Action verbs for résumés

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In writing résumés and cover letters, often more active, action-oriented, or specific verbs can be helpful for describing job duties and accomplishments. Recruiters and companies will more likely overlook application materials with general verbs or generic expressions, while those with more specific verbs may more likely be noticed by humans looking over job application documents, or by computer algorithms that larger companies may use for screening application materials. Below are lists of helpful verbs that may make a résumé or cover letter more interesting. However, one should also be careful not to overuse these, or to use these in an exaggerated manner. For example, using a more elaborate verb to jazz up a relatively minor accomplishment will come across as fake or insincere. Overusing such verbs in application documents may also sound cliché as well. But when the verb fits, it is probably better to use a more vivid, descriptive, active, or specific verb.

1 Accomplishments

Accelerated
Accomplished
Achieved
Acquired
Acted as
Adopt
Advanced
Amplified
Apply
Arranged
Attained
Boosted
Built
Capitalized
Centralized
Chaired
Charted
Clarified
Closed
Compiled
Completed
Composed
Conserved
Consolidated
Constructed
Converted
Created
Customized
Deciphered
Decreased
Deducted
Delivered
Demonstrated
Deploy
Designed
Developed
Devised
Digitized
Discerned
Drove
Earned
Employ
Enacted
Endeavored
EngageIn
Engineered
Enhanced
Established
Exceeded
Executed
Exert
Expanded
Expedited
Fashioned
Finished
Forged
Formalized
Formed
Formulated
Founded
Furthered
Gained
Generated
Handle
Implemented
Improved
Incorporated
Increased
Initiated
Instituted
Integrated
Introduced
Launched
Lifted
Made
Made Progress On
Maximized
Merged
Mobilize
Modernized
Modified
Navigated
Negotiated
Operate
Operated
Organized
Outpaced
Outperformed
Overcame
Overhauled
Partnered
Perfected
Performed
Pioneered
Pitched
Prepared
Produced
Profited by
Promote
Proposed
Pursued
Put Together
Put to use
Reached
Reconciled
Redesigned
Reduced
Refined
Refocused
Rehabilitated
Remodeled
Reorganized
Replaced
Resorted to
Restore
Restructured
Revamped
Revitalized
Revive
Saved
Secured
Set-Up
Sharpened
Shattered
Showcased
Signed
Simplified
Sourced
Sparked
Spearheaded
Specialized in
Standardized
Steered
Stimulated
Streamlined
Strengthened
Succeeded
Succeeded In
Supervised
Surpassed
Sustained
Targeted
Transformed
Undertook
Updated
Upgraded
Upsold
Won
Yielded

2 Responsibilities

Accelerated
Accomplished
Adapted
Advocated
Aided
Analyzed
Answered
Arranged
Assembled
Assessed
Assisted
Built
Charted
Clarified
Coached
Collaborated
Constructed
Contributed
Cooperated
Coordinated
Counseled
Created
Delivered
Demonstrated
Developed
Diagnosed
Educated
Encouraged
Ensured
Executed
Expanded
Expedited
Facilitated
Familiarized
Finalized
Forged
Furthered
Guided
Handled
Headed
Helped
Implemented
Improved
Increased
Initiated
Instituted
Insured
Intervened
Motivated
Operated
Organized
Prevented
Produced
Provided
Reached
Referred
Rehabilitated
Represented
Resolved
Simplified
Supplied
Supported
Volunteered


3 Communication skills

Advised
Advocated
Answered
Authored
Briefed
Campaigned
Clarified
Coached
Coauthored
Collaborated
Composed
Conveyed
Convinced
Corresponded
Counseled
Critiqued
Defined
Demonstrated
Documented
Drafted
Edited
Educated
Enlivened
Fielded
Gathered
Guided
Illustrated
Informed
Instructed
Interpreted
Intervened
Lobbied
Motivated
Outlined
Performed
Persuaded
Referred
Resolved
Reviewed
Spoke
Trained
Wrote


4 Creative experience

Accelerated
Accomplished
Acted
Adapted
Analyzed
Applied
Assembled
Authored
Brainstormed
Built
Charted
Combined
Communicated
Composed
Conceptualized
Condensed
Constructed
Coordinated
Created
Curated
Customized
Delivered
Derived
Designed
Determined
Developed
Devised
Diagramed
Directed
Displayed
Drafted
Edited
Entertained
Established
Executed
Expanded
Facilitated
Fashioned
Finalized
Forged
Formulated
Founded
Guided
Handled
Headed
Illustrated
Imagined
Implemented
Improved
Increased
Influenced
Initiated
Inspired
Instituted
Integrated
Intensified
Introduced
Invented
Launched
Modeled
Operated
Organized
Originated
Patched
Performed
Photographed
Piloted
Planned
Produced
Proofread
Published
Reached
Redesigned
Researched
Revised
Revitalized
Shaped
Simplified
Solved
Spearheaded
Storyboarded
Strategized
Transformed
Translated
Visualized
Volunteered
Wrote


5 Management & leadership

Accelerated
Accomplished
Achieved
Administered
Advised
Aided
Aligned
Analyzed
Arranged
Assembled
Assisted
Attained
Augmented
Built
Centralized
Chaired
Championed
Charted
Conserved
Constructed
Contributed
Coordinated
Created
Cultivated
Delegated
Delivered
Developed
Differentiated
Directed
Displayed
Empowered
Enabled
Endorsed
Enforced
Ensured
Evaluated
Executed
Expanded
Facilitated
Finalized
Forecasted
Forged
Formalized
Formed
Fostered
Furthered
Guided
Handled
Headed
Hired
Identified
Implemented
Improved
Increased
Initiated
Instituted
Instructed
Integrated
Launched
Leveraged
Maintained
Managed
Mentored
Merged
Mobilized
Modeled
Motivated
Operated
Optimized
Orchestrated
Organized
Oversaw
Performed
Pioneered
Planned
Predicted
Produced
Programmed
Provided
Reached
Reconciled
Recruited
Reduced
Refined
Refocused
Regulated
Renovated
Reorganized
Replaced
Resolved
Restructured
Revitalized
Shaped
Spearheaded
Standardized
Strengthened
Supervised
Sustained
Taught
Trained
Unified
Volunteered

6 Management & planning

Accelerated
Achieved
Adjudicated
Adjusted
Administered
Advanced
Allocated
Amplified
Amplify
Analyzed
Appraised
Assembled
Assessed
Audited
Authorized
Balanced
Blocked
Boosted
Budgeted
Calculated
Capitalized
Computed
Conducted
Conserved
Consolidated
Controlled
Convert
Converted
Corrected
Critiqued
Customized
Debugged
Decreased
Deducted
Delivered
Determined
Developed
Diagnosed
Dispatched
Elaborated
Enforced
Enhanced
Ensured
Established
Estimated
Expanded
Expedited
Fielded
Fixed
Forecasted
Furthered
Gained
Generated
Grew
Guided
Identified
Improved
Increased
Inspected
Integrated
Intervened
Invented
Itemized
Lessened
Lifted
Managed
Marketed
Maximized
Measured
Merged
Monitored
Netted
Organized
Outpaced
Overhauled
Planned
Prepared
Programmed
Projected
Proved
Qualified
Raised
Rebuilt
Reconciled
Rectified
Redesigned
Reduced
Referred
Refined
Remodeled
Reorganized
Researched
Resolved
Restructured
Retrieved
Revamped
Reviewed
Saved
Screened
Scrutinized
Slashed
Solved
Stimulated
Streamlined
Strengthened
Sustained
Tested
Tracked
Updated
Upgraded
Verified
Yielded


7 Collaboration & teamwork

Adapted
Advised
Advocated
Aided
Answered
Assisted
Chaired
Clarified
Coached
Collaborated
Communicated
Conducted
Consulted
Contributed
Coordinated
Corresponded
Counseled
Critiqued
Defined
Delegated
Demonstrated
Developed
Displayed
Educated
Enabled
Encouraged
Evaluated
Explained
Facilitated
Fielded
Focused
Fostered
Gathered
Guided
Individualized
Informed
Inspired
Installed
Instructed
Interpreted
Intervened
Launched
Mentored
Modeled
Motivated
Performed
Persuaded
Pioneered
Provided
Publicized
Recommended
Referred
Regulated
Resolved
Simulated
Stimulated
Supervised
Supported
Taught
Tested
Trained
Transmitted
Tutored
Volunteered


8 Sales or finance

Acquired
Audited
Boosted
Budgeted
Calculated
Captured
Classified
Collected
Conserved
Converted
Dispensed
Earned
Equalized
Evaluated
Gained
Generated
Halted
Investigated
Lowered
Maintained
Maximized
Minimized
Negotiated
Outpaced
Recognized
Secured
Won
Yielded

9 Research & analysis

Accelerated
Accomplished
Adapted
Analyzed
Applied
Assembled
Assessed
Audited
Budgeted
Built
Calculated
Charted
Checked
Clarified
Compiled
Condensed
Conducted
Constructed
Convert
Converted
Coordinated
Corrected
Crafted
Created
Critiqued
Customized
Debugged
Delivered
Detected
Developed
Diagnosed
Discovered
Documented
Established
Estimated
Evaluated
Examined
Executed
Expanded
Experimented
Explored
Facilitated
Fashioned
Finalized
Fixed
Forecasted
Forged
Guided
Handled
Headed
Identified
Implemented
Improved
Increased
Initiated
Instituted
Integrated
Interpreted
Interviewed
Invented
Inventoried
Investigated
Lessened
Mapped
Measured
Modeled
Modified
Operated
Organized
Overhauled
Patched
Piloted
Prioritized
Probed
Produced
Programmed
Projected
Proved
Qualified
Quantified
Reached
Rebuilt
Recommended
Reconciled
Recorded
Rectified
Remodeled
Reported
Reviewed
Revitalized
Searched
Shaped
Simplified
Solved
Streamlined
Studied
Surveyed
Tested
Tracked
Upgraded
Verified
Visualized
Volunteered

10 Technical experience

Adapted
Advanced
Applied
Architected
Assembled
Automated
Built
Calculated
Coded
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
Overhauled
Planned
Printed
Programmed
Rectified
Refined
Regulated
Remodeled
Repaired
Replaced
Restored
Rewrote
Solved
Specialized
Standardized
Studied
Tested
Troubleshoot
Updated
Upgraded
Utilized