Resume - Action Verbs
No one seeking employment should be without carefully chosen action verbs to describe accomplishments, skills, and experiences on their resumes and cover letters!
| Administrative/Organizational Skills | |||||
| abbreviated abolished accomplished adjusted administered admitted advanced arranged bid categorized changed | charted closed distributed edited filed finalized formalized collected combined condensed consolidated | continued coordinated deployed displayed gathered highlighted mapped out merged monitored normalized operated | optimized orchestrated ordered organized outlined planned prepared prioritized processed produced projected | registered reorganized repaired replaced rescheduled reserved retained routed scheduled shipped streamlined | submitted summarized supplied supported systemized transcribed transformed updated upgraded utilized verified |
| Communication/Helping Skills | |||||
| acknowledged acquainted addressed advertised advocated aimed answered appealed arbitrated articulated assisted | bestowed briefed calmed collaborated communicated contacted contracted conveyed cooperated corresponded corroborated | debated discerned discussed dispensed diverted elevated emphasized endorsed greeted influenced interacted | interviewed introduced justified listened marketed mediated molded motivated navigated negotiated participated | partnered persuaded presented prescribed promoted propelled proposed provided queried questioned reconciled | renegotiated represented resolved responded sold spoke unified verbalized |
| Creative Skills | |||||
| accentuated acted catered composed conceived conceptualized crafted customized created derived designed | developed devised diversified drafted enacted engineered enhanced entertained established exhibited extricated | fashioned forged formed fortified founded illustrated imagined implemented improvised individualized initiated | innovated inspired integrated intensified invented mastered minimized modeled modified optimized originated | perceived performed positioned photographed pioneered produced proliferated prospected realigned rebuilt recycled | renewed renovated reused solidified sparked specialized transformed transitioned trimmed wrote |
| Data/Financial Skills | |||||
| accounted for accumulated added adjusted bought budgeted calculated certified aligned allocated altered | analyzed anchored appraised audited balanced budgeted catalogued collected compared computed counted | counteracted cut decreased documented earned economized eliminated entered estimated expedited expended | exported factored financed forecasted furnished garnered generated imported increased insured inventoried | lowered liquidated maximized measured projected processed received recorded reduced reviewed revised | saved secured selected slashed supplemented totaled tracked transferred upgraded yielded |
Action Verbs for Resumes and Letters
| Management/Leadership Skills | |||||
| accomplished achieved adjudicated appointed approved attained attended authorized brainstormed centralized | chaired championed closed commanded commissioned considered controlled curtailed critiqued delegated | demonstrated designated determined directed distinguished dominated drove elected enforced entrenched | executed excelled foresaw governed headed housed hosted hired involved joined | launched led leveraged managed moderated officiated orchestrated oversaw presided progressed | regulated reinforced repositioned restructured spearheaded strategized supervised terminated thwarted won |
| Teaching/Training Skills | |||||
| adapted addressed advised affirmed captivated cautioned celebrated clarified coached | conducted consulted corrected counseled debugged delivered demonstrated educated employed | empowered enabled encouraged evaluated explained facilitated fostered graded guided | handled hired implemented informed instilled instituted instructed interviewed lectured | licensed mentored observed oriented quizzed recruited rehabilitated reinforced serviced | stimulated studied substantiated taught trained tutored united |
| Technical/Research Skills | |||||
| ascertained analyzed applied authenticated built capitalized certified classified coded compared complied | conceptualized conducted connected constructed converted deciphered decoded defined detected diagnosed differentiated | discovered examined experimented explored focused generated hypothesized identified indicated inspected installed | interpreted investigated located logged manipulated manufactured piloted pinpointed predicted procured programmed | rated recaptured reengineered researched restored resulted in retrieved revealed safeguarded screened searched | separated solved specified standardized surveyed synthesized tested troubleshot uncovered upgraded validated |
| Miscellaneous Skills | |||||
| accelerated acquired administered aided assembled assessed assigned assumed assured augmented authored awarded | captured catapulted commercialized compelled completed concluded conserved crystalized decided detailed doubled earned | effected elicited endured energized enlisted ensured exceeded exercised exhorted expanded exploded extracted | familiarized | overcame overhauled perfected proved purchased purified qualified raised recognized rejuvenated remedied returned | revitalized sanctified satisfied served spearheaded strengthened succeeded surpassed synergized targeted |
Examples of action verbs in action ...
- “Achieved highest annual sales volume among 90 employees at retail store.”
- “Provided network and desktop support to over 100 users across six departments.”
- “Collaborated with co-workers to develop a semester teaching unit on culture, ethnicity, and identity.”
- “Organized and facilitated two, in-service training programs for residence hall advisors.”
For more information, visit www.kent.edu/career