These powerful positive action verbs make your resume achievements sound even more impressive.
Good resumes highlight achievements that are most relevant when applying for a job.
But there's a trap.
On the one hand, these are your achievements, so it could make sense to write “I grew…”, “I built…”, “I led…” and so on.
On the other hand, there's a good reason why first-person resumes are frowned upon: as the saying goes, there's no “I” in “team”, and all those “I's” make you sound self-centered with a big ego.
The solution?
Write your resume in the 3rd person, and begin each achievement mention or bullet point with a different positive action verb. Using action words this way implies the achievements are yours without you appearing conceited.
Here's a long this list of powerful action verb examples to get you started on your CV writing or resume update.
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All the resume action verbs you’ll ever need
In alphabetical order:
- Accelerated
- Accomplished
- Accounted for
- Accumulated
- Achieved
- Acquired
- Acted
- Activated
- Active in
- Adapted
- Addressed
- Adjusted
- Administered
- Advanced
- Advertised
- Advised
- Advocated
- Affected
- Aided
- Alerted
- Allocated
- Amplified
- Analyzed
- Answered
- Anticipated
- Applied
- Appointed
- Appraised
- Approved
- Arbitrated
- Arranged
- Arraigned
- Arrested
- Articulated
- Ascertained
- Aspired
- Assembled
- Assessed
- Assigned
- Assisted
- Assumed responsibility
- Assured
- Attained
- Attracted
- Audited
- Authored
- Automated
- Awarded
- Balanced
- Billed
- Blazed
- Boosted
- Bought
- Briefed
- Broadened
- Budgeted
- Built
- Calculated
- Campaigned
- Captured
- Carried out
- Cataloged
- Caused
- Centralized
- Chaired
- Championed
- Changed
- Channeled
- Charted
- Checked
- Clarified
- Classified
- Closed
- Coached
- Co-directed
- Collaborated
- Collected
- Co-managed
- Combined
- Commanded
- Commended
- Commented
- Communicated
- Compared
- Compiled
- Completed
- Composed
- Computed
- Conceived
- Conceptualized
- Condensed
- Conducted
- Conferred
- Conserved
- Considered
- Consolidated
- Constructed
- Consulted
- Contacted
- Contained
- Contracted
- Contributed
- Controlled
- Converted
- Convicted
- Coordinated
- Corrected
- Correlated
- Corresponded
- Corroborated
- Costed
- Counseled
- Counted
- Created
- Critiqued
- Crowned
- Cultivated
- Cured
- Customized
- Cut
- Dealt with
- Decided
- Decreased
- Defined
- Delegated
- Delivered
- Demonstrated
- Described
- Designated
- Designed
- Detected
- Determined
- Developed
- Devised
- Diagnosed
- Directed
- Discovered
- Dispatched
- Dispensed
- Displayed
- Dissected
- Distinguished
- Distributed
- Documented
- Doubled
- Drafted
- Drove
- Earned
- Economized
- Edited
- Educated
- Effected
- Eliminated
- Emphasized
- Employed
- Empowered
- Enabled
- Enacted
- Encouraged
- Ended
- Endorsed
- Energized
- Enforced
- Engaged
- Engineered
- Enhanced
- Enlarged
- Enlisted
- Ensured
- Entertained
- Established
- Estimated
- Evaluated
- Examined
- Exceeded
- Executed
- Expanded
- Expedited
- Experienced
- Experimented
- Explained
- Explored
- Expressed
- Extended
- Extracted
- Fabricated
- Facilitated
- Familiarized
- Fashioned
- Filed
- Filled
- Finalized
- Financed
- Fine-tuned
- Fixed
- Focused
- Forecast
- Forecasted
- Formed
- Formulated
- Fostered
- Found
- Founded
- Fulfilled
- Functioned as
- Furnished
- Gained
- Gathered
- Generated
- Graded
- Graduated
- Granted
- Grew
- Guided
- Halved
- Handled
- Harmonized
- Harnessed
- Headed
- Helped
- Hired
- Hypothesized
- Identified
- Illustrated
- Imagined
- Implemented
- Impressed
- Improved
- Improvised
- Incorporated
- Increased
- Indexed
- Indoctrinated
- Influenced
- Informed
- Initiated
- Innovated
- Inspected
- Inspired
- Installed
- Instigated
- Instituted
- Instructed
- Insured
- Integrated
- Interpreted
- Interviewed
- Introduced
- Invented
- Inventoried
- Invested
- Investigated
- Involved
- Issued
- Joined
- Judged
- Justified
- Kept
- Launched
- Lead
- Learned
- Leased
- Lectured
- Led
- Liaised
- Licensed
- Listed
- Located
- Logged
- Machined
- Made
- Magnified
- Maintained
- Managed
- Marketed
- Mastered
- Matched
- Maximized
- Measured
- Mediated
- Mentored
- Merged
- Met
- Met with
- Minimized
- Mobilized
- Moderated
- Modernized
- Modified
- Monitored
- Motivated
- Moved
- Named
- Navigated
- Negated
- Negotiated
- Netted
- Observed
- Obtained
- Opened
- Operated
- Optimized
- Orchestrated
- Ordered
- Organized
- Originated
- Outlined
- Overhauled
- Oversaw
- Participated
- Perceived
- Performed
- Persuaded
- Photographed
- Piloted
- Pinpointed
- Pioneered
- Placed
- Played
- Planned
- Predicted
- Prepared
- Presented
- Presided
- Prevented
- Printed
- Prioritized
- Processed
- Procured
- Produced
- Programmed
- Prohibited
- Projected
- Promoted
- Proofread
- Proposed
- Protected
- Proved
- Provided
- Publicized
- Published
- Purchased
- Pursued
- Qualified
- Queried
- Questioned
- Raised
- Ran
- Ranked
- Rated
- Reached
- Realigned
- Realized
- Reasoned
- Received
- Recognized
- Recommended
- Reconciled
- Recorded
- Recruited
- Redesigned
- Reduced
- Referred
- Registered
- Regulated
- Rehabilitated
- Reinforced
- Related
- Remodeled
- Rendered
- Reorganized
- Repaired
- Replaced
- Replied
- Reported
- Represented
- Reputed
- Researched
- Resolved
- Responded
- Restored
- Restructured
- Retrieved
- Revamped
- Reversed
- Reviewed
- Revised
- Revitalized
- Routed
- Saved
- Scheduled
- Screened
- Searched
- Secured
- Selected
- Separated
- Served
- Serviced
- Set or set up
- Shaped
- Shared
- Showed
- Simplified
- Simulated
- Sketched
- Slashed
- Sold
- Solidified
- Solved
- Sorted
- Sought
- Sparked
- Spearheaded
- Specialized
- Specified
- Spoke
- Sponsored
- Staffed
- Standardized
- Started
- Steered
- Stimulated
- Stored
- Streamlined
- Strengthened
- Stressed
- Stretched
- Structured
- Studied
- Submitted
- Substituted
- Succeeded
- Suggested
- Summarized
- Superseded
- Supervised
- Supplemented
- Supplied
- Supported
- Surpassed
- Surveyed
- Synchronized
- Synergized
- Systematized
- Tabulated
- Tackled
- Targeted
- Taught
- Terminated
- Tested
- Tightened
- Took or took over
- Totaled
- Toured
- Traced
- Tracked
- Traded
- Trained
- Transcribed
- Transferred
- Transformed
- Translated
- Transmitted
- Transported
- Traveled
- Treated
- Triggered
- Trimmed
- Tripled
- Triumphed
- Troubleshot
- Turned
- Tutored
- Typed
- Umpired
- Uncovered
- Understood
- Understudied
- Undertook
- Underwent
- Underwrote
- Unearthed
- Unified
- United
- Unraveled
- Updated
- Upgraded
- Urged
- Used
- Utilized
- Validated
- Valued
- Verbalized
- Verified
- Visited
- Vitalized
- Volunteered
- Waged
- Weighed
- Widened
- Won
- Worked
- Wrote
Finally, these powerful action words can also be used in your cover letters, LinkedIn profile, personal website or a bio appearing anywhere you promote your expertise.
Share this list with anyone you know who’s updating their resume.
Question of the article
Which do you think is the most overused positive action verb? Or which is your go-to? Tell us in the comments.
What others are saying
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- 60 Resume Achievement Writing Ideas and Expressions
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I’d love to see a list like this translated into Hebrew….
Translate
מוּאָץ
השיג
סטואי משפחה GuyAccounted עבור
צָבוּר
הושג
נרכש
פעל
מוּפעָל
פעיל
מְעוּבָּד
ממוען
מוּתאָם
מְנוֹהָל
מִתקַדֵם
המפורסם
מומלץ
דגל
מושפע
בעזרת
התראה
מוּקצֶה
amplified
מְנוּתָח
ענה
צָפוּי
אפלייד
מונה
מוֹעֳרָך
אושר
arbitrated
מְסוּדָר
כתב אישום
נֶעצָר
מְבוּטָא
הוברר
שאפו
מורכב
מוֹעֳרָך
שהוקצה
Assisted
אחריות להניח
בטוח
מוּשָׂג
נִמשָׁך
מבוקר
חברתי
אוטומטי
הוענק
מְאוּזָן
שחויב
יקד
שיפרה
קנה
תדרך
הרחיב
מתוקצב
נבנה
מְחוֹשָׁב
קמפיין
בשבי
בוצע
מקוטלג
גרם ל
מְרוּכָּז
מנחה:
דגל
השתנה
מְתוֹעָל
מופה
בָּדוּק
הבהיר
מְסוּוָג
סָגוּר
אימן
Co-מכוון
שיתף פעולה
Collected
Co-מנוהל
מְשׁוּלָב
פקדתי
מְקוּלָס
הגיבו להם
הודעה
בהשוואה
מלוקט
הושלם
מוּרכָּב
ממוחשב
יזום
להמשיג
מְעוּבֶּה
מנוהל
הנתונות
מְשׁוּמָר
נחשב
מאוחד
נבנה
התייעץ
קשר
מוכל
מְכוּוָץ
תרם
מְבוּקָר
המר
מוּרשָׁע
מְתוּאָם
מְתוּקָן
מְתוּאָם
תואם
Corroborated
costed
יעץ
נספר
נוצר
critiqued
עָטוּר
מְתוּרבָּת
נרפא
מותאם
גזירה
עסוק
החליט
מתחלש
מוּגדָר
האציל
נמסר
הפגין
מְתוּאָר
יָעוּדִי
מְעוּצָב
זוהה
נחוש בדעתו
מפותח
המציא
מאובחן
מְכוּוָן
גילה
שגרתי
חילק
מוצג
גָזוּר
נִכבָּד
מבוזרת
מְתוֹעָד
מוּכפָּל
מְנוּסָח
נסע
שנצברו
חסוך
עָרוּך
מְחוּנָך
שיבוצע
הודח בסיבוב
מודגש
מוּעֳסָק
רַשַׁאִי
מופעל
נחקק
עודד
הסתיים
מְאוּשָׁר
מוּמרָץ
נאכף
מְאוּרָס
תכנון הנדסי
משופר
מוּגדָל
מְגוּיָס
הבטיח
מְבוּדָר
מְבוּסָס
מְשׁוֹעָר
העריך
בדק
חריג
יצא לפועל
מוּרחָב
דחוף
מְנוּסֶה
ניסויים
הסביר
חקר
הביע
מורחב
חילוץ
מְפוּבּרָק
הקל
להכיר
נושן
שדה
מְמוּלָא
סופי
מְמוּמָן
מכויל
תוקן
מְרוּכָּז
תַחֲזִית
תחזית
נוצר
פורמולה
מְטוּפָּח
מצאתי
מְבוּסָס
מילא
שמש
מרוהט
צבר
אסף
Generated
מְדוּרָג
בוגר
אמנם
גדלתי
מוּדרָך
חָצוּי
מטופלים
התואם
רָתוּם
בראשותו
עזר
נשכר
שיערו
מזוהה
מְאוּיָר
מדומיין
מיושם
התרשמנו
מְשׁוּפָּר
מְאוּלתָר
התאגד
מוּגדָל
באינדקס
אינדוקטרינציה
מוּשׁפָע
מעודכן
יָזוּם
חידש
בָּדוּק
Inspired
מוּתקָן
יזם
הנהיג
הורה
מְבוּטָח
מְשׁוּלָב
פירשתי
בראיון
הציג
בדוי
רשימת מלאי
מוּשׁקָע
חקר
מְעוּרָב
הפיקו
הצטרף
אם לשפוט
מוּצדָק
שמר
הושק
עוֹפֶרֶת
מְלוּמָד
חָכוּר
הרצה
לד
שקשר
Licensed
רשום
ממוקם
ביקור אחרון
במכונה
עָשׂוּי
מוּגדָל
נשמר
מנוהל
משווק
mastered
מותאם
מוגדל
נמדד
מתווך
מורה רוחני
מוזג
נפגש
נפגש עם
ממוזער
התגייס
מנחה:
מודרניזציה
השתנה
פיקוח
מוטיבציה
נִרגָשׁ
ושם
מנווט
שללו
משא ומתן
מְרוּשָׁת
נצפים
שהושג
נפתח
מוּפעָל
אופטימלי
מְתוּזמָר
הורה
מְאוּרגָן
מקורו
התווה
שיפץ
פקחתי
השתתף
נתפס
מְבוּצָע
שכנע
צולם
טיס
איתרו
חלוץ
מוּצָב
שוחק
מתוכנן
חזוי
מוּכָן
מוצג
ניצח
מנע
מודפס
מועדף
מעובד
רכש
מיוצר
מתוכנה
אָסוּר
מוּקרָן
מקודם
לְהַגִיהַ
מוּצָע
מוּגָן
הוכיח
בתנאים
מְפוּרסָם
יצא לאור
נרכש
רָדוּף
מוסמך
בשאילתה
כשנשאל
מוּרָם
רן
הצביעו
דירוג
השיג
realigned
הבין
מְנוּמָק
קיבלו
מוּכָּר
מוּמלָץ
התפייס
מוּקלָט
גייסתי
תכנון מחדש
מוּפחָת
הפניות
רשום
מוסדר
מְשׁוּקָם
מזוין
קָשׁוּר
משופץ
שניתן
מחדש
מְתוּקָן
הוחלף
השיב
מדווח
מיוצג
נֶחשָׁב
מחקר
נפתר
הגיבו
מְשׁוּחזָר
שאורגן מחדש
מקור:
חידשה
הפוך
נבדק
מתוקן
המתחדש
מוּכרָע
נשמר
מתוזמנות
הוקרן
חיפוש
מְאוּבטָח
נבחר
מופרד
מוגש
Serviced
גדר או להגדיר
מְעוּצָב
מְשׁוּתָף
הראה
מְפוּשָׁט
סימולציה
מְשׂוּרטָט
חתוך
נמכר
הקרושה
נפתר
מְמוּיָן
חיפשו
הצית
חוד החנית
Specialized
נָקוּב
דברתי
ממומן
מְאוּיָשׁ
מְתוּקנָן
התחיל
ניווט
מוּמרָץ
מְאוּחסָן
זִרמִי
חיזק
לחוץ
מָתוּחַ
מובן
מְחוֹשָׁב
הוגש
הוחלף
הצליח
מוּצָע
תמציתי
המוחלף
בפיקוח
השלימו
מסופקת
נתמך
עלה
סקר
מסונכרן
Synergized
לשיטתי
נספר
לטפל
ממוקד
לימד
הסתיים
בָּדוּק
להדק
לקח או השתלטו
הסתכם
סייר
traced
במעקב
סל
מְאוּמָן
תעתיק
הועבר
שיניתי
מְתוּרגָם
המועבר במגע
מועבר
נסעתי
טופל
מופעל
גזוז
מוּכפָּל פִּי שָׁלוֹשׁ
ניצח
Troubleshot
פנה
חנך
שהוקלד
Umpired
חָשׂוּף
מובן
אילתר
התחייבתי
עברתי
חתמתי
חשף
מאוחד
מאוחד
מְפוּענָח
מְעוּדכָּן
משודרג
דחק
מְשׁוּמָשׁ
מעגל
תוקף
מוֹעֳרָך
מילולי
מְאוּמָת
ביקר
vitalized
התנדב
ניהלו
שקל
מוּרחָב
זכית
עבד
כתבתי
This is a great list, but it would also be nice to have a list like this in Hebrew.
@ Commentators above me:
Use Google Translator (http://translate.google.com/translate_t#
Since these are mere words, you will get them right I guess.
🙂
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Of course it helps if you really do display the characteristics behind those action words.
This is a great list and more thorough than many I’ve seen.
Of course, as @senthilnambi pointed out, you must display the characteristics behind the words – but provided that you do, this can help your resume stand out further by getting away from standard, boring phrases like “responsible for” and “duties included”. Focus on results you achieved, not just re-hashing your job description.
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A great list of verbs. I agree that your resume you should use active verb instead of passive verb. There are so many tools for job seekers. You just have to pay attention and use the resources available.
I am curious as to why ‘utilized’ is present. It always struck me as an odd, out-of-place-anywhere-it-was-used kind of word.
I’m not one to be pedantic, but the word ‘resume’ is missing the accent over the ‘e’. Punctuation ain’t in the list. Well, I must now resume my previous activity.
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Wow, I should use these great verbs for my resume!
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coming from a U N background you left out one of our faves – ‘positioned’. well done list.
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barry- ‘positioned’ seems neither positive nor negative, but it does depend on the context. Can you give me an example where it’s used positively e.g. by people at the UN?
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This is just a list of verbs…
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dear sir hello,
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This is a great list. It can be difficult sometimes to dig out of your brain just the right word for your resume or in other writing situations and a thesaurus does not always help. I got a few good positive verbs here. Thanks and good luck with your site!
Like how it has “Inspected,” “Pursued,” “Ran,” “Tackled,” “Arrested,” and “Questioned,” but not Convicted. Great resume material.
mcd- perhaps for e.g. law enforcement positions, “convicted” could be used as a positive resume verb. I’ve added it.
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If I ever teach English again, I’ll use this list to teach people how to write their resumes.
I tweeted this so other English teachers can use the list too.
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I see Trained… relatedly… “mentored”
Awesome, thanks Lauren! Added it to the list
BRILLIANT resource and so needed!
Thanks Melissa 🙂
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“Orchestrated” sounds like a bit too much to me. Unless you’re an orchestra conductor. 🙂
😀
Actually, “orchestrated” also means something in the IT industry. Truth be told, not all the verbs in the list are relevant for every industry. First-time job seekers are more likely to have a problem recognizing what’s proper, but regardless, any job seeker can google industry resumes + the action verb they’re considering to look for precedence.
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Just freshened up this article for the first time in a while 🚿
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