To have your resume shine among several others, you have to use language that will communicate to your potential employer, why you are better than the rest. Here are some action words that you can use in your resume to send out the appropriate message. Take a look.
No matter how good you are at your job, if you are unable to put it down effectively in your resume, it is going to be difficult to get through to the potential employer. As such, given here are some powerful words for writing a resume that will distinctly enhance it. These are words that will showcase you in a positive light, and will have you appear worth your while.
The Importance of Using Action Words in your Resume
Sometimes, you don’t have the opportunity to be present when your resume is being perused by a potential employer. As such, your resume has to do all the talking for you. In your absence, how do you convince a potential employer that you are perfect for the job? How should he know that the resume in his hand is proof of your abilities to be the ideal employee? You therefore need to use some powerful, hard-hitting action words to support every task you have performed, every activity you have undertaken in college (if you don’t have work experience), and every skill you possess. This makes a whole world of a difference to the way you are perceived and can help you get at least that first meeting with the potential employer. So ready to make your resume speak for you? Here’s a whole list of words that you can use to have your resume stand out, irrespective of the type of resume it is.
A | |||
Accelerated | Acquired | Accomplished | Achieved |
Acquainted | Allocated | Adapted | Administered |
Addressed | Activated | Altered | Advanced |
Advised | Amended | Appointed | Arranged |
Applied | Analyzed | Assigned | Attended |
Approved | Appraised | Arbitrated | Attained |
Acted | Assembled | Assessed | Asked |
Apprised | Anticipated | Adhered | Assisted |
Attracted | Audited | Authorized | Augmented |
Averted | Authored | Awarded | Automated |
B | |||
Built | Boosted | Briefed | Balanced |
Broadened | Budgeted | Brought | Bargained |
C | |||
Caused | Consolidated | Classified | Clarified |
Chaired | Combined | Contracted | Controlled |
Communicated | Consulted | Coordinated | Conceptualized |
Changed | Compiled | Corrected | Concluded |
Conceived | Critiqued | Cataloged | Compared |
Completed | Considered | Commented | Closed |
Collected | Counseled | Constructed | Converted |
Created | Counted | Conducted | Continued |
D | |||
Decentralized | Deferred | Diagnosed | Decided |
Delegated | Distinguished | Documented | Diversified |
Distributed | Defined | Discounted | Discovered |
Designed | Developed | Dispatched | Drafted |
Devised | Diverted | Directed | Determined |
Devoted | Demonstrated | Delivered | Displayed |
Disclosed | Decreased | Dissembled | Divested |
Designated | Described | Doubled | Diagrammed |
E | |||
Expedited | Engaged | Employed | Executed |
Encouraged | Edited | Eased | Eliminated |
Exceeded | Enriched | Endorsed | Earned |
Enabled | Effected | Established | Enhanced |
Entered | Extended | Evaluated | Elected |
Enforced | Explained | Exposed | Estimated |
Extrapolated | Examined | Exercised | Expanded |
Entertained | Exempted | Extracted | Engineered |
F | |||
Focused | Functioned | Facilitated | Formed |
Focused | Functioned | Facilitated | Formed |
Figured | Furnished | Framed | Formalized |
Fulfilled | Familiarized | Fabricated | Formulated |
Forecasted | Fortified | Financed | Founded |
G | |||
Granted | Governed | Guided | Greeted |
Grossed | Generated | Graded | Grouped |
Gathered | Gauged | Gained | Gave |
Grew | Guaranteed | Graduated | Garnered |
H | |||
Hosted | Halved | Hired | Hypothesized |
Helped | Handled | Headed | Held |
I | |||
Interpreted | Investigated | Instructed | Inquired |
Incurred | Instilled | Innovated | Invented |
Introduced | Influenced | Indoctrinated | Induced |
Instituted | Increased | Interviewed | Inspired |
Instigated | Identified | Improvised | Involved |
Installed | Inventoried | Invested | Inaugurated |
Implemented | Insured | Illustrated | Initiated |
Informed | Integrated | Interacted | Issued |
J | |||
Joined | Judged | Justified | Jump-started |
Journeyed | Journaled | ||
L | |||
Launched | Lectured | Led | Leased |
Located | Leveraged | Learned | Lifted |
M | |||
Manipulated | Marketed | Monitored | Mediated |
Mobilized | Masterminded | Measured | Mapped |
Manufactured | Motivated | Modeled | Managed |
Moderated | Merged | Mentored | Maximized |
N | |||
Negotiated | Navigated | Neutralized | Normalized |
Named | Narrated | Nurtured | Netted |
O | |||
Observed | Outlined | Obtained | Oversaw |
Orchestrated | Organized | Operated | Overcame |
Originated | Overhauled | Opened | Ordered |
Outsourced | Offseted | ||
P | |||
Planned | Propagated | Propounded | Persuaded |
Participated | Presented | Perceived | Promoted |
Projected | Publicized | Proposed | Procured |
Presided | Predicted | Performed | Prevented |
Processed | Proved | Prioritized | Pioneered |
Prepared | Programmed | Propelled | Pinpointed |
Partnered | Protected | Produced | Perfected |
Probed | Preserved | Practiced | Provoked |
Q | |||
Qualified | Questioned | Quantified | Quadrupled |
R | |||
Reconciled | Recommended | Recorded | Reviewed |
Rendered | Redesigned | Raised | Referred |
Revolutionized | Refined | Remodeled | Regulated |
Repaired | Reorganized | Replaced | Reported |
Reduced | Recruited | Received | Realized |
Resolved | Responded | Restored | Restructured |
Routed | Reversed | Researched | Revised |
Revitalized | Recycled | Rated | Recognized |
S | |||
Searched | Solved | Standardized | Specialized |
Suggested | Studied | Simulated | Served |
Shaped | Scheduled | Supervised | Solicited |
Sorted | Saved | Satisfied | Surpassed |
Structured | Supported | Summarized | Shared |
Sponsored | Secured | Selected | Started |
Sustained | Systematized | Strengthened | Surveyed |
Spearheaded | Streamlined | Separated | Simplified |
T | |||
Transitioned | Targeted | Tested | Tutored |
Trained | Terminated | Transmitted | Taught |
Traveled | Transformed | Transcribed | Tracked |
Totaled | Traded | Troubleshot | Tightened |
U | |||
Upgraded | Utilized | United | Uncovered |
Updated | Undertook | Underwrote | Unraveled |
V | |||
Verified | Validated | Viewed | Volunteered |
Verbalized | Vitalized | Visualized | Ventured |
W | |||
Widened | Won | Wrote | Worked |
Weighed | Withdrew | Waged | Welcomed |
Believe it or not, there are definitely some more action words for resume writing that can make it in this list. For now, this is the best compilation possible. The use of these words in your cover letter and resume will make you appear as a proactive individual who is goal-driven and determined to succeed. Use these words well. They can make all the difference.