Maximize Your Impact: 205 Action Verbs to Use on Your Resume

So you’re moving connected your resume. Maybe you haven’t submitted your updated resume anyplace yet, aliases possibly you have, and it doesn’t look to get anyone’s attention. Either way, you mightiness beryllium missing 1 of nan astir important elements of immoderate resume: Action verbs.

If you’re unfamiliar pinch action verbs, you mightiness wonderment really they’re different from those connected your resume. If that’s nan case, this article has immoderate captious accusation you don’t want to miss.

The champion part? Even if your resume is 100% complete correct now, adding action verbs is arsenic elemental arsenic replacing existing verbs pinch them. Keep reference to study much astir nan champion action verbs for your resume and really overmuch you mightiness miss retired connected without them.

Table of Contents

• How Action Verbs Help Your Resume
• The Benefits of Action Verbs
• Action Verbs astatine Work
• Resume Action Verbs

How Action Verbs Help Your Resume

So what are action verbs? Well, they’re words that definitive and picture things that personification aliases thing does. In nan lawsuit of your resume, action verbs tin thief you exemplify each nan difficult activity you’ve put into your career.

Wait, isn’t that what each connection connected your resume should do? To an extent, yes, but action verbs do much than picture your achievements.

They explicate everything you’ve done and really you’ve done them. Actions speak louder than words — and action verbs speak louder than mundane words.

Now earlier we look astatine immoderate of nan astir powerful action verbs and really to usage them, let’s excavation a small deeper into really action verbs tin make your resume drawback nan eyes of your adjacent interviewer.

The Benefits of Action Verbs

If we wanted to item each use of action verbs, we’d beryllium present each day. To prevention you immoderate clip (time you tin walk crafting nan cleanable resume), present are 4 of nan champion reasons to usage action verbs.

If moreover 1 of these benefits could adhd thing to your resume, it mightiness beryllium clip to revise it pinch immoderate powerful action verbs.

Action verbs show what you do (not conscionable who you are).

Let’s deliberation astir nan building “action verbs.” Verbs are straightforward enough: They’re words that picture doing aliases being something. Action verbs are much specific. They picture doing something, not immoderate authorities of being.

This mightiness not sound for illustration a immense difference, but let’s look astatine an illustration of a regular verb you mightiness spot successful a resume:

• “I was nan wide head astatine a good eating establishment.”

Let’s switch that boring “was” retired for immoderate breathtaking action verbs:

• “I supervised and managed nan cognition of a good eating establishment.”

It’s a mini change, but that should springiness you an thought of really much impactful action verbs tin beryllium compared to verbs that picture your authorities of being.

Action verbs make your resume much eye-catching.

Have you ever sifted done a stack of resumes? If you have, you mightiness cognize really tedious and sleep-inducing that process tin be. If not, ideate reference a book afloat of passive verbs — you know, nan other of action verbs.

“I had galore responsibilities… I was a section head…”

You get nan picture.

While these mightiness beryllium awesome accomplishments, anyone reference that resume will astir apt move connected to nan adjacent 1 successful nary time.

The connection itself won’t triumph immoderate awards, but nan existent rumor is its overuse. You’re not conscionable competing against subpar language. You’re competing against each resume that uses nan aforesaid language.

Action verbs thief your chances pinch search systems.

Like truthful galore things these days, applying for a occupation mightiness impact artificial intelligence. Depending connected your stance, that mightiness beryllium a bully aliases bad thing. One point is for sure, though: You should constitute your resume pinch that successful mind.

See, applicant search systems (ATS) streamline nan exertion process for employers. These systems usage AI to scan resumes for definite words and phrases. Some of these words and phrases see — judge it aliases not — action verbs.

While you whitethorn not request to see immoderate circumstantial words to walk done ATS, you should attraction connected utilizing action verbs.

Action verbs make your resume easier to scan and read.

How agelong do you walk connected a website earlier leaving? Is your mind made up aft nan headline?

Do you scroll done nan page and look astatine nan headers? Or do you scan nan page successful an instant, looking for 1 circumstantial point to show you whether nan page is worthy your clip aliases not?

Chances are you do 1 aliases each of those things — but did you cognize nan aforesaid applies to your resume? That’s right. You tin expect each employer reference your resume to scan done your resume for illustration you would a website.

That’s wherever action verbs travel in. Imagine personification scanning done dozens of resumes a day. What do you deliberation would get their attention? Yep, action verbs — and nan much circumstantial to your industry, nan better.

If you tin get their attraction pinch nan correct action verbs, you’re 1 measurement person to having your resume read.

Action Verbs astatine Work

Before we get into immoderate circumstantial examples of action verbs, let’s spot really and why they activity truthful good connected resumes. Here’s a speedy illustration to amended understand really action verbs comparison to different verbs.

For this example, ideate this condemnation is portion of a resume:

• “I was successful complaint of aggregate teams and had galore responsibilities that changed daily.”

While it mightiness sound awesome by itself, that type of connection will get mislaid successful a emblematic resume. Instead, let’s effort nan aforesaid sentiment pinch action verbs:

• “I organized teams and directed mixed efforts, ensuring we cleared each deadline and secured much clients successful nan process.”

See nan difference? Put yourself successful nan shoes of personification reference resumes each day. Which illustration would instill much assurance successful nan candidate? Keep that successful mind arsenic you write aliases update your resume; you’ll person an separator complete nan competition.

Resume Action Verbs

Now we’re fresh to look astatine immoderate action verb specifics. While knowing individual action verbs is crucial, you should besides familiarize yourself pinch verb categories. These are different from passive and action verbs, though.

Here, we’ll look astatine immoderate action verbs for your resume by category. Some of these categories whitethorn overlap, truthful usage them arsenic you spot fit.

Achievements

Every employer is willing successful your achievements. After all, achievements service arsenic impervious of really difficult you’ve worked and really overmuch clip you’ve dedicated to your career.

These action verbs should prop you up arsenic an accomplished personification who tin thief a business scope milestones and goals.

action verbs relating to achievements
Accelerated	Decreased	Won	Pioneered
Accomplished	Delivered	Founded	Produced
Achieved	Demonstrated	Generated	Raised
Advanced	Drove	Grew	Reached
Amplified	Earned	Improved	Saved
Attained	Enacted	Lifted	Sharpened
Boosted	Endeavored	Managed	Showcased
Capitalized	Enhanced	Maximized	Sparked
Completed	Established	Outpaced	Spearheaded
Consolidated	Exceeded	Outperformed	Steered
Converted	Expanded	Overcame	Stimulated
Created	Expedited	Overhauled	Streamlined
Targeted	Surpassed	Succeeded	Strengthened

Best for: Demonstrating your astir exceptional accomplishments, placing you acold up of nan battalion of applicants.

Responsibilities

Do you deterioration galore hats astatine work? Good, leverage that successful your resume. Some positions require speedy reasoning and flexibility; action verbs tin show that connected your resume.

These action verbs should springiness a imaginable employer a bully thought of what you tin handle.

Action verbs relating to responsibilities
Forged	Coordinated	Handled	Organized
Accomplished	Created	Headed	Partnered
Achieved	Delivered	Implemented	Performed
Acquired	Developed	Improved	Prepared
Acted as	Executed	Increased	Produced
Analyzed	Expanded	Initiated	Reached
Assembled	Facilitated	Instituted	Secured
Built	Finalized	Made	Simplified
Charted	Finished	Navigated	Succeeded in
Completed	Accelerated	Negotiated	Undertook
Constructed	Guided	Operated	Volunteered

What we like: Focusing connected responsibilities pinch action verbs tin posture you arsenic nan cleanable campaigner for activity and much specialized positions.

Communication

You’ve heard it galore times before: Communication is key. That’s because it’s existent — successful individual life and business.

So what could beryllium amended than immoderate action verbs that pass really good you communicate?

action verbs relating to communication
Addressed	Consulted	Explained	Performed
Advocated	Conveyed	Fielded	Persuaded
Apprised	Convinced	Formulated	Presented
Arbitrated	Corresponded	Illustrated	Promoted
Arranged	Counseled	Influenced	Proposed
Attested	Critiqued	Informed	Publicized
Authored	Defined	Instructed	Queried
Briefed	Developed	Interpreted	Reconciled
Campaigned	Directed	Lectured	Recruited
Clarified	Documented	Lobbied	Reported
Co-authored	Drafted	Marketed	Reviewed
Collaborated	Edited	Mediated	Spoke
Communicated	Enlisted	Moderated	Summarized
Composed	Enlivened	Negotiated	Trained
Translated	Wrote

Best for: These action verbs person nan imaginable to show what a awesome squad subordinate you are, truthful they’re awesome erstwhile applying for thing for illustration a managerial role.

Experience

Not overmuch tin overshadow experience. It’s undeniable impervious of your profession until now, and you should usage that to your advantage.

After all, your acquisition mightiness beryllium nan 1 point that gets you hired alternatively of a comparable candidate.

Action verbs relating to experience
Adapted	Coordinated	Guided	Recommended
Administered	Critiqued	Individualized	Reorganized
Advised	Delegated	Informed	Reviewed
Analyzed	Developed	Installed	Scheduled
Assigned	Directed	Instructed	Simulated
Chaired	Enabled	Motivated	Stimulated
Clarified	Encouraged	Organized	Supervised
Coached	Evaluated	Oversaw	Taught
Communicated	Executed	Persuaded	Tested
Conducted	Explained	Planned	Trained
Consolidated	Facilitated	Prioritized	Transmitted
Contracted	Focused	Produced	Tutored

What we like: Experience-oriented action verbs tin position you arsenic an all-around awesome campaigner pinch a proven way record.

There’s No Better Time for Action

Whether your connection skills are unmatched, your guidance style is cutting-edge, aliases you’ve conscionable been successful nan crippled for longer than your competition, action verbs tin show employers what you’ve done and what you do.

There are countless beardown action verbs for your resume arsenic well, truthful you person galore choices sloppy of what you do aliases want to do. So which action verbs will spell successful your resume? Are you a imaginative genius, a rocksteady leader, aliases a communications expert?