Action Verbs

Resume bullets should begin with an action verb and demonstrate your impact, not list your job duties. Not all action words are created equal. (eg – collaborated with 3-person team is a strong start to an accomplishment statement compared to worked with 3-person team.

The following is a list of action verbs to help you articulate your accomplishments. Use keywords wisely and vary your verbs to avoid repetition.

Skills Focused:

  • Administered
  • Analyzed
  • Appointed
  • Approved
  • Assigned
  • Attained
  • Authorized
  • Chaired
  • Considered
  • Consolidated
  • Contracted
  • Controlled
  • Converted
  • Coordinated
  • Decided
  • Delegated
  • Developed
  • Directed
  • Eliminated
  • Emphasized
  • Enforced
  • Enhanced
  • Established
  • Executed
  • Generated
  • Handled
  • Headed
  • Hired
  • Hosted
  • Improved
  • Incorporated
  • Increased
  • Initiated
  • Inspected
  • Instituted
  • Led 
  • Managed
  • Merged
  • Motivated
  • Organized
  • Originated
  • Overhauled
  • Oversaw
  • Planned
  • Presided
  • Prioritized
  • Produced
  • Recommended
  • Reorganized
  • Replaced
  • Restored
  • Reviewed
  • Scheduled
  • Streamlined
  • Strengthened
  • Supervised
  • Terminated

  • Addressed
  • Advertised
  • Arbitrated
  • Arranged
  • Articulated
  • Authored
  • Clarified
  • Collaborated
  • Communicated
  • Composed
  • Condensed
  • Conferred
  • Consulted
  • Contacted
  • Conveyed
  • Convinced
  • Corresponded
  • Debated
  • Defined
  • Described
  • Developed
  • Directed
  • Discussed
  • Drafted
  • Edited
  • Elicited
  • Enlisted
  • Explained
  • Expressed
  • Formulated
  • Furnished
  • Incorporated
  • Influenced
  • Interacted
  • Interpreted
  • Interviewed
  • Involved
  • Joined
  • Judged
  • Lectured
  • Listened
  • Marketed
  • Mediated
  • Moderated
  • Negotiated
  • Observed
  • Outlined
  • Participated
  • Persuaded
  • Presented
  • Promoted
  • Proposed
  • Publicized
  • Reconciled
  • Recruited
  • Referred
  • Reinforced
  • Reported
  • Resolved
  • Responded
  • Solicited
  • Specified
  • Spoke
  • Suggested
  • Summarized
  • Synthesized
  • Translated
  • Wrote

  • Analyzed
  • Clarified
  • Collected
  • Compared
  • Conducted
  • Critiqued
  • Detected
  • Determined
  • Diagnosed
  • Evaluated
  • Examined
  • Experimented
  • Explored
  • Extracted
  • Formulated
  • Gathered
  • Identified
  • Inspected
  • Interpreted
  • Interviewed
  • Invented
  • Investigated
  • Located
  • Measured
  • Organized
  • Researched
  • Searched
  • Solved
  • Summarized
  • Surveyed
  • Systematized
  • Tested

  • Adapted
  • Assembled
  • Built
  • Calculated
  • Computed
  • Conserved
  • Constructed
  • Converted
  • Debugged
  • Designed
  • Determined
  • Developed
  • Engineered
  • Fabricated
  • Fortified
  • Installed
  • Maintained
  • Operated
  • Overhauled
  • Printed
  • Programmed
  • Rectified
  • Regulated
  • Remodeled
  • Repaired
  • Replaced
  • Restored
  • Solved
  • Specialized
  • Standardized
  • Studied
  • Upgraded
  • Utilized

  • Adapted
  • Advised
  • Clarified
  • Coached
  • Communicated
  • Conducted
  • Coordinated
  • Critiqued
  • Developed
  • Enabled
  • Encouraged
  • Evaluated
  • Explained
  • Facilitated
  • Focused
  • Guided
  • Individualized
  • Informed
  • Instilled
  • Instructed
  • Motivated
  • Persuaded
  • Set Goals
  • Simulated
  • Stimulated
  • Taught
  • Tested
  • Trained
  • Transmitted
  • Tutored

  • Administered
  • Adjusted
  • Allocated
  • Analyzed
  • Appraised
  • Assessed
  • Audited
  • Balanced
  • Calculated
  • Computed
  • Conserved
  • Corrected
  • Determined
  • Developed
  • Estimated
  • Forecasted
  • Managed
  • Marketed
  • Measured
  • Planned
  • Programmed
  • Projected
  • Reconciled
  • Reduced
  • Researched
  • Retrieved

  • Acted
  • Adapted
  • Began
  • Combined
  • Conceptualized
  • Condensed
  • Created
  • Customized
  • Designed
  • Developed
  • Directed
  • Displayed
  • Drew
  • Entertained
  • Established
  • Fashioned
  • Formulated
  • Founded
  • Illustrated
  • Initiated
  • Instituted
  • Integrated
  • Introduced
  • Invented
  • Modeled
  • Modified
  • Originated
  • Performed
  • Photographed
  • Revised
  • Revitalized
  • Shaped
  • Solved

  • Adapted
  • Advocated
  • Aided
  • Answered
  • Arranged
  • Assessed
  • Assisted
  • Cared For
  • Clarified
  • Coached
  • Collaborated
  • Contributed
  • Cooperated
  • Counseled
  • Demonstrated
  • Diagnosed
  • Educated
  • Encouraged
  • Ensured
  • Expedited
  • Facilitated
  • Familiarized
  • Furthered
  • Guided
  • Helped
  • Insured
  • Intervened
  • Motivated
  • Provided
  • Referred
  • Rehabilitated
  • Presented
  • Resolved
  • Simplified
  • Supplied
  • Supported
  • Volunteered

  • Approved
  • Arranged
  • Cataloged
  • Categorized
  • Charted
  • Classified
  • Coded
  • Collected
  • Compiled
  • Corresponded
  • Distributed
  • Executed
  • Filed
  • Generated
  • Implemented
  • Incorporated
  • Inspected
  • Logged
  • Maintained
  • Monitored
  • Obtained
  • Operated
  • Ordered
  • Organized
  • Prepared
  • Processed
  • Provided
  • Purchased
  • Recorded
  • Registered
  • Reserved
  • Responded
  • Reviewed
  • Routed
  • Scheduled
  • Screened
  • Set Up
  • Submitted
  • Supplied
  • Standardized
  • Systematized
  • Updated
  • Validated
  • Verified

  • Achieved
  • Completed
  • Expanded
  • Exceeded
  • Improved
  • Pioneered
  • Reduced (Losses)
  • Resolved (Issues)
  • Restored
  • Spearheaded
  • Succeeded
  • Surpassed
  • Transformed
  • Won

Accomplishment Focused:

  • Chaired
  • Controlled
  • Coordinated
  • Executed
  • Headed
  • Led
  • Operated
  • Orchestrated
  • Organized
  • Planned
  • Produced
  • Programmed

  • Administered
  • Built
  • Chartered
  • Created
  • Designed
  • Developed
  • Devised
  • Founded
  • Engineered
  • Established
  • Formalized
  • Formed
  • Formulated
  • Implemented
  • Incorporated
  • Initiated
  • Instituted
  • Introduced
  • Launched
  • Pioneered
  • Spearheaded

  • Centralized
  • Clarified
  • Converted
  • Customized
  • Influenced
  • Integrated
  • Merged
  • Modified
  • Overhauled
  • Redesigned
  • Refined
  • Refocused
  • Rehabilitated
  • Remodeled
  • Reorganized
  • Replaced
  • Restructured
  • Revamped
  • Revitalized
  • Simplified
  • Standardized
  • Streamlined
  • Strengthened
  • Transformed

  • Conserved
  • Consolidated
  • Decreased
  • Deducted
  • Diagnosed
  • Lessened
  • Reconciled
  • Reduced
  • Yielded

  • Accelerated
  • Achieved
  • Advanced
  • Amplified
  • Boosted
  • Capitalized
  • Delivered
  • Enhanced
  • Expanded
  • Expedited
  • Furthered
  • Gained
  • Generated
  • Improved
  • Lifted
  • Maximized
  • Optimized
  • Outpaced
  • Stimulated

  • Aligned
  • Cultivated
  • Directed
  • Enabled
  • Facilitated
  • Fostered
  • Guided
  • Hired
  • Inspired
  • Mentored
  • Mobilized
  • Motivated
  • Recruited
  • Regulated
  • Shaped
  • Supervised
  • Taught
  • Trained
  • Unified
  • United

  • Acquired
  • Forged
  • Navigated
  • Negotiated
  • Partnered
  • Secured

  • Advised
  • Advocated
  • Arbitrated
  • Coached
  • Consulted
  • Educated
  • Fielded
  • Informed
  • Resolved

  • Analyzed
  • Assembled
  • Assessed
  • Audited
  • Calculated
  • Discovered
  • Evaluated
  • Examined
  • Explored
  • Forecasted
  • Identified
  • Interpreted
  • Investigated
  • Mapped
  • Measured
  • Qualified
  • Quantified
  • Surveyed
  • Tested
  • Tracked

  • Authored
  • Briefed
  • Campaigned
  • Co-authored
  • Composed
  • Conveyed
  • Convinced
  • Corresponded
  • Counseled
  • Critiqued
  • Defined
  • Documented
  • Edited
  • Illustrated
  • Lobbied
  • Persuaded
  • Promoted
  • Publicized

  • Authorized
  • Blocked
  • Delegated
  • Dispatched
  • Enforced
  • Ensured
  • Inspected
  • Itemized
  • Monitored
  • Screened
  • Scrutinized
  • Verified

  • Attained
  • Awarded
  • Completed
  • Demonstrated
  • Earned
  • Exceeded
  • Outperformed
  • Reached
  • Showcased
  • Succeeded
  • Surpassed
  • Targeted