122+ Strong Resume Action Words to Make Your Resume Stand Out

If you know the basics of resume writing, you know that some things should be avoided, like passive voice, an abundance of jargon, or informal register. On the contrary, some things should be used thoughtfully to increase your chances of landing an interview. One of such things to incorporate is powerful action verbs. But what are action verbs? 

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It seems obvious what they mean as the definition ‘action verbs’ implies verbs that express an action, physical or mental. Most often, in a resume, action verbs are perfect for highlighting your work experience, accomplishments, and key skills. It is also important to use them to get through an applicant tracking system (ATS). ATS may block your resume if it has no keywords related to the position you want to get.

Using resume action verbs is easier than you may think, and here you can find the most helpful examples for your application. 

You increased the performance

Many employers look for a person who has positive experience in any area of their qualification. These words are perfect to use while showing that you are not only goal-oriented but know how to facilitate progress. Some action verbs words that can showcase your achievements:

• Generate 
• Enhance 
• Improve 
• Strengthen 
• Lift 
• Grow 
• Amplify 
• Expand  
• Multiply 
• Raise 
• Gain 
• Advance
• Boost
  

You reduced expenses

Employers will always look at all aspects of your accomplishments, regardless of the position you apply for. Bring to the recruiter's attention that you know how to benefit your team as well as the company. According to the action verbs definition, the verbs that potentially have negative connotations in the right context emphasize your qualification:

• Cut 
• Drop 
• Lower 
• Shrink 
• Save
• Decrease 
• Mitigate 
• Ease 
• Cut down 
• Relieve 

You had a productive communication within team

Communication is the key for you to land a job. It’s not enough to know that you are good at it; you have to effectively show it on your resume. Whether your competency was to build strong internal or external communication, it is important to accent it by action verbs presented below:

• Verbalize 
• Relay 
• Advise 
• Address 
• Negotiate 
• Express 
• Interact 
• Disseminate 
• Relate 
• Inform 
• Indicate 
• State 
• Converse

You managed a team or tasks

Management skills are relevant to get more interviews. If you know how to be responsible and work without constant supervision, you may be sure to get a positive reply from employers. Some of action verbs for resume that displays your management talent:

• Align 
• Guide 
• Facilitate 
• Enable 
• Direct 
• Mentor 
• Inspire 
• Mobilize 
• Train 
• Unite 
• Unify
  

You were proactive

Taking the initiative is one of the professional qualities many employers appreciate. Proactiveness can manifest in various forms. If you were decisive and ready to respond to any questions, you could highlight this experience by these resume action verbs:

• Deliver 
• Handle 
• Volunteer 
• Improve 
• Shoulder 
• Commit 
• Specialize 
• Answer 
• Voice 
• Spearhead 
• Forecast 
• Carry out

You have shown leadership skills

Being an example to follow is a tough role. It takes even more to lead people, and you have to combine all the necessary skills, not just to show your ambitions. Leadership is more than ambitions; it is a quality one must foster in themselves. To showcase your role as a leader, take these examples of action verbs list from below:

• Command 
• Mobilize 
• Coach 
• Foster 
• Enforce 
• Aid 
• Nurture 
• Oversee 
• Designate
• Delegate 
• Train 
• Mentor 
• Educate

You prepared a project

Having a clear understanding of organization and time management is a must in any work environment. Anything counts for organization skills, even the smallest tasks you tracked to managing team projects. You can find a list of action verbs that would describe your contribution and skills:

• Allocate 
• Document 
• Divide 
• Officiate 
• Rate 
• Merge 
• Integrate 
• Accumulate 
• Standardize 
• Rank 
• Compile 
• Arrange 
• Collect
• Research 

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You negotiated in a team

Effective people skills include negotiation and empathy. It is a part of leadership, communication, and organization, and you can focus on how you manage to ease any conflicts and facilitate growth. A recruiter will appreciate your highlight of these skills with action verbs resume writing:

• Support 
• Suggest 
• Assist 
• Cooperate 
• Cultivate 
• Foster 
• Collaborate 
• Motivate 
• Reconcile 
• Negotiate 
• Join 
• Enable 
• Involve 
• Contribute

You achieved meaningful goals

Achievement of goals at your job position is a key indicator of your qualification. Every project and monthly goal reached counts. The applications with the right action verbs for resumes are more likely to get past the first selection round:

• Accomplish 
• Execute 
• Raise 
• Establish 
• Produce 
• Outperform 
• Overcome 
• Surpass 
• Succeed 
• Revitalize 
• Reach 
• Top 
• Exceed

You were innovative

If you ever were first in something in your company or a field, it has to be highlighted with powerful action verbs. Here are some examples of action verbs best suited for emphasizing your success:

• Pioneer 
• Build 
• Launch 
• Formulate 
• Design 
• Invent 
• Implement
• Chart
• Form
• Create 
• Conceive 
• Conceptualize 
• Unveil 
• Revolutionize 
• Draft 

How to successfully apply strong action verbs  

Still, wondering why should action verbs be used in writing a resume? Remember that you are not only trying to beat ATS bots. You also present your skills and qualities in the most effective way possible. 

Yet, action verbs were not created yesterday, and some of the HR managers may consider them as generic. Therefore, you can always look up the action verbs examples or get professional help when preparing your CV. You may also check Bloom’s taxonomy action verbs list that would always be handy, not only when writing a resume.

You also may use non-action verbs when describing your personal qualities. Still, strong action verbs are a must when it comes to key skills and competencies. 

Here are two examples:

• Went to weekly company meetings for regular updates. 
• Spearheaded weekly company meetings and facilitated growth and productive dialog.

Go is a weak active verb; it just conveys the message that you were present at the meeting. On the other hand, spearheaded conveys the decisive attitude and implies that you showed a leadership position in participating in that meeting.

• Led a project and created a new series that attracted new visitors to the website. 
• Guided a project and designed a blog series that attracted million unique visitors to the website.

Led is one of the overused action and linking verbs, including manage, handle, or revised. You should avoid it and use the more precise verb “guide.” The verb created may also cliche in a resume, where the design would be more appropriate. 

Always look for Bloom’s action verbs list and choose the perfect fit. Be confident in your resume and use powerful action verbs to land the job of your dreams.

If you want to know answers for the most popular questions about resume, learn more below:

An effectively distributed résumé will get an interview?

Which of the following is not true of the objective section of a resume?

A resume is usually read for less than ____ seconds by an employer.

An electronic résumé is a plain-looking document.

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