Resume Action Words: 400+ Best action verbs for resume

Why action words are so important in your resume?

OK,  please let us explain it to you on the illustrative example.

Two women, Jessica and Karen, were looking for a job over the Internet. They lived in the same city, had similar skills and experience. Once on the Internet, they found the job of their dream, and it was the same position in the same company. So they began to fill out an online job application. And then each of them went their own way. Karen decided to follow the simplest path. She used a template from the Internet with common boring words. But Jessica understood that the competition is very high and the only way to get this job is to stand out. One of the methods to do it is using action words in the resume. Therefore, she did not use template phrases that HR see over 100 times a day. Jessica used strong, compelling keywords that can catch recruiters’ eyes.

And so it came 2 days. Jessica and Karen constantly looked at their phone in expectation of such a desired call. And, how do you think, which of them had the phone ring from HR? You probably already guessed that Jessica`s resume was more successful than Karen`s resume, and Jessica got this job.

Best Action Words for Resume to Detail Your Leadership Skills:

• Controlled – Leading is important in a company. However, using this word means that you have a firm grasp of the job and can establish boundaries and deliverables.
• Spearheaded – Taking the lead in a project shows you have the ability to stand apart from the crowd and not feel intimidated by coworkers. Putting yourself in a leadership position for an idea or project demonstrates confidence.
• Headed – This shows that others look to you for guidance because your skills and talents are superior to others.
• Directed – Similar to some other words, this word implies that you are responsible for making sure others follow directions and properly trained for the job they expected to complete.
• Led – This is a simple, yet effective word. Telling an employer that you can lead and have done so in the past with success.
• Established – It is one thing to create an idea or process, but letting the company know that you can establish protocol is also important.
• Influenced – If you did not solely develop an idea or project, it is important not to take credit for it. However, you may have had an influence on it. That is why it is beneficial to identify things you had an influence on.

Also, you can use the following list of action verbs for resume:

Strong Action Verbs for Resume to Characterize Your Technical Skills:

• Upgraded – While you might not come up with the initial project or idea, if a company knows that you can expand it, it is very important.
• Developed – It is important to many companies that the employees have the ability to contribute to current initiatives and new ones.

Also, you can use the following list of action verbs for resume:

Good Action Words for Resume to Specify Your Finance Skills:

• Analyzed – It takes more understanding to be able to analyze something instead of just regurgitating facts. You need to be able to comprehend what things mean in the business context.
• Assessed – Similar to analyze, being able to assess the business needs based on research is a critical skill to have. You bring a lot to the table if you can properly assess a situation.

Also, you can use the following list of action verbs for resume:

Action Words for Resumes to Demonstrate Your Education Level:

• Compared – When you are looking at data or looking for data, many times you need to compare sets of data. Letting an employer know that you have the skills, training, and talent to dissect information and see the differences is important.
• Identified – As you are comparing and analyzing data, processes, or procedures, companies look for people who can identify problems and issues. Without this ability, needed changes may be overlooked and problems could continue without being rectified.
• Informed – Being informed shows an employer that you are willing to find the resources to make sure you are doing your job properly. It also shows that you are willing to ask help to get the right answers.

Also, you can use the following list of action verbs for resume:

Power Words for Resume to Represent You as a Team Player:

• Motivated – Using this word lets the employer know that you are passionate about your work and use your talents to help others use their skills too.
• Collaborated – This shows that not only can you bring in business, but you can create partnerships with companies and even coworkers.

Also, you can use the following list of action verbs for resume:

Also, don’t forget to read articles how to choose the best format for resume and acceptable resume fonts.

Resume Buzzwords to Write About Your Communication Skills:

• Advocated – It is important to be able to work with customers but also to advocate for them and your company. It shows loyalty and can be very important to a company.
• Consulted – If you are looking answers, you need to be able to reach out to others sometimes. Showing an employer that you can reach out and consult with others is critical. It means you know when to ask for help.
• Negotiated – So, you can partner with companies and bring in new business, but being able to negotiate the terms of contracts or even purchases lets an employer know that you will be able to save them money and create a viable relationship.

Also, you can use the following list of action verbs for resume:

Resume Keywords to Show How Creative You Are:

• Designed – Bringing new ideas to a potential employer is very attractive. So, highlighting projects that you designed can be very important.
• Created – Creating new policies or processes is very valuable to a new employer. So, it is important to make sure they know what you have done.
• Initiated – Being able to take the lead and get things done is very attractive to employers. They need to know that you can do the job and think ahead to what the company could need in the future.
• Improved – Telling a company that you have improved ideas at your current or previous employer lets them know that you have fresh ideas and will bring them with you.
• Modified – Being able to identify a way to improve something by tweaking it is critical to businesses. Employers need someone who is not always after the big changes, but can also identify the small modifications that can improve results.

Also, you can use the following list of action verbs for resume:

Powerful Resume Words for Describing Your Accomplishments:

• Resolved – This is important to mention because it shows that you follow things through to the end and do not leave things unfinished.
• Aligned – This will let the employer know that you take the company mission and values seriously and will make sure you adopt them appropriately.
• Guided – Using this word lets the employer know that you have to ability to use your skills to move projects along a proper timeframe.
• Inspired – This is a powerful word because companies are always looking for employees that can rise above the rest and have a positive impact on their coworkers.
• Trained – This word informs the employer that you had enough skills and talents that you were given the responsibility of teaching it to others so they can be successful as well.
• Secured – It is important to let the employer know that you not only spoke with new customers but secured the business.
• Acquired – This is similar to secured but also can be used to highlight the fact that you have been able to bring in new customers for your employer.

Also, you can use the following list of action verbs for resume:

There are so many more words you can use on your resume, but the above words are a good starting point. Many words seem to be saying the same thing, but there are subtle differences between some and significant differences between others. They will help you get the attention of a recruiter by letting them know what you have done for previous employers and what you can do for their company. Employers are looking for people who can achieve multiple competencies and using the appropriate words can let them know that you are the right candidate for their company.