Every one of your resume words matters, so choose the ones you use carefully. The right action verbs for resumes can make all the difference if you want to showcase your contributions, value, and achievements.
In this guide, we provide a list of 300 powerful resume action words that you can use to show a prospective employer exactly what you’re capable of doing on the job.
What are resume action verbs?
Back in elementary school, you probably learned that a verb is a “doing” word. When it comes to your resume, verbs are the star of the show. They’re the words you use to show how you accomplish goals, take initiative, and make an impact in the workplace.
Using the right resume verbs can make you stand out from other candidates who are using overused phrases like “responsible for” or “assisted with.” By carefully choosing the best action words for your resume, you can spotlight your contributions and show an employer what you can do for them.
300+ action words for a resume
Despite the breadth of verbs available in the English language, the same action words dominate the majority of resumes. We’ve created this list of 300 resume action words to help you separate yourself from the crowd.
We’ve broken this list into 15 categories, so you can easily choose the resume words that best apply to your work history and career goals.
These categories include:
- Leadership resume action words
- Achievement resume words
- Teamwork action verbs
- Communication resume verbs
- Project management resume words
- People management action verbs
- Customer service action words
- Problem-solving resume action verbs
- Improved synonym verbs
- Researched action verbs
- Organization resume words
- Creativity resume verbs
- Worked on resume action words
- Increased synonym verbs
- Reduced action verbs
1. Leadership resume action words
Use these resume action verbs when you want to show how you took charge or guided others with your leadership skills:
- Appointed
- Approved
- Chaired
- Coached
- Directed
- Enforced
- Enlightened
- Headed
- Instructed
- Merged
- Nurtured
- Orchestrated
- Oversaw
- Predicted
- Presided
- Recommended
- Sculpted
- Shaped
- Spearheaded
- Strengthened
Chaired a 10-member project team through a change process, trimming 5% off of the base project cost.
2. Achievement resume words
Highlight your work accomplishments and share how you’ve made a measurable impact in past roles with these verbs:
- Accelerated
- Accomplished
- Attained
- Boosted
- Combined
- Developed
- Founded
- Furthered
- Generated
- Hit
- Lifted
- Maximized
- Measured
- Outperformed
- Produced
- Raised
- Showcased
- Stimulated
- Sustained
- Targeted
Outperformed quarterly sales targets by 67% through effective negotiation and upselling techniques.
Use achievement verbs in your work experience section
A hiring manager expects to read about your accomplishments in your work experience section. Choose thoughtful action words for your resume to make your achievements sound as impressive as they are!
3. Teamwork action verbs
Demonstrate your ability to collaborate and contribute to a team’s success with these resume action verbs:
- Arranged
- Contributed
- Embraced
- Encouraged
- Energized
- Established
- Explored
- Forged
- Fostered
- Intervened
- Joined
- Moderated
- Organized
- Participated
- Partnered
- Planned
- Reorganized
- Taught
- United
- Volunteered
Moderated cross-functional team meetings to streamline collaboration between sales, marketing, and product development, leading to a 15% faster project turnaround.
4. Communication resume verbs
Include these words on your resume to show how well you communicate and connect with clients, customers, and team members:
- Advertised
- Articulated
- Briefed
- Clarified
- Conveyed
- Corresponded
- Debated
- Defined
- Documented
- Elicited
- Explained
- Expressed
- Interpreted
- Lectured
- Lobbied
- Mediated
- Outlined
- Persuaded
- Reinforced
- Transmitted
Briefed senior leadership on a $1.2M business continuity plan to ensure alignment on project execution, deliverables, and timeline.
5. Project management resume words
These project management verbs can show your ability to plan, execute, and deliver projects on schedule and within scope:
- Automated
- Brainstormed
- Charted
- Consolidated
- Contracted
- Controlled
- Deployed
- Discovered
- Engineered
- Envisioned
- Evaluated
- Executed
- Forecasted
- Governed
- Integrated
- Overhauled
- Patched
- Performed
- Plotted
- Projected
Executed the software rollout across 12 departments within two months while maintaining zero system downtime.
6. People management action verbs
Illustrate your people skills and show how you make an impact on others with these action verbs:
- Appraised
- Assigned
- Delegated
- Educated
- Empowered
- Enabled
- Facilitated
- Groomed
- Guided
- Hired
- Influenced
- Instilled
- Mentored
- Motivated
- Promoted
- Sponsored
- Supervised
- Tracked
- Trained
- Unified
Mentored four colleagues, two of whom were promoted within three years, through weekly check-in sessions and one-on-one feedback.
Use active voice, not passive
The verbs on your resume need to make clear what you’ve accomplished or how you’ve contributed to a team’s success. Using an active voice enables you to take ownership of these achievements.
Here’s an example of active vs. passive voice:
- Active: “Completed the project in two months.”
- Passive: “Project was completed in two months.”
See the difference? Stick with an active voice on your resume to show potential employers how you get the job done.
7. Customer service action words
Go beyond merely saying that you “serve customers,” using these action verbs to describe how you resolve conflicts and deliver top-notch customer service:
- Advised
- Advocated
- Assisted
- Attracted
- Concluded
- Consulted
- Cooperated
- Counseled
- Delivered
- Handled
- Hosted
- Incorporated
- Informed
- Interacted
- Negotiated
- Resolved
- Settled
- Supported
- Updated
- Verified
Resolved a company-record 150 customer complaints per week by using conflict resolution techniques and maintaining consistent response times.
8. Problem-solving resume action verbs
These resume words provide insights into your critical thinking skills and your ability to find solutions to tough problems:
- Addressed
- Allocated
- Arbitrated
- Catalogued
- Centralized
- Collected
- Compared
- Debugged
- Deciphered
- Derived
- Detected
- Estimated
- Experimented
- Fulfilled
- Identified
- Interceded
- Logged
- Rectified
- Synthesized
- Troubleshot
Rectified over 50 outstanding issues that had been dormant for more than a year by developing streamlined workflows for increased productivity.
9. Improved synonym verbs
Be specific about the ways you’ve used your strengths to achieve better processes or results with these action verbs:
- Acquired
- Adapted
- Advanced
- Amplified
- Augmented
- Championed
- Constructed
- Critiqued
- Differentiated
- Enhanced
- Exceeded
- Expanded
- Focused
- Ignited
- Launched
- Optimized
- Rebuilt
- Reconciled
- Restructured
- Transformed
Ignited a renewed focus within the management team to deliver an extra $950k in sales through strategic motivation and encouragement.
10. Researched action verbs
Use these verbs to showcase your ability to gather, evaluate, and analyze complex information:
- Analyzed
- Captured
- Checked
- Classified
- Compiled
- Conducted
- Considered
- Diagnosed
- Discerned
- Examined
- Inspected
- Quantified
- Reviewed
- Screened
- Scrutinized
- Steered
- Surveyed
- Traced
- Uncovered
- Undertook
Scrutinized market trends and uncovered a new product opportunity, leading to a successful launch that doubled market share within six months.
Include action verbs in your resume summary
Don’t forget to add some impactful action verbs to your resume summary as well. The verbs you use in your summary should be highly targeted to the job, showing what you can do and how you can contribute in the new role.
11. Organization resume words
Highlight your efficiency and attention to detail with these resume action words centered on organizational skills:
- Administered
- Aligned
- Authorized
- Customized
- Effected
- Ensured
- Filed
- Fixed
- Formulated
- Gathered
- Implemented
- Itemized
- Maintained
- Mapped
- Modified
- Networked
- Oriented
- Regulated
- Remodelled
- Upgraded
Implemented a new software solution that streamlined development workflows and reduced build time by 34%.
12. Creativity resume verbs
These resume action verbs can showcase the original ideas and innovative contributions you bring to the table:
- Architected
- Authored
- Composed
- Conceived
- Conceptualized
- Crafted
- Created
- Designed
- Drafted
- Fabricated
- Fashioned
- Illustrated
- Imagined
- Inspired
- Invented
- Piloted
- Probed
- Sparked
- Storyboarded
- Visualized
Drafted an optimized contract that increased compliance by 45% while simplifying client onboarding.
13. Worked on resume action words
Instead of saying that you “worked on” a project or task, impress an employer with one of these action-oriented resume words:
- Acted
- Adjusted
- Assembled
- Assessed
- Audited
- Calculated
- Collaborated
- Coordinated
- Curated
- Devised
- Initiated
- Investigated
- Made
- Mobilized
- Monitored
- Operated
- Perfected
- Processed
- Pursued
- Refined
Initiated a recruitment drive that led to hiring 15 qualified people within three months, reducing overtime costs by 14%.
14. Increased synonym verbs
Include these action words on your resume to share how you make a difference and deliver real results for businesses:
- Bolstered
- Built
- Capitalized
- Computed
- Cultivated
- Doubled
- Drove
- Enlivened
- Escalated
- Expedited
- Fortified
- Gained
- Intensified
- Multiplied
- Outpaced
- Revamped
- Revised
- Revitalized
- Surpassed
- Yielded
Revamped the overall online marketing strategy with a focus on paid advertising and organic search traffic, delivering a 25% uptick in sales.
15. Reduced action verbs
If you’ve lowered costs, saved time, or minimized pain points for organizations, highlight your accomplishments with these resume action words:
- Condensed
- Conserved
- Corrected
- Curtailed
- Decreased
- Deducted
- Diminished
- Dispensed
- Eliminated
- Extracted
- Lessened
- Lowered
- Minimized
- Saved
- Shattered
- Shrunk
- Slashed
- Streamlined
- Terminated
- Trimmed
Lowered average surgery wait times by 15 minutes through efficient scheduling protocols, increasing patient satisfaction by 25%.
Tips for using resume action words
On your resume, action verbs can highlight your skills and accomplishments and prove that you can get things done.
Here’s how to use action verbs most effectively on your resume:
- Start strong. In your work experience section, start each bullet point with a strong action verb. Choose unique verbs, like “coached” or “mobilized,” to get a hiring manager’s attention quickly.
- Choose verbs thoughtfully. Be as specific as possible when using action words on your resume. Think carefully about the situation and the action you took, and find a verb that best matches your experience.
- Tailor action verbs to the role. Read the job description and highlight the verbs an employer uses to describe the role’s requirements. Use those same verbs on your resume to show why you’re a good fit. These words can also help your resume pass an applicant tracking system (ATS).
- Replace overused phrases. Anyone can say they’re “detail-oriented” or a “team player.” Ditch these overused phrases and use more specific power verbs that show these traits in action.
- Pair verbs with quantifiable data. When you can, pair your resume action verbs with numbers or statistics, such as dollar amounts, rates, or percentages. These numbers support the verbs you’ve chosen and show your measurable impact in previous jobs.
- Don’t overuse action verbs. Action words are an essential part of your resume, but balance is key. Your resume should have a healthy mix of verbs, adjectives, and other information, including data and applicable keywords.
- Be authentic. While you should use strong verbs, make sure the final version of your resume sounds like you. If you have to look up a word’s definition because you’ve never used it before, it’s probably not the right one for your resume.
If you need help crafting a compelling resume with action verbs and powerful tips to impress employers, check out our online resume builder with market-tested resume templates!
