Transform Your Resume with the Power of Action Verbs
Your resume is more than just a document; it’s a personal narrative that showcases your professional journey. The words you choose to tell this story are crucial, and none more so than action verbs.
What are Action Verbs?
Action verbs are dynamic words that bring your professional experiences to life. They describe the actions you’ve taken, the responsibilities you’ve shouldered, and the results you’ve achieved. Words like “managed”, “led”, “organized”, “developed”, “analyzed”, “designed”, “implemented”, “negotiated”, “presented”, “optimized” are all examples of action verbs.
Why Use Action Verbs in Your Resume?
Showcase Your Skills and Accomplishments: Action verbs allow you to vividly illustrate your skills and achievements. For example, saying you “increased sales by 20% by implementing a new marketing strategy” is far more impactful than merely stating “was responsible for increasing sales”.
Stand Out from the Crowd: Hiring managers sift through countless resumes. Using compelling action verbs can make yours stand out, catching the hiring manager’s attention.
Demonstrate Results-Orientation: Companies value employees who deliver results. Action verbs like “achieved”, “increased”, “reduced”, “improved”, or “saved” highlight your ability to drive results.
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Action Verbs Examples
Communication Action Verbs
Accounted
Addressed
Addresses
Advertised
Advised
Arbitrated
Arranged
Articulated
Assisted
Authored
Clarified
Coached
Collaborated
Communicated
Composed
Condensed
Conferred
Consulted
Contacted
Conveyed
Convinced
Corresponded
Counseled
Debated
Defined
Delivered
Demonstrated
Described
Developed
Directed
Disciplined
Documented
Drafted
Edited
Energized
Enlisted
Formulated
Incorporated
Influenced
Interacted
Interpreted
Interviewed
Involved
Joined
Judged
Lectured
Liaised
Listened
Marketed
Mediated
Moderated
Negotiated
Observed
Outlined
Participated
Persuaded
Presented
Promoted
Proposed
Publicized
Reconciled
Recruited
Referred
Reinforced
Reported
Resolved
Responded
Rewrote
Spoke
Suggested
Synthesized
Translated
Verbalized
Wrote
Creativity and Problem-Solving Action Verbs
Acted
Adapted
Began
Combined
Composed
Composed
Conceived
Conceptualized
Condensed
Created
Created
Customized
Customized
Designed
Developed
Developed
Directed
Directed
Displayed
Drew
Entertained
Established
Fashioned
Fashioned
Formulated
Founded
Founded
Illustrated
Initiated
Initiated
Instituted
Instituted
Integrated
Introduced
Introduced
Invented
Invented
Modeled
Originated
Performed
Performed
Photographed
Planned
Planned
Published
Redesigned
Revised
Revised
Revitalized
Shaped
Shaped
Solved
Visualized
Finance Action Verbs
Accounted
Adjusted
Administered
Allocated
Analyzed
Appraised
Articulated
Assessed
Audited
Authored
Balanced
Budgeted
Calculated
Chartered
Classified
Collected
Compared
Computed
Conserved
Consolidated
Corrected
Determined
Developed
Dispensed
Entered
Equalized
Estimated
Evaluated
Filed
Financed
Forecasted
Halted
Investigated
Logged
Lowered
Maintained
Managed
Marketed
Maximized
Measured
Minimized
Netted
Planned
Prepared
Programmed
Projected
Published
Qualified
Recognized
Reconciled
Reduced
Researched
Retrieved
Secured
Summarized
Tabulated
Transmitted
Typed
Helping Action Verbs
Expedited
Facilitated
Familiarized
Furthered
Guided
Helped
Insured
Intervened
Motivated
Prevented
Provided
Referred
Rehabilitated
Represented
Resolved
Simplified
Supplied
Supported
Volunteered
Leadership Action Words
Accomplished
Achieved
Administered
Advised
Aligned
Analyzed
Appointed
Approved
Arranged
Assigned
Attained
Augmented
Authorized
Centralized
Chaired
Championed
Considered
Consolidated
Contracted
Controlled
Converted
Coordinated
Cultivated
Decided
Delegated
Developed
Differentiated
Directed
Earned
Eliminated
Emphasized
Empowered
Enabled
Endorsed
Enforced
Enhanced
Ensured
Established
Evaluated
Executed
Forecasted
Formalized
Formed
Fostered
Furthered
Generated
Handled
Headed
Hired
Hosted
Identified
Impacted
Implemented
Improved
Incorporated
Increased
Initiated
Inspected
Instituted
Integrated
Led
Leveraged
Managed
Mastered
Mentored
Merged
Motivated
Navigated
Optimized
Orchestrated
Organized
Originated
Overhauled
Oversaw
Planned
Predicted
Presided
Prioritized
Produced
Proved
Recommended
Reconciled
Reduced
Refocused
Regulated
Renovated
Reorganized
Replaced
Resolved
Restored
Restructured
Reviewed
Revitalized
Scheduled
Secured
Selected
Shaped
Spearheaded
Streamlined
Strengthened
Supervised
Surpassed
Sustained
Terminated
Trained
Organizational Action Words
Accelerated
Added
Approved
Arranged
Broadened
Cataloged
Categorized
Centralized
Changed
Charted
Classified
Coded
Collected
Compiled
Completed
Controlled
Corrected
Corresponded
Defined
Dispatched
Distributed
Executed
Expanded
Filed
Gained
Gathered
Generated
Implemented
Incorporated
Inspected
Launched
Logged
Maintained
Monitored
Obtained
Operated
Ordered
Organized
Prepared
Processed
Provided
Purchased
Recorded
Reduced
Registered
Reinforced
Reserved
Responded
Retrieved
Reviewed
Routed
Scheduled
Screened
Selected
Set Up
Simplified
Sold
Specified
Standardized
Steered
Structured
Submitted
Supplied
Systematized
Tabulated
Unified
Updated
Utilized
Validated
Verified
Researched Skills Action Words
Analyzed
Clarified
Collected
Compared
Conducted
Critiqued
Detected
Determined
Diagnosed
Evaluated
Examined
Experimented
Explored
Extracted
Formulated
Gathered
Identified
Inspected
Interviewed
Invented
Investigated
Located
Measured
Organized
Researched
Reviewed
Searched
Solved
Summarized
Surveyed
Systematized
Tested
Sales Action Words
Acquired
Boosted
Captured
Conserved
Converted
Earned
Gained
Generated
Maximized
Negotiated
Outpaced
Won
Yielded
Teaching Skills Action Words
Adapted
Advised
Clarified
Coached
Communicated
Conducted
Coordinated
Critiqued
Developed
Enabled
Encouraged
Evaluated
Explained
Facilitated
Focused
Guided
Individualized
Informed
Instilled
Instructed
Motivated
Persuaded
Simulated
Stimulated
Taught
Tested
Trained
Transmitted
Tutored
Technical Skills Action Words
Adapted
Advanced
Applied
Architected
Assembled
Automated
Built
Calculated
Coded
Compared
Computed
Conserved
Constructed
Converted
Debugged
Deployed
Designed
Detected
Determined
Developed
Devised
Diagnosed
Discovered
Engineered
Enhanced
Expedited
Fabricated
Formulated
Fortified
Installed
Launched
Maintained
Modified
Networked
Operated
Optimized
Overhauled
Planned
Printed
Programmed
Rectified
Refined
Regulated
Remodeled
Repaired
Replaced
Restored
Rewrote
Solved
Specialized
Standardized
Streamlined
Studied
Tested
Troubleshoot
Updated
Upgraded
Utilized
Teamwork Action Words
Blended
Co-authored
Collaborated
Cooperated
Coproduced
Forged
Gathered
Joined
Merged
Partnered
Teamed (up)
United
Wove
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