250 Powerful Action Verbs to Bolster Your Resume – CV Nation

250 Powerful Action Verbs to Bolster Your Resume

Posted by CV Nation on

When preparing their resume or CV, many people don’t realise the importance of powerful action verbs.

An average of 250 people apply for each advertised job. Recruiters have a lot of resumes to get through and often spend as little as seven seconds reading each document. For this reason, it’s vital that your resume uses engaging writing that makes a positive impression.

Using powerful action verbs is an effective way of doing this. Action verbs can significantly improve the quality of your writing and catch the attention of recruiters.

What are Action Verbs?

Actions verbs are words used to describe actions. On resumes, they are used to describe your duties, achievements and experiences. You can usually find action verbs at the start of bullet points on resumes.

By their very nature, all verbs are action verbs. But some are better than others when it comes to writing your resume. Choosing the right ones can bring your writing to life and make positive impressions on readers.

Generic verbs that are commonly used on resumes won’t add much value to your resume. But unique, powerful verbs can bolster your writing and enable recruiters to envision you as an achiever who gets results.

So what are the best action verbs to use? Here is our list of 250 powerful action verbs, which you can implement to improve your resume.


Action Verbs Related to Leadership

Spearheaded

Orchestrated

Steered

Engineered

Empowered

Administered

Presided

Regulated

Influenced

Counselled

Advocated

Surveyed

Emboldened

Directed

Delegated

Championed

Chaired

Guided

Headed

Superintended

Drove

Advocated

Shaped



Action Verbs Related to Achievements

Generated

Streamlined

Consolidated

Simplified

Restructured

Exceeded

Reconciled

Renegotiated

Pioneered

Strengthened

Optimised

Minimised

Slashed

Mitigated

Overhauled

Revamped

Lessened

Diminished

Curtailed

Upgraded

Boosted

Exploited

Attained

Yielded

Retrieved

Reclaimed

Retained

Secured

Refined

Captured

Maximised

Outperformed

Expanded

Outstripped

Amplified

Automated

Won

Acquired

Centralised

Surpassed

Integrated

Accelerated

Expedited

Remodelled

Eclipsed

Action Verbs Related to Duties

Implemented

Executed

Formulated

Devised

Deployed

Operated

Installed

Conceptualised

Charted

Facilitated

Forecasted

Programmed

Manufactured

Procured

Applied

Negotiated

Constructed

Planned

Conceived

Designed

Coined

Scheduled

Assembled

Explored

Systematised

Incorporated

Strategised

Structured

Merged

Established

Fostered

Instigated

Coordinated

Introduced

Launched

Enlisted

Initiated

Drafted

Action Verbs Related to Problem-Solving

Diagnosed

Troubleshot

Identified

Rectified

Rebuilt

Pinpointed

Bolstered

Determined

Investigated

Restored

Diagnosticated

Corrected

Analysed

Dissected

Scrutinised

Revised

Reformed

Reengineered

Adjusted

Harmonised

Alleviated

Ameliorated

Fortified

Modified

Reinforced

Augmented

Action Verbs Related to Communication

Conveyed

Engaged

Articulated

Showcased

Lobbied

Enumerated

Counselled

Documented

Captivated

Relayed

Outlined

Summarised

Disclosed

Expressed

Imparted

Campaigned

Illustrated

Reported

Queried

Defined

Critiqued

Briefed

Authored

Informed

Interpreted

Persuaded

Influenced

Highlighted

Clarified

Submitted

Presented

Action Verbs Related to Teamwork

United

Brought-Together

Collaborated

Cooperated

Mediated

Banded-Together

Participated

Liaised

Forged

Nurtured

Inspired

Adopted

Encouraged

Cultivated

Fostered

Supported

Networked

Interfaced

Interacted

Communicated

Aided

Assisted

Action Verbs Related to Training and Coaching

Mentored

Tutored

Coached

Trained

Instructed

Taught

Upskilled

Educated

Lectured

Developed

Action Verbs Related to Finance

Balanced

Reconciled

Calculated

Budgeted

Audited

Approximated

Converted

Allotted

Allocated

Estimated

Settled

Profited

Quantified

Assessed

Compiled

Totalled

Projected

Compounded

Action Verbs Related to Customer Service

Engaged

Negotiated

Consulted

Advised

Resolved

Transferred

Concluded

Discussed

Proposed

Determined

Composed

Represented

Addressed

Ascertained

Conveyed

Informed

Clarified

Outlined

Solved

Action Verbs Related to Organisation

Tabulated

Itemised

Catalogued

Arranged

Detailed

Filed

Specified

Ordered

Charted

Reorganised

Regrouped

Compiled

Classified

Logged

Listed

Assorted

Screened

Reshuffled



Why Are Action Verbs Important for Your CV?

Action verbs bolster your achievements and make your writing more engaging. They make a positive impression on recruiters and help you stand out by enabling them to envision you as an achiever.

Recruiters are looking for candidates who can get results. Powerful action verbs help to demonstrate your ability to do exactly that.

Resumes and CVs that don’t utilise action verbs have weaker impacts on recruiters. Generic verbs – such as ‘Managed’ and ‘Delivered’ – are peppered across the majority of resumes. Recruiters see such verbs on resumes all day long. Because they’re so generic and over-used, they are much less effective than unique power verbs.

Here is an example of a resume's achievement that uses generic verbs:

‘Managed a team of six and delivered a sales restructuring project, which increased revenue by 31%.’

And here is the same achievement, this time using powerful action verbs:

‘Orchestrated a project to reconstruct the sales process while leading a team of six, generating a 31% increase in revenue’.

Note the stark difference in the two achievements. The simple use of powerful action verbs drastically improves the quality of the writing.

If you can make use of power verbs on your resume, you’ll stand a much greater chance of impressing recruiters and progressing to the next stage of the application process.

Combining Action Verbs with Numbers and Metrics

While power verbs improve your resume’s achievements, combining them with numbers and metrics can make them shine.

How does this work? Why would you use numbers and metrics on your resume?

Achievements that are quantified with numbers and metrics hold more weight. This is because they provide tangible evidence of your successes and offer insight into the difficulty and outcome of your achievements.

Numbers and metrics to include in your achievements could be related to sales, customer satisfaction, profitability, cost reductions, productivity improvements, etc. Here is an example:

‘Spearheaded the implementation of a new client portal, which reduced customer complaints by 12%’.

Note how the use of numbers bolsters the achievement and makes it more impressive. When combined with powerful action verbs, number and metrics can greatly enhance your resume.

Verbs to Avoid

You’ve learned about the best verbs to include on your resume, but which ones should you avoid?

Avoid using generic, commonly-used verbs. Examples include ‘delivered’, ‘managed’ and ‘organised’. These basic verbs don’t have the same impact as power verbs. Rather than enhancing your resume’s writing, they make it weaker.

Many resumes start their bullet points with ‘responsible for’. This commonly used phrase adds no value to resumes at all. Instead of passive phrases such as this one, use effective power verbs from the lists in this guide to bring your writing to life.

Examples of Action Verbs Used on Resumes

- Generated a 21% increase in revenue by optimising the sales strategy and forging new relationships.

- Automated processes in the manufacturing department, which increased efficiency and reduced wage expenses by 21%.

- Exceeded performance objectives on a consistent basis

- Cultivated productive, profitable relationships with Senior Management and stakeholders.

- Reengineered business processes and protocols to enhance compliance and performance.


Want to see how these powerful action verbs are used on real CVs? View our 27 CV templates here.

Or take a look at our ultimate guide on how to write a CV for comprehensive guidance on preparing a job-winning CV.


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