← Back to Career Guides
Resume Action Verbs That Actually Matter
6 seconds
Average time recruiters spend on initial resume scan
Source: TheLadders eye-tracking study
40%
More likely to get an interview with achievement-focused action verbs
Source: Resume optimization research
Strong action verbs transform your resume from a boring list of duties into a compelling story of impact and achievement. Here's how to choose the right ones and avoid the clichés that make recruiters yawn.
Why Action Verbs Matter
The difference between "responsible for managing a team" and "led a team of 8 to exceed quarterly targets by 25%" is night and day.
Weak verbs make you sound passive:
Weak verbs make you sound passive:
- "Responsible for customer service"
- "Tasked with improving processes"
- "Helped with project management"
Strong action verbs make you sound like someone who gets things done: - "Resolved customer issues, achieving 95% satisfaction rating"
- "Streamlined approval process, reducing turnaround time by 40%"
- "Spearheaded product launch that generated $2M in first-quarter revenue"
The best action verbs are: - Specific — they paint a clear picture of what you did
- Active — you're the doer, not just present
- Achievement-focused — they imply results, not just effort
Before & After Examples
See the difference strong action verbs make:
❌ WEAK: "Responsible for social media accounts"
✅ STRONG: "Grew Instagram following from 2K to 15K in 6 months through targeted content strategy"
❌ WEAK: "Helped improve customer satisfaction"
✅ STRONG: "Redesigned onboarding flow, increasing customer retention by 32%"
❌ WEAK: "Worked on team projects"
✅ STRONG: "Coordinated cross-functional team of 12 to deliver product launch 2 weeks ahead of schedule"
❌ WEAK: "Handled budget and expenses"
✅ STRONG: "Managed $500K annual budget, reducing operational costs by 18% while maintaining quality"
❌ WEAK: "Assisted with hiring"
✅ STRONG: "Recruited and onboarded 25 new employees, improving time-to-hire by 35%"
Notice the pattern? Strong verbs + specific details + measurable outcomes = compelling resume bullets.
❌ WEAK: "Responsible for social media accounts"
✅ STRONG: "Grew Instagram following from 2K to 15K in 6 months through targeted content strategy"
❌ WEAK: "Helped improve customer satisfaction"
✅ STRONG: "Redesigned onboarding flow, increasing customer retention by 32%"
❌ WEAK: "Worked on team projects"
✅ STRONG: "Coordinated cross-functional team of 12 to deliver product launch 2 weeks ahead of schedule"
❌ WEAK: "Handled budget and expenses"
✅ STRONG: "Managed $500K annual budget, reducing operational costs by 18% while maintaining quality"
❌ WEAK: "Assisted with hiring"
✅ STRONG: "Recruited and onboarded 25 new employees, improving time-to-hire by 35%"
Notice the pattern? Strong verbs + specific details + measurable outcomes = compelling resume bullets.
150+ Action Verbs by Category
Use this reference when writing your resume bullets. Pick verbs that match your actual accomplishments.
Leadership & Management
Coached Coordinated Delegated Directed Enabled Facilitated Fostered Guided Headed Hired Mentored Mobilized Motivated Orchestrated Oversaw Recruited Shaped Spearheaded Supervised Trained Unified
Example: "Mentored 6 junior developers, with 4 promoted within 12 months"
Achievement & Results
Attained Delivered Earned Exceeded Outpaced Outperformed Overcame Reached Showcased Succeeded Surpassed Won
Example: "Exceeded annual sales quota by 140%, ranking #1 in region"
Growth & Improvement
Amplified Boosted Expanded Enhanced Expedited Generated Improved Increased Lifted Maximized Multiplied Optimized Raised Scaled Strengthened
Example: "Increased conversion rate from 2.1% to 4.8% through A/B testing"
Cost Reduction & Efficiency
Conserved Decreased Reduced Saved Simplified Streamlined Trimmed
Example: "Streamlined procurement process, reducing vendor costs by $120K annually"
Innovation & Creation
Built Created Designed Developed Devised Engineered Established Formulated Founded Implemented Initiated Instituted Introduced Launched Pioneered Proposed
Example: "Designed automated reporting dashboard, eliminating 15 hours/week of manual work"
Transformation & Change
Converted Digitized Integrated Merged Modernized Overhauled Redesigned Refactored Remodeled Reorganized Restructured Revamped Revitalized Transformed Updated Upgraded
Example: "Modernized legacy CRM system, improving data accuracy by 89%"
Analysis & Research
Assessed Audited Calculated Compiled Evaluated Examined Forecasted Identified Interpreted Investigated Measured Modeled Quantified Researched Surveyed Tested Tracked Visualized
Example: "Analyzed customer churn data, identifying 3 key drivers that informed retention strategy"
Communication & Influence
Briefed Composed Conveyed Convinced Drafted Edited Illustrated Lobbied Negotiated Persuaded Pitched Presented Promoted Publicized Published Wrote
Example: "Presented quarterly business reviews to C-suite, securing $800K budget increase"
Sales & Business Development
Closed Cultivated Forged Negotiated Partnered Secured Signed Sourced Upsold
Example: "Secured 12 new enterprise clients worth $1.2M in ARR"
Customer Support & Service
Advocated Consulted Educated Fielded Informed Resolved Supported
Example: "Resolved 95% of customer issues on first contact, earning company-wide recognition"
Technical & Execution
Automated Configured Debugged Deployed Executed Implemented Installed Maintained Migrated Operated Programmed Upgraded
Example: "Migrated 50+ applications to cloud infrastructure with zero downtime"
Leadership & Management
Use these when you led people, projects, or initiatives:
Chaired
Example: "Mentored 6 junior developers, with 4 promoted within 12 months"
Achievement & Results
Use these when you hit or exceeded goals:
Achieved
Example: "Exceeded annual sales quota by 140%, ranking #1 in region"
Growth & Improvement
Use these when you increased numbers or improved outcomes:
Accelerated
Example: "Increased conversion rate from 2.1% to 4.8% through A/B testing"
Cost Reduction & Efficiency
Use these when you saved time or money:
Consolidated
Example: "Streamlined procurement process, reducing vendor costs by $120K annually"
Innovation & Creation
Use these when you built something new:
Architected
Example: "Designed automated reporting dashboard, eliminating 15 hours/week of manual work"
Transformation & Change
Use these when you overhauled or modernized something:
Centralized
Example: "Modernized legacy CRM system, improving data accuracy by 89%"
Analysis & Research
Use these for data-driven work:
Analyzed
Example: "Analyzed customer churn data, identifying 3 key drivers that informed retention strategy"
Communication & Influence
Use these when you wrote, presented, or persuaded:
Authored
Example: "Presented quarterly business reviews to C-suite, securing $800K budget increase"
Sales & Business Development
Use these when you brought in revenue, clients, or partners:
Acquired
Example: "Secured 12 new enterprise clients worth $1.2M in ARR"
Customer Support & Service
Use these for client-facing roles:
Advised
Example: "Resolved 95% of customer issues on first contact, earning company-wide recognition"
Technical & Execution
Use these when you executed specific technical work:
Administered
Example: "Migrated 50+ applications to cloud infrastructure with zero downtime"
Verbs to Avoid
These phrases are overused, vague, or passive. Skip them:
❌ Responsible for — Says nothing about what you actually did
❌ Tasked with — You sound like someone who takes orders, not initiative
❌ Helped — Too vague. What did YOU specifically do?
❌ Participated in — Again, too passive
❌ Worked on — Lazy. Be specific.
❌ Assisted — Unless you were literally an assistant, use a stronger verb
❌ Familiar with — This isn't an accomplishment
❌ Duties included — Don't list duties, list achievements
❌ Team player — Show it through your accomplishments, don't state it
❌ Hard worker — Same as above
Instead of these weak phrases, focus on what you accomplished using strong action verbs + specific outcomes.
❌ Responsible for — Says nothing about what you actually did
❌ Tasked with — You sound like someone who takes orders, not initiative
❌ Helped — Too vague. What did YOU specifically do?
❌ Participated in — Again, too passive
❌ Worked on — Lazy. Be specific.
❌ Assisted — Unless you were literally an assistant, use a stronger verb
❌ Familiar with — This isn't an accomplishment
❌ Duties included — Don't list duties, list achievements
❌ Team player — Show it through your accomplishments, don't state it
❌ Hard worker — Same as above
Instead of these weak phrases, focus on what you accomplished using strong action verbs + specific outcomes.
The Formula for Powerful Resume Bullets
Combine strong action verbs with this proven formula:
[Action Verb] + [What You Did] + [How You Did It] + [Measurable Result]
Examples:
[Action Verb] + [What You Did] + [How You Did It] + [Measurable Result]
Examples:
- "Spearheaded customer retention program using email automation, reducing churn by 22%"
- "Redesigned checkout flow based on user research, increasing conversions by $400K annually"
- "Trained team of 15 on new CRM platform, achieving 100% adoption in 3 weeks"
- "Negotiated vendor contracts for office supplies, saving $85K while improving delivery times"
- "Launched content marketing strategy across 4 channels, growing organic traffic 185%"
Not every bullet needs all four elements, but the more specific you can be, the better.
Action Verbs for Different Industries
While many verbs work across industries, some are particularly effective in specific fields:
Tech & Engineering:
Architected, Automated, Debugged, Deployed, Engineered, Integrated, Migrated, Optimized, Programmed, Refactored, Scaled
Marketing & Creative:
Amplified, Authored, Branded, Composed, Conceptualized, Crafted, Curated, Designed, Illustrated, Launched, Promoted
Sales & Business Development:
Acquired, Captured, Closed, Cultivated, Generated, Negotiated, Penetrated, Pitched, Secured, Upsold
Finance & Operations:
Audited, Budgeted, Forecasted, Mitigated, Reconciled, Reduced, Streamlined, Tracked
Healthcare & Education:
Assessed, Counseled, Diagnosed, Educated, Facilitated, Guided, Mentored, Rehabilitated, Treated
Non-Profit & Social Services:
Advocated, Championed, Coordinated, Empowered, Mobilized, Organized, Rallied, Volunteered
Choose verbs that align with your industry's language and expectations.
Tech & Engineering:
Architected, Automated, Debugged, Deployed, Engineered, Integrated, Migrated, Optimized, Programmed, Refactored, Scaled
Marketing & Creative:
Amplified, Authored, Branded, Composed, Conceptualized, Crafted, Curated, Designed, Illustrated, Launched, Promoted
Sales & Business Development:
Acquired, Captured, Closed, Cultivated, Generated, Negotiated, Penetrated, Pitched, Secured, Upsold
Finance & Operations:
Audited, Budgeted, Forecasted, Mitigated, Reconciled, Reduced, Streamlined, Tracked
Healthcare & Education:
Assessed, Counseled, Diagnosed, Educated, Facilitated, Guided, Mentored, Rehabilitated, Treated
Non-Profit & Social Services:
Advocated, Championed, Coordinated, Empowered, Mobilized, Organized, Rallied, Volunteered
Choose verbs that align with your industry's language and expectations.
Quick Tips for Maximum Impact
1. Vary your verbs
Don't use "managed" five times. Mix it up: led, directed, oversaw, coordinated, spearheaded.
2. Match the job description
If the posting says "drive growth," use "drove" or "accelerated." If it says "optimize processes," use "streamlined" or "enhanced."
3. Put your best verbs first
Recruiters scan from top to bottom. Lead with your strongest, most impressive accomplishments.
4. Quantify whenever possible
"Increased sales" is weak. "Increased sales by 47% in Q3" is powerful.
5. Don't force it
If you didn't actually "spearhead" something, don't say you did. Choose verbs that accurately reflect your role.
6. Keep it consistent
Stick to past tense for previous roles, present tense for current role.
Don't use "managed" five times. Mix it up: led, directed, oversaw, coordinated, spearheaded.
2. Match the job description
If the posting says "drive growth," use "drove" or "accelerated." If it says "optimize processes," use "streamlined" or "enhanced."
3. Put your best verbs first
Recruiters scan from top to bottom. Lead with your strongest, most impressive accomplishments.
4. Quantify whenever possible
"Increased sales" is weak. "Increased sales by 47% in Q3" is powerful.
5. Don't force it
If you didn't actually "spearhead" something, don't say you did. Choose verbs that accurately reflect your role.
6. Keep it consistent
Stick to past tense for previous roles, present tense for current role.
Final Thought
Action verbs are powerful, but they're not magic. The real key is combining strong verbs with specific, quantified achievements. A resume full of "spearheaded" and "orchestrated" but no actual results won't impress anyone. Focus on what you accomplished, then choose the verb that best describes how you did it.