140+ Action Verbs to Energize Your Resume (Words Examples)

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.

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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:

1. Oversaw
2. Conceptualized
3. Streamlined
4. Mentored
5. Tutored
6. Critiqued
7. Advised
8. Familiarized
9. Guided
10. Organized
11. Arranged
12. Assembled
13. Shaped
14. Counseled
15. Conducted
16. Planned
17. Recruited
18. Supervised
19. Managed
20. 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.

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:

1. Clarified
2. Refined
3. Refocused
4. Redesigned
5. Overhauled
6. Remodeled
7. Reorganized
8. Transformed
9. Strengthened
10. Updated
11. Upgraded
12. Replaced
13. Budgeted
14. Delegated
15. Consolidated
16. Catalogued
17. Grouped
18. Tested
19. Verified
20. 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:

1. Analyzed
2. Investigated
3. Researched
4. Forecasted
5. Measured
6. Modeled
7. Projected
8. Monitored
9. Anticipated
10. Assessed
11. Compared
12. Detected
13. Evaluated
14. Reported
15. Verified
16. Surveyed
17. Measured
18. Computed
19. Tracked
20. 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:

1. Authored
2. Presented
3. Edited
4. Drafted
5. Outlined
6. Counseled
7. Composed
8. Campaigned
9. Wrote
10. Articulated
11. Spoke
12. Rewrote
13. Refined
14. Responded
15. Reported
16. Represented
17. Publicized
18. Created
19. Illustrated
20. 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:

1. Completed
2. Won
3. Outperformed
4. Showcased
5. Finished
6. Demonstrated
7. Exceeded
8. Reached
9. Accelerated
10. Accomplished
11. Acquired
12. Delegated
13. Designed
14. Developed
15. Encouraged
16. Targeted
17. Reduced
18. Shaped
19. Simplified
20. 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:

1. Designed
2. Conceptualized
3. Devised
4. Drafted
5. Sketched
6. Visualized
7. Originated
8. Drew
9. Enhanced
10. Created
11. Composed
12. Brainstormed
13. Captured
14. Crafted
15. Wrote
16. Invented
17. Innovated
18. Showcased
19. Graphed
20. 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:

1. Increased
2. Improved
3. Proposed
4. Interviewed
5. Generated
6. Decreased
7. Coordinated
8. Operated
9. Helped
10. Transcribed
11. Collected
12. Calculated
13. Offered
14. Processed
15. Monitored
16. Recorded
17. Streamlined
18. Solved
19. Verified
20. 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:

1. Adapted
2. Accommodated
3. Interacted
4. Taught
5. Guided
6. Advocated
7. Counseled
8. Arranged
9. Encouraged
10. Implemented
11. Conducted
12. Demonstrated
13. Compelled
14. Prepared
15. Prepped
16. Facilitated
17. Clarified
18. Evaluated
19. Executed
20. 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.

1. Tested
2. Engineered
3. Maintained
4. Scheduled
5. Installed
6. Deployed
7. Restructured
8. Introduced
9. Consolidated
10. Unified
11. Drove
12. Contracted
13. Trained
14. Procured
15. Supported
16. Refurbished
17. Coached
18. Modeled
19. Balanced
20. 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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