Action Verbs for Your Resume (Examples & Guide)
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In today’s competitive hiring climate, every word on your resume matters. The strategic use of powerful action verbs can significantly enhance your resume's impact.
Good resume verbs convey your accomplishments clearly and vividly, captivating hiring managers and increasing your chances of securing an interview.
Below, you’ll find hundreds of action words you can use to amplify your skills and achievements and impress employers.
What Are Action Verbs?
Action verbs are powerful words that convey action and impact. They’re essential for making your skills, accomplishments, and professional experience more dynamic and engaging.
Using action verbs makes your resume compelling because they help hiring managers visualize you as someone who can help the company achieve its goals — and that alone can set you apart from other job applicants.
Our Certified Professional Resume Writers curated resume verb lists for spotlighting achievements in various industries, along with tips to help you include them in your resume. Let’s dive in!
Action Words for Highlighting Achievements
Choosing the right action verbs for your resume can make your achievements stand out and show the impact of your work.
These powerful words help demonstrate your contributions, making your application more compelling to hiring managers.
Below, we listed strong action words you can use to showcase your workplace accomplishments.
Navigate to the following achievements:
When you developed something new
Use verbs that emphasize innovation and creativity.
- Built
- Created
- Engineered
- Designed
- Developed
- Devised
- Formulated
- Implemented
- Innovated
- Pioneered
When you led a project
Use verbs that show leadership and initiative.
- Administered
- Chaired
- Led
- Initiated
- Coordinated
- Directed
- Executed
- Facilitated
- Managed
- Orchestrated
- Oversaw
- Spearheaded
When you collaborated with a team
Use verbs that emphasize teamwork and cooperation.
- Aligned
- Assisted
- Collaborated
- Contributed
- Engaged
- Facilitated
- Joined
- Partnered
- Supported
- Unified
When you increased revenue
Use verbs that show business growth and financial impact.
- Accelerated
- Capitalized
- Expanded
- Exceeded
- Gained
- Increased
- Maximized
- Outperformed
- Surpassed
When you saved the company money
Use verbs that emphasize cost savings.
- Avoided
- Conserved
- Cut
- Eliminated
- Lowered
- Minimized
- Optimized
- Reduced
- Streamlined
- Trimmed
When you got a promotion
Use verbs that highlight career progression and increased responsibilities.
- Advanced
- Developed
- Evolved
- Expanded
- Grew
- Progressed
- Promoted
- Rose
- Selected
- Succeeded
When you improved efficiency or productivity
Use verbs that demonstrate optimization and improvement.
- Automated
- Clarified
- Enhanced
- Expedited
- Improved
- Refined
- Simplified
- Streamlined
- Strengthened
- Systematized
When you mentored others
Use verbs that highlight teaching and leadership.
- Advised
- Coached
- Cultivated
- Developed
- Educated
- Encouraged
- Guided
- Instructed
- Mentored
- Trained
How to Use Action Words In Your Resume
Action words are a powerful tool to make your resume more impactful and compelling. You can use them in almost every section of your resume. Let’s review them:
In your resume summary
Strong action verbs in a resume summary make a big impact because they are the first things hiring managers see after the contact information section.
Use two to three action words in this section to compel hiring managers to want to read through your resume. For example:
Human resources associate with four years of experience skilled in onboarding and training. Career highlights include instituting a new-employee training program for a 400+ employee startup, reducing recruitment lead time by 25%, and increasing employee satisfaction by 40%.
Use our AI Resume Summary Generator to create a summary with strong action verbs that communicate your initiative and drive.
In the work history section
While listing job responsibilities is OK, a work history section that highlights your achievements will impress employers and show you go above and beyond your duties.
When writing your work experience, start each job accomplishment with an action verb. Here is an example:
- Exceeded monthly customer leads target every month for two quarters.
- Increased organic search traffic by 50% within three months post-launch.
- Established a reward system for students, resulting in marked improvement in test scores.
In the skills section
Most often, the skills section of a resume is made up of lists of hard skills and soft skills to underscore a job applicant’s ability to perform the job, and that’s a great way to display them.
However, an excellent alternative to explain your skills further is a summary of qualifications.
With a summary of qualifications, you can use strong action verbs to discuss how you applied them.
For example, to explain how you used leadership skills, you could write something like:
"Spearheaded an integrated marketing campaign that boosted sales by 15% in the first quarter."
In the education section
You might use action words in your education section to display awards, honors, a high GPA, or a title. Here are a few examples:
University of California, Berkeley | Berkeley, CA
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology
- Attained a 4.0 GPA three years in a row.
- Earned the Magna Cum Laude distinction.
- Honored with Academic Excellence Award, 2018.
Want more ideas for using action verbs in your resume? We have more than 800 professional resume examples for most job titles and industries.
Resume Action Verbs for Top Industries
Unlock the potential of your resume across various industries with these powerful action words, carefully curated to make your achievements shine.
Whether you’re in finance, marketing, or transportation, these versatile verbs will elevate your resume and captivate potential employers.
Navigate to the following industries:
Administration
You make sure things run smoothly and efficiently. Give impact to your daily tasks with these action words.
- Aide
- Arrange
- Assist
- Clarify
- Consolidate
- Contribute
- Coordinate
- Document
- Execute
- Maintain
- Monitor
- Organize
- Process
- Provide
- Schedule
- Streamline
- Supply
- Track
- Update
- Verify
See administrative resume examples.
Construction
Getting a job in an evolving industry requires a dynamic job application. Build a strong foundation with these resume action words.
- Assemble
- Build
- Construct
- Coordinate
- Demolish
- Erect
- Execute
- Fabricate
- Inspect
- Install
- Maintain
- Manage
- Monitor
- Operate
- Oversee
- Plan
- Remodel
- Renovate
- Schedule
- Supervise
See construction resume examples.
Information technology
You analyze complex problems, develop innovative algorithms, and create advanced solutions to technological challenges. This list of action verbs will help you demonstrate your strengths.
- Automate
- Build
- Code
- Conceptualize
- Configure
- Debug
- Develop
- Generate
- Implement
- Improve
- Innovate
- Investigate
- Program
- Research
- Solve
- Support
- Test
- Troubleshoot
- Upgrade
- Validate
See IT resume examples.
Culinary
Workers in the culinary industry wear many hats. Spice up your resume with these strong action verbs.
- Arrange
- Blend
- Carve
- Craft
- Deliver
- Expedite
- Garnish
- Grill
- Launch
- Manage
- Marinate
- Measure
- Operate
- Order
- Partner
- Plate
- Prepare
- Season
- Sous-vide
- Whip
Customer service
As a job seeker in the customer service industry, you have a diverse range of skills. Present them powerfully with these strong resume action verbs.
- Acknowledge
- Cooperate
- Diffuse
- Enhance
- Ensure
- Escalate
- Guide
- Increase
- Inform
- Interact
- Liaise
- Mitigate
- Navigate
- Promote
- Propose
- Reconcile
- Resolve
- Respond
- Solve
- Uphold
Check out these customer service skills you can incorporate into your resume to stand out from the crowd.
Engineering
You design, develop, and implement innovative solutions to complex problems across various industries. This action verbs list will help you bring your accomplishments to life.
- Architect
- Assemble
- Automate
- Conceptualize
- Customize
- Debug
- Deploy
- Engineer
- Execute
- Implement
- Improve
- Innovate
- Install
- Produce
- Revamp
- Review
- Run
- Scope
- Segment
- Structure
See engineering resume examples.
Healthcare
Action verbs are crucial for highlighting your many accomplishments in the healthcare industry. Boost your healthcare resume with these action verbs.
- Administer
- Apply
- Assess
- Collaborate
- Communicate
- Conduct
- Consult
- Coordinate
- Document
- Educate
- Evaluate
- Explain
- Facilitate
- Implement
- Log
- Manage
- Monitor
- Perform
- Support
- Track
These healthcare skills will show employers you have the expertise and training to provide the highest quality care.
Marketing
The following resume action words effectively convey the dynamic and strategic nature of most marketing roles. Use them to emphasize your ability to drive campaigns, analyze data, and achieve results.
- Analyze
- Collaborate
- Conduct
- Create
- Design
- Develop
- Engage
- Evaluate
- Execute
- Generate
- Implement
- Influence
- Launch
- Manage
- Monitor
- Optimize
- Promote
- Research
- Strategize
- Target
See marketing resume examples.
Medical
If you work in the medical industry, you give your all to others. Emphasize your abilities with these action verbs.
- Administer
- Assess
- Care
- Classify
- Counsel
- Devise
- Diagnose
- Document
- Examine
- Facilitate
- Implement
- Mend
- Monitor
- Oversee
- Prescribe
- Provide
- Record
- Treat
Transportation
Accelerate your transportation resume with these action verbs.
- Coordinate
- Deliver
- Dispatch
- Handle
- Haul
- Inspect
- Load
- Monitor
- Navigate
- Operate
- Process
- Route
- Schedule
- Ship
- Survey
- Transfer
- Transport
- Unload
- Verify
See transportation resume examples.
Examples of Resumes With Action Verbs
Explore the sample resumes below to see how you can incorporate strong action verbs into your resume. Notice how each sample resume uses a wide variety of action words.
Communications manager
Translator
Nursing student
Don’t see your job title? Explore our library of professional resume templates for more options.
Key Takeaways
- Power verbs in a resume help you stand out in the job market because they show employers clearly and effectively what you can achieve.
- Use a mix of resume verbs in your job application and tailor them to the job description.
- Choose action words specific to your industry, job title, and skills.
- Don’t just use action verbs in your resume or CV; add them to your cover letter and incorporate them into a job interview for maximum impact.
FAQ
Why are action verbs important?
Word choice is critical when applying for a job. Active verbs help quantify your achievements, demonstrate your capabilities, and distinguish you from other candidates.
Passive phrases, such as “Responsible for” and “Tasked with,” tell employers what your job duties were. However, hiring managers want to know what you can do for them; they don’t want to read a rehash of your former job’s description.
Resume verbs are compelling because they help hiring managers visualize you as someone who can help the company achieve its goals — and that alone can set you apart from other job applicants.
How do I choose the right action verbs for my resume?
When selecting action verbs for your resume, consider the specific skills, experiences, and achievements you want to highlight.
Choose verbs that accurately reflect your contributions. Look for strong, active verbs that convey leadership, initiative, and impact.
Remember to tailor your resume verb choices to the industry and job role to ensure relevance and effectiveness.
Should I include action verbs in my cover letter?
Yes! Action words will make your job application stand out and should be used in your resume and cover letter.
Avoid reusing the exact words from your resume; instead, use them to complement the parts of your resume you want to highlight.
Having a variety of strong action verbs for a resume and a cover letter will show hiring managers that you are the person they’ve been looking for.
How can I use action words in a resume if I have no work experience?
When crafting a resume with no experience, leveraging action verbs is key to making a strong impression.
Begin each bullet point under relevant sections such as “Education” or “Skills” with dynamic action verbs. For instance, if you are highlighting academic achievements, start with verbs like “achieved,” “excelled,” or “mastered.”
When discussing skills, use action verbs that demonstrate your capabilities, such as “adapted,” “learned,” or “developed.”
Incorporate verbs that imply initiative and drive, like “initiated,” “volunteered,” or “contributed,” to emphasize your willingness to learn and display your potential to excel in future roles.
What verb tense should you use on a resume?
When writing a resume, use present tense for your current job responsibilities and past tense for previous positions.
This approach helps to differentiate between what you are currently doing and what you have done in the past.
For example, if you are currently employed, you might write, “Manage a team of five sales associates” or “Develop and implement marketing strategies.”
For past positions, write: “Managed a team of five sales associates” or “Developed and implemented marketing strategies.”
Using the correct verb tense ensures clarity and helps potential employers easily understand your job history and current responsibilities.
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Action Verbs for Your Resume (Examples & Guide)
Kellie is a career advice writer. She is committed to helping job seekers navigate the job market and succeed in their careers.
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