Need help finding strong action verbs for our resume?

action-verbs-for-resume

A few tips:

  • Use the “find” function for commonly used words (e.g., developed, estimated) to make sure that you are not over-using any words
  • Try not to use the same verb more than 3 times (not a hard rule, but you want to demonstrate your ability to communicate, and variety is key)
  • Check this list and/or use thesaurus.com if you’re stuck, try to vary your language

 

Analytics & Problem-Solving verbs:

Allocated

Analyzed

Assessed

Budgeted

Built

Calculated

Decreased

Determined

Developed

Estimated

Evaluated

Examined

Explored

Forecasted

Identified

Increased

Modeled

Optimized

Projected

Reduced

Resolved

Sized

Solved

Validated

 

Communication verbs:

Clarified

Communicated

Crafted

Created

Demonstrated

Designed

Detailed

Documented

Drafted 

Edited

Explained

Instructed

Interviewed

Presented

Published

Reported

Reviewed

Summarized

Synthesized

Translated

Wrote

 

Leadership:

Achieved

Advised

Determined

Delivered

Drove

Enforced

Enhanced

Finalized

Governed

Guided

Instituted

Initiated

Innovated

Implemented

Improved

Launched

Led

Managed

Mentored

Motivated

Oversaw

Recommended

Shaped

Strategized

 

Teamwork verbs:

Advanced

Aligned

Collaborated

Connected

Contributed

Cultivated

Enabled

Mitigated

Partnered

Supported

Taught

Trained

 

Impact:

Remember, you’ll want to show a range of the skills above. Impact is a little different. You want to demonstrate an impact in every bullet point on your resume. You can lead with the impact, or structure your bullet as “(action verb)...(impact).” Some suggestions for how to include impact in your bullets are below.

 

...achieving a 15% increase...

...driving 

...enabling

...improving

...informing

...modernizing

...optimizing

...resulting in

...scaling