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Use your resume power verbs wisely
When you write a resume, it’s important to feature the right skills and qualifications, but you should pay special attention to your words. Hiring managers don’t just care about what you’ve done in the past; they also care about how you talk about it. That’s where resume verbs come in!
To help your professional resume template stand out, on this page we will:
- Give you a full understanding of how to use resume verbs.
- Provide resume power verbs you can use to cover a variety of job situations and achievements.
- Give you a list of relevant words to replace the tired catchphrases most job seekers use on their resumes.
Resources for Your Next Career Move
- 4 Ways to Quantify Your Resume Accomplishments
- ATS Resume
- Bad Resume Examples
- Does Formatting Matter
- Does Design Matter
- Eye-Catching Resume
- How to Make a Resume
- How to Personalize a Resume
- LinkedIn Resume
- Make Your Resume Stand Out
- Resume Basics
- Resume Check
- Resume Cover Page
- Resume Dos and Don’ts
- How Far Back to Go On a Resume
- Resume Tense to Use
Explore our complete resume examples selection for tips and resources tailored to every career path.
What are resume action verbs?
Resume action verbs used to highlight strengths on your resume. You can use them in your resume summary or resume objective, and work experience sections.
Action verbs remove the need for personal pronouns like I & me or my, they make your statements stronger and more straightforward, and they allow you to talk about your technical skills, hard skills and soft skills in different ways.
For example, say you’re a customer service professional writing a bullet point in your work history section; instead of saying “Was responsible for taking phone calls” a verb like “answered” will strengthen your statement so that you could write instead, “Answered an average of 40 incoming calls per day.” Notice how using an action verb gives a stronger impression, showing you’re fully in charge of your responsibilities and achievements.
Or imagine you’re a software developer and want to tell the recruiter how many people you worked with on projects. Instead of writing “I worked with six people to successfully launch new apps,” you could say, “Collaborated with six people across departments to successfully launch new apps.”
How do you use action verbs in a resume?
Here are a few resume writing tips to properly use action verbs:
Look at resume examples from your field.
Looking at resumes related to your career or industry is a great way to get inspiration. They can give you an idea of industry-specific verbs you can use and provide an excellent foundation for your resume.
Tailor your resume to the job description.
Beyond giving you instructions on how and where to submit your resume, the job posting should serve as a guide to determine what skills and work accomplishments you should highlight. Including some of these keywords in your resume will also help make it past the applicant tracking systems (ATS) employers use to determine which action verbs you used.
For example, if the job stresses financial analysis, you’ll likely use action verbs like analyzed, organized, budgeted and oversaw.
Keep your phrases concise.
Get straight to the point in your statements and make sure the wording you’re using matches the action verb. “Facilitated patient screening for 100+ bed hospital” is more impactful than “I was responsible for screening patients for a hospital with 100 beds,” and also gives you more room on your resume to add other major qualifications and skills.
Pack an extra punch with quantifiable metrics.
Ensure your action verbs are extra powerful by combining them with a number. So instead of just saying “Tasked with editing articles,” you should say, “Edited an average of eight articles a day.”
Action verbs to use: group and project management
If you managed a project and have management skills or leadership skills that are important for the job, here are some powerful action verbs you can use:
- Oversaw
- Conceptualized
- Streamlined
- Mentored
- Tutored
- Critiqued
- Advised
- Familiarized
- Guided
- Organized
- Arranged
- Assembled
- Shaped
- Counseled
- Conducted
- Planned
- Recruited
- Supervised
- Managed
- Trained
Example of power words in action:
For the job of an account executive:
- Streamlined conversation between agency and seven clients to successfully navigate marketing campaigns.
Stand Out with a Professional Resume!

Action verbs to use: problem-solving
Do problem-solving skills come naturally to you? Here are other words you can use in your resume to show potential employers:
- Clarified
- Refined
- Refocused
- Redesigned
- Overhauled
- Remodeled
- Reorganized
- Transformed
- Strengthened
- Updated
- Upgraded
- Replaced
- Budgeted
- Delegated
- Consolidated
- Catalogued
- Grouped
- Tested
- Verified
- Improved
Example of power words in action:
For a programmer resume:
- Updated internal servers every month and increased performance by 50%.
Action verbs to use: analysis
If you had to actively use your research skills or analyze numbers and the competition, mix up your wording by including some of the following resume action verbs:
- Analyzed
- Investigated
- Researched
- Forecasted
- Measured
- Modeled
- Projected
- Monitored
- Anticipated
- Assessed
- Compared
- Detected
- Evaluated
- Reported
- Verified
- Surveyed
- Measured
- Computed
- Tracked
- Identified
Example of power words in action:
For the job of a research assistant:
- Analyzed new data and compared it to data found in previous research to determine new course of action.
Action verbs to use: communication
If there’s one universal soft skill that is needed in every single job, regardless of industry, it would be communication skills. Here are some action verbs that express good verbal and written communication skills:
- Authored
- Presented
- Edited
- Drafted
- Outlined
- Counseled
- Composed
- Campaigned
- Wrote
- Articulated
- Spoke
- Rewrote
- Refined
- Responded
- Reported
- Represented
- Publicized
- Created
- Illustrated
- Documented
Example of power words in action:
For the job of a copywriter:
- Wrote a total of eight unique and original campaign slogans for agency’s major clients.
Action verbs to use: achievements
Did you accomplish something big at work? Did you successfully complete a project? These are all important snippets that you should include in your resume’s work experience section, with power words like:
- Completed
- Won
- Outperformed
- Showcased
- Finished
- Demonstrated
- Exceeded
- Reached
- Accelerated
- Accomplished
- Acquired
- Delegated
- Designed
- Developed
- Encouraged
- Targeted
- Reduced
- Shaped
- Simplified
- Solved
Example of power words in action:
For the job of a car salesman:
- Exceeded monthly sales goal by 80%, selling a total of 10 units.
Action verbs to use: creativity
If you were tasked with using imagination and innovative thinking, here’s a list of strong action verbs you can use on your resume to show employers your creative resume skills:
- Designed
- Conceptualized
- Devised
- Drafted
- Sketched
- Visualized
- Originated
- Drew
- Enhanced
- Created
- Composed
- Brainstormed
- Captured
- Crafted
- Wrote
- Invented
- Innovated
- Showcased
- Graphed
- Storyboarded
Example of power words in action:
For the job of a graphic designer:
- Designed over 20 social media posts per month for Facebook and Instagram.
Action verbs to use: customer support
Knowing how to give excellent customer service is a skill that more and more employers are requiring. Here are several action verbs to convey your sales experience and ability to provide great customer support:
- Increased
- Improved
- Proposed
- Interviewed
- Generated
- Decreased
- Coordinated
- Operated
- Helped
- Transcribed
- Collected
- Calculated
- Offered
- Processed
- Monitored
- Recorded
- Streamlined
- Solved
- Verified
- Reduced
Example of power words in action:
For the job of a sales associate:
- Offered strong customer support that boosted sales by 15%.
Action verbs to use: teaching
As a teacher, you’re bound to wear many hats throughout your career. Here’s a list of the right words to portray your highly valuable skills and professional experience:
- Adapted
- Accommodated
- Interacted
- Taught
- Guided
- Advocated
- Counseled
- Arranged
- Encouraged
- Implemented
- Conducted
- Demonstrated
- Compelled
- Prepared
- Prepped
- Facilitated
- Clarified
- Evaluated
- Executed
- Reported
Example of power words in action:
For the job of an English teacher:
- Evaluated student progress and modified instructions according to student needs, increasing academic performance by 60%.
Action verbs to use: technical
Does your job require you to possess highly specialized technical skills? Resume power adjectives for the tech industry will convey that you’re a results-driven professional who knows how to get the job done.
- Tested
- Engineered
- Maintained
- Scheduled
- Installed
- Deployed
- Restructured
- Introduced
- Consolidated
- Unified
- Drove
- Contracted
- Trained
- Procured
- Supported
- Refurbished
- Coached
- Modeled
- Balanced
- Delegated
Example of power words in action:
For the job of a game designer:
- Modeled and created over 100 levels for various Sci-Fi and Fantasy Action-RPG games.
Synonyms for overused words
Nailing down how to write a resume can be tough when you’re not sure what words to use to substitute generic words and phrases. Not to worry! Here are synonyms for overused resume words that you can use:
- “Responsible for…”
- Created
- Produced
- Executed
- Achieved
- Accomplished
- “Tasked with…”
- Prepared
- Fashioned
- Developed
- Constructed
- Composed
- “Worked on…”
- Arranged
- Navigated
- Forged
- Organized
- Pursued
- “Improved…”
- Boosted
- Customized
- Redesigned
- Refined
- Integrated
- “Managed…”
- Directed
- Guided
- Shaped
- Supervised
- Piloted
- “Served…”
- Administered
- Offered
- Provided
- Dispatched
- Brought
- “Assisted…”
- Aided
- Facilitated
- Supported
- Cooperated
- Collaborated
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Our editorial team at ResumeHelp carefully reviews each article to ensure it meets our high-quality standards and aligns with current industry trends. We are committed to providing reliable, expert-driven career guidance that empowers job seekers worldwide. Our advice is supported by research and industry standards, which is why ResumeHelp is trusted and positively reviewed by thousands of users. See our editorial guidelines to learn how diligently we review each piece of content.
FAQ: Resume action verbs
Have questions? We’re here to help.
How can I make sure I’m not being overly flashy with my action verbs?
Even action verbs can be carried too far. Check our resume examples and resume templates for how to best use action verbs and hold back from being too casual or “colorful.”
For instance, you wouldn’t want to use words like “destroyed” or “smashed,” even if you’re using them in a positive context. Not only do these words very rarely actually provide anything extra to your resume but they can also be read in a negative light rather than a positive one.
Saying “Systematized paperwork submission processes” is much more effective than saying “Destroyed paperwork issues at previous workplace.” The second reads very unprofessionally, but the first gives helpful information.
What are keywords in a resume?
Unlike power verbs, keywords are certain words that you’ll find in the job description during your job search that tell you the specific skills and experiences an employer is looking for. These words will be picked up by applicant tracking systems (ATS) employers often use to scan resumes and make sure you’re qualified for a specific job.
Resume action verbs, on the other hand, describe how you do certain things in your job (e.g., “Oversaw production line of 50 employees”). Both words you’ll use all throughout your resume, but one of them helps with ATS and the other helps when it actually gets to a hiring manager.
What is a list of action verbs?
Here are some bullet points with powerful resume verbs you can use:
- Directed
- Oversaw
- Managed
- Pioneered
- Cataloged
- Quantified
- Computed
- Critiqued
- Systemized
- Streamlined
- Debugged
- Organized
- Facilitated
- Furthered
- Arbitrated
- Mediated
What action verb you use will depend on the job you are applying for and the industry. It’s important to add them to your resume to give the recruiters and hiring managers the impression that you’re a proactive and energetic professional.
What are some not-so-good resume action verbs?
Words can have the power to make or break a resume, so it’s crucial that you choose the right action verbs. Some weak resume words to avoid include:
- Worked
- Made
- Studied
- Took
- Showed
- Said
- Watched
- Tried
As you can see, the words mentioned above are generic and vague. They don’t paint a clear picture of what you did or your impact and may result in a bland resume that leaves hiring managers desiring more.
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