Action Verbs For Your Resume That Will Take It From Blah to Brilliant

Filed in Education by on June 7, 2021

Action Verbs: To be sincere with you, the same tired old words hiring managers have heard for years to the point where they’ve lost a lot of their meaning and don’t do much to show off your accomplishments. So, you ought to get a little more creative.

In this article, I will give you numerous action verbs that will make your resume stand out brilliantly. 

Action Verbs For Your Resume That Will Take It From Blah to Brilliant

No one wants to read a boring and predictable resume, full of the same old verbs over and over again. You want to take the time to pack your resume with as much punch and liveliness as possible, to grab the reader’s attention and admiration as quickly as you can.

Some experts say that the person who reviews your resume decides within seconds if you are a candidate worth pursuing. Seconds! That is a small amount of time, and thus a small opportunity to make yourself stand out as an excellent candidate. Every sentence is a chance to be pursued, so let’s make sure to get it right!

No matter what duty or accomplishment you’re trying to show off, I’ve got just the resume action verb for you. Check out the list below, and get ready to make your resume way more exciting.

You Envisioned and Brought a Project to Life

And if you developed, created, or introduced that project into your company? Try:

  • Administered
  • Built
  • Charted
  • Created
  • Designed
  • Developed
  • Devised
  • Founded
  • Engineered
  • Established
  • Formalized
  • Formed
  • Formulated
  • Implemented
  • Incorporated
  • Initiated
  • Instituted
  • Introduced
  • Launched
  • Pioneered
  • Spearheaded

You Led a Project

If you were in charge of a project or initiative from start to finish, skip “led” and instead try:

  • Chaired
  • Controlled
  • Coordinated
  • Executed
  • Headed
  • Operated
  • Orchestrated
  • Organized
  • Oversaw
  • Planned
  • Produced
  • Programmed

You Increased Efficiency and Customer Satisfaction

Along similar lines, if you can show that your work boosted the company’s numbers in some way, you’re bound to impress. In these cases, consider:

  • Accelerated
  • Achieved
  • Advanced
  • Amplified
  • Boosted
  • Capitalized
  • Delivered
  • Enhanced
  • Expanded
  • Expedited
  • Furthered
  • Gained
  • Generated
  • Improved
  • Lifted
  • Maximized
  • Outpaced
  • Stimulated
  • Sustained

You Changed or Improved Something

So, you brought your department’s invoicing system out of the Stone Age and onto the interwebs? Talk about the amazing changes you made at your office with these words:

  • Centralized
  • Clarified
  • Converted
  • Customized
  • Influenced
  • Integrated
  • Merged
  • Modified
  • Overhauled
  • Redesigned
  • Refined
  • Refocused
  • Rehabilitated
  • Remodeled
  • Reorganized
  • Replaced
  • Restructured
  • Revamped
  • Revitalized
  • Simplified
  • Standardized
  • Streamlined
  • Strengthened
  • Updated
  • Upgraded
  • Transformed

You Saved the Company Time or Money

Hiring managers love candidates who’ve helped a team operate more efficiently or cost-effectively. To show just how much you saved, try:

  • Conserved
  • Consolidated
  • Decreased
  • Deducted
  • Diagnosed
  • Lessened
  • Reconciled
  • Reduced
  • Yielded

You Wrote or Communicated

Was writing, speaking, lobbying, or otherwise communicating part of your gig? You can explain just how compelling you were with words like:

  • Authored
  • Briefed
  • Campaigned
  • Co-authored
  • Composed
  • Conveyed
  • Convinced
  • Corresponded
  • Counseled
  • Critiqued
  • Defined
  • Documented
  • Edited
  • Illustrated
  • Lobbied
  • Persuaded
  • Promoted
  • Publicized
  • Reviewed

You Oversaw or Regulated

Whether you enforced protocol or managed your department’s requests, describe what you did, better, with these words:

  • Authorized
  • Blocked
  • Delegated
  • Dispatched
  • Enforced
  • Ensured
  • Inspected
  • Itemized
  • Monitored
  • Screened
  • Scrutinized
  • Verified

You Managed a Team

Instead of reciting your management duties, like “Led a team…” or “Managed employees…” show what an inspirational leader you were with terms like:

  • Aligned
  • Cultivated
  • Directed
  • Enabled
  • Facilitated
  • Fostered
  • Guided
  • Hired
  • Inspired
  • Mentored
  • Mobilized
  • Motivated
  • Recruited
  • Regulated
  • Shaped
  • Supervised
  • Taught
  • Trained
  • Unified
  • United

You Were a Research Machine

Did your job include research, analysis, or fact-finding? Mix up your verbiage with these words:

  • Analyzed
  • Assembled
  • Assessed
  • Audited
  • Calculated
  • Discovered
  • Evaluated
  • Examined
  • Explored
  • Forecasted
  • Identified
  • Interpreted
  • Investigated
  • Mapped
  • Measured
  • Qualified
  • Quantified
  • Surveyed
  • Tested
  • Tracked

You Achieved Something

Did you hit your goals? Win a coveted department award? Don’t forget to include that on your resume, with words like:

  • Attained
  • Awarded
  • Completed
  • Demonstrated
  • Earned
  • Exceeded
  • Outperformed
  • Reached
  • Showcased
  • Succeeded
  • Surpassed
  • Targeted

Other Reads:

You Brought in Partners, Funding, or Resources

Were you “responsible for” a great new partner, sponsor, or source of funding? Try:

  • Acquired
  • Forged
  • Navigated
  • Negotiated
  • Partnered
  • Secured

You Supported Customers

Because manning the phones or answering questions means you’re advising customers and meeting their needs, use:

  • Advised
  • Advocated
  • Arbitrated
  • Coached
  • Consulted
  • Educated
  • Fielded
  • Informed
  • Resolved

These slight changes using more impressive resume action verbs can have a large impact on the reader’s experience, and therefore, your chances for hire. Be a career-specific as you can when you choose the words in your employment history.

Then, get your dictionary and thesaurus ready to spice them up. You will be happy you spent the time to make these changes that could result in your future job offers. If this was helpful, kindly share it with your friends on their social media handles.

CSN Team.

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