action verbs:
Leadership action verbs
| Aid | Appoint |
| Champion | Coach |
| Command | Delegate |
| Designate | Educate |
| Enforce | Enlighten |
| Enlist | Facilitate |
| Foster | Guide |
| Hire | Mentor |
| Mobilize | Nurture |
| Orchestrate | Oversee |
| Supervise | Train |
Example
Here's an example demonstrating how to use strong, leadership-related action verbs in your resume:
"Hired and mentored 8 new servers, making sure that each had a strong understanding of our menu and high expectations for service"
You organized something
From keeping a calendar organized to holding projects together, organizational skills are one of the most in-demand soft skills because of their universal value in the workplace.
Use descriptive action verbs on your resume to show that highlight how you can keep things organized, even in stressful situations:
Organization action verbs
| Accumulate | Allocate |
| Arrange | Chart |
| Classify | Collect |
| Compile | Divert |
| Divide | Document |
| Integrate | Label |
| List | Merge |
| Officiate | Organize |
| Rank | Rate |
| Reorganize | Reposition |
| Research | Standardize |
Example
Here's an example of how to include strong verbs related to organization on your resume:
"Standardized company filing procedure by compiling and relabelling three years of user data, improving efficiency across all departments"
You brought people together
Workplaces need employees who have effective people skills. Prove you're a team player (without using a cliche like "team player") with one of the following actions verbs for your resume:
People skills action words
| Assist | Collaborate |
| Contribute | Cooperate |
| Cultivate | Enable |
| Foster | Guide |
| Involve | Join |
| Meet | Motivate |
| Participate | Reconcile |
| Suggest | Support |
| Unify | Unite |
Example
Here's a sample demonstrating how to put these action verbs to work in your resume and emphasize your team-player capabilities:
"Cultivated lasting relationships with clients, more than doubling the number of repeat customers in 2021"
You achieved something incredible
Completed a project? Broken a sales record? Use these resume power verbs to highlight your accomplishments:
Achievement action verbs
| Accomplish | Debut |
| Earn | Establish |
| Exceed | Execute |
| Outperform | Overcome |
| Produce | Raise |
| Reach | Realize |
| Revitalize | Succeed |
| Surpass | Top |
| Transform | Win |
Example
Here's a sample demonstrating how to use accomplishment-centric action verbs on your resume:
"Outperformed department sales goals by over $6,000 despite the COVID-19 pandemic"
You created a new way of doing things
Creativity and innovation are some of the most valuable soft skills in the modern workplace. Show employers you can develop new ideas with some of these action words:
Innovation action words
| Build | Charter |
| Conceive | Conceptualize |
| Create | Design |
| Devise | Draft |
| Engineer | Formulate |
| Improvise | Invent |
| Launch | Mastermind |
| Pioneer | Revolutionize |
| Spearhead | Unveil |
Example
Here's an example showing how to work action words centered on creativity and innovation into your resume:
"Designed a new email outreach strategy that improved open rates by 15%"
How to use strong action verbs on your resume
To effectively use action verbs in your resume, first identify places where you used passive language such as "responsible for" or generic verbs like "went" or "did" (they're probably in your resume objective or your work experience section). This kind of writing can be easily improved using action verbs.
Then, think about what you accomplished at your job, rather than what you were responsible for. Start each bullet point or sentence with a strong verb that illustrates the actions you took to achieve that particular goal.
Additionally, fill out the rest of your experience section with specific examples of your accomplishments, and use numbers if possible to provide context.
Here's an example of a resume bullet points that uses resume action words (and hard numbers):
"Spearheaded SEO efforts for ABCCorp's website, boosting overall impressions by 32% and clicks by 26%."
Unlike "responsible for" the use of the verb "spearheaded" makes it clear the candidate actually led the work, organized it, and fully understands the impact their work had on the website (in terms of percentages).
In addition to resume action verbs, there are other words for your resume that you can use to improve your application and help convince hiring managers that you're the right person for the job.
For instance, you can include compelling resume adjectives in your experience section, or targeted resume keywords throughout your experience and skills sections to help get your application through corporate hiring software.
Written by Conrad Benz
Conrad Benz is a Digital Media Specialist & Resume Expert at Resume Genius, where he helps countless job-seekers craft standout resumes and launch their careers. His... more
What Are Some Action Words to Use on a Resume
Source: https://resumegenius.com/blog/resume-help/action-verbs