Action Verbs for Resumes

by WriteExpress Staff Writers

Use action verbs extensively in sales copy and abundantly throughout your resume and cover letters to promote your achievements and make a strong impression.

Begin cover-letter benefit statements with action verbs in this format:
Action verb - Tell what you did - State the result (cost savings, increased sales, etc.)

All Action Verbs

achieved
acted
activated
adapted
addressed
adjusted
administered
advised
aided
allocated
altered
analyzed
applied
appraised
approved
arbitrated
arranged
assembled
assessed
assigned
assisted
attained
audited
authored
balanced
brought
budgeted
built
calculated
catalogued
chaired
clarified
classified
coached
collected
communicated
compared
compiled
composed
computed
conceived
conceptualized
consolidated
contracted
coordinated
corresponded
counseled
created
critiqued
dealt
decided
defined
delegated
demonstrated
described
designed
detected
developed
devised
diagnosed
directed
dispatched
disproved
drafted
edited
educated
enabled
encouraged
engineered
enlisted
established
estimated
evaluated
examined
executed
expedited
explained
extracted
fabricated
facilitated
familiarized
fashioned
forecast
forecasted
formed
formulated
founded
gathered
generated
guided
handled
helped
identified
illustrated
implemented
improved
incorporated
increased
influenced
informed
initiated
inspected
inspired
instituted
instructed
integrated
interpreted
interviewed
introduced
invented
investigated
launched
lectured
led
listed
loaded
maintained
managed
marketed
mediated
moderated
modified
molded
monitored
motivated
negotiated
observed
operated
organized
originated
outlined
overhauled
oversaw
perceived
performed
persuaded
planned
prepared
presented
prioritized
processed
produced
programmed
projected
promoted
proofread
publicized
published
purchased
recommended
reconciled
recorded
reduced
reevaluated
referred
refined
rehabilitated
rejected
remodeled
renegotiated
repaired
reported
represented
researched
retrieved
reunited
reviewed
rewrote
scheduled
screened
searched
set goals
sold
solved
specified
spoke
stimulated
streamlined
strengthened
studied
summarized
supervised
supported
surveyed
systematized
taught
trained
translated
united
updated
upgraded
upheld
wrote

Action Verbs by Topic
Communication	Creative	Clerical or Detail	Financial	Helping
Management	Research	Resume Action Verbs	Teaching	Technical

Clerical or Detail	Creative	Communication
activated altered assembled approved arranged catalogued classified collected compiled described dispatched edited estimated executed gathered generated implemented inspected listed maintained monitored observed operated organized overhauled prepared processed proofread published purchased recorded reduced retrieved screened specified streamlined systematized	acted applied composed conceived conceptualized created designed developed directed established evaluated fashioned formed formulated founded illustrated instituted integrated introduced invented loaded molded originated perceived performed planned presented produced refined rewrote updated	addressed arbitrated arranged authored communicated corresponded counseled developed defined directed drafted edited enlisted formulated influenced interpreted lectured mediated moderated motivated negotiated persuaded promoted publicized reconciled reunited renegotiated reported researched summarized spoke translated wrote
Financial audited balanced budgeted calculated compared adjusted administered allocated analyzed appraised computed developed estimated forecast forecasted managed marketed planned projected reevaluated reconciled researched sold	Helping advised aided assessed assisted brought clarified coached coordinated counseled dealt demonstrated diagnosed educated encouraged enlisted expedited facilitated familiarized guided helped inspired maintained modified performed referred rehabilitated represented supported upheld	Management achieved administered analyzed assigned attained chaired conceived contracted consolidated coordinated decided delegated developed directed encouraged evaluated executed handled implemented improved incorporated increased inspired launched led managed motivated organized outlined oversaw planned prioritized produced recommended reevaluated rejected reported reviewed scheduled strengthened supervised united
Research clarified collected conceived critiqued detected diagnosed disproved evaluated examined extracted identified inspected interpreted interviewed investigated organized researched reported reviewed searched studied summarized surveyed systematized wrote	Teaching adapted advised clarified coached communicated coordinated defined developed enabled encouraged evaluated explained facilitated guided informed initiated instructed lectured persuaded presented set goals stimulated taught trained updated	Technical analyzed assembled built calculated computed designed devised engineered fabricated inspected maintained operated overhauled programmed remodeled repaired solved trained upgraded
Resume Action Verbs
anticipated arbitrated ascertained charted checked classified collected completed conducted conserved consolidated constructed controlled coordinated counseled created decided defined delivered detailed detected determined devised diagnosed directed discovered dispensed displayed disproved dissected distributed diverted dramatized drew drove eliminated empathized enforced established estimated evaluated examined expanded experimented explained expressed extracted filed financed fixed followed formulated founded gathered gave generated guided handled headed helped hypothesized identified illustrated imagined implemented improved improvised increased influenced informed initiated innovated	inspected installed instituted instructed integrated interpreted interviewed invented inventoried investigated judged kept led learned lectured lifted listened logged maintained made managed manipulated mediated memorized modeled monitored motivated navigated negotiated observed obtained offered operated ordered organized originated painted perceived performed persuaded photographed piloted planned played predicted prepared prescribed presented printed processed produced programmed questioned raised read realized reasoned received recommended reconciled painted perceived performed persuaded photographed piloted planned played predicted prepared prescribed presented	printed processed produced programmed projected promoted proof-read protected provided publicized purchased recorded recruited reduced referred rehabilitated related rendered repaired reported represented researched resolved responded restored retrieved reviewed risked scheduled selected sensed separated served sewed shaped shared showed sketched solved sorted summarized supervised supplied symbolized synergized synthesized systematized talked taught tended tested trained transcribed translated traveled treated troubleshot tutored typed unified united upgraded used utilized verbalized warned washed weighed wired worked

Action Verbs for Resumes

All Action Verbs

Action Verbs by Topic

Clerical or Detail

Creative

Communication

Financial

Helping

Management

Research

Teaching

Technical

Resume Action Verbs