550+ Resume Action Verbs, Action Words, Power Words
- What are Action Verbs, Action Words or Power Words?
- A List of More than 550 Action Verbs for A winning Resume Writing.
- A Table of Action Words by 10 Different Skills
- A Useful Guide on Resume Action Words
What are Action Verbs, Action Words or Power Words?
Action words, or power words, are action verbs that add strength and positive implication to your job responsibilities or qualifications. There are many of them. You can find a list of more than 550 action verbs in the following list. You can also find a table which classify the action words by 10 different skill categories including Financial, Research, Teaching, Clerical/Detail, Communication, Management, Administrative, Creative and Helping.
Be aware of the words that you are using and consider their value in your resume. Do not go overboard with using varying terms, especially those that may change your role or your responsibilities. See in more detail on following useful guide on using the action words.
List of Action Verbs
There are more than 550 action verbs in the following list:
| A-B-C | D-E-F-G | H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O | P-Q-R-S | T-U-V-W |
| A 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 Arraigned Arranged Arrested Articulated Ascertained Aspired Assembled Assessed Assigned Assisted Assured Attained Attracted Audited Augmented Authored Authorized Automated Awarded B C |
Crafted Created Critiqued Crowned Cultivated Cured Customized Cut D E F G |
Grossed Guided H I J K L M N O |
Optimized Orchestrated Ordered Organized Originated Outlined Outsourced Overcame Overhauled Oversaw P Q R S |
Showed Simplified Simulated Sketched Slashed Sold Solicited 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Streamlined Strengthened Stressed Stretched Structured Studied Submitted Substituted Succeeded Suggested Summarized Superseded Supervised Supplemented Supplied Supported Surpassed Surveyed Sustained Synchronized Synthesized Systematized T U V W |
Action Verbs by Skills
The following is list of action verbs (action words) classified various skills including Financial, Research, Teaching, Clerical/Detail, Communication, Management, Administrative, Creative and Helping.
| Financial | Research | Teaching | Technical | Clerical/Detail |
| Adjusted Administered Allocated Analyzed Appraised Assessed Audited Balanced Budgeted Calculated Compared Computed Conserved Corrected Determined Developed Estimated Forecast Forecasted Managed Marketed Measured Netted Planned Prepared Programmed Projected Qualified Reconciled Reduced Reevaluated Researched Researched Retrieved Sold |
Analyzed Clarified Collected Compared Conceived Conducted Critiqued Detected Determined Diagnosed Disproved Evaluated Examined Experimented Explored Extracted Formulated Gathered Identified Inspected Interpreted Interviewed Invented Investigated Located Measured Organized Reported Researched Reviewed Searched Solved Studied Summarized Surveyed Systematized Systematized Tested Wrote |
Adapted Advised Clarified Coached Communicated Conducted Coordinated Critiqued Defined Developed Enabled Encouraged Evaluated Explained Facilitated Focused Guided Individualized Informed Initiated Instilled Instructed Lectured Motivated Persuaded Presented Set Goals Simulated Stimulated Stimulated Taught Tested Trained Transmitted Tutored Updated |
Adapted Analyzed Applied Assembled Built Calculated Computed Conserved Constructed Converted Debugged Designed Determined Developed Devised Engineered Fabricated Fortified Inspected Installed Maintained Operated Overhauled Printed Programmed Rectified Regulated Remodeled Repair Repaired Replaced Restored Solved Specialized Standardized Studied Trained Upgraded Upgraded Utilized |
Activated Altered Approved Arranged Assembled Cataloged 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 Tabulated Validated |
| Communication | Management | Administrative | Creative | Helping |
| Addressed Advertised Arbitrated Arranged Articulated Authored Clarified Collaborated Communicated Composed Condensed Conferred Consulted Contacted Conveyed Convinced Corresponded Counseled Debated Defined Developed Directed Discussed Drafted Edited Elicited Enlisted Explained Expressed Formulated Furnished Incorporated Influenced Interacted Interpreted Interviewed Involved Joined Judged Lectured Listened Marketed Mediated Moderated Motivated Negotiated Observed Outlined Participated Persuaded Presented Promoted Proposed Publicized Reconciled Recruited Referred Reinforced Renegotiated Reported Researched Resolved Responded Reunited Solicited Specified Spoke Suggested Summarized Synthesized Translated Wrote |
Achieved Administered Analyzed Appointed Approved Assigned Attained Authorized Chaired Conceived Considered Consolidated Contracted Controlled Converted Coordinated Decided Delegated Developed Directed Eliminated Emphasized Encouraged Enforced Enhanced Established Evaluated Executed Generated Handled Headed Hired Hosted Implemented Improved Incorporated Increased Initiated Inspected Inspired Instituted Launched Led Managed Merged Motivated Navigated Organized Originated Outlined Overhauled Oversaw Planned Presided Prioritized Produced Recommended Reevaluated Rejected Reorganized Replaced Reported Restored Reviewed Scheduled Secured Selected Streamlined Strengthened Supervised Terminated United |
Approved Achieved Arranged Cataloged Categorized Charted Classified Coded Collected Compiled Conceptualized Corrected Corresponded Created Customized Designed Distributed Established Executed Filed Founded Generated Implemented Incorporated Initiated Inspected Introduced Invented Logged Maintained Marketed Monitored Obtained Operated Ordered Organized Originated Persuaded Prepared Processed Provided Publicized Purchased Recorded Recruited Registered Reserved Responded Reviewed Routed Scheduled Screened Standardized Submitted Supplied Systematized Updated Validated Verified |
Acted Adapted Applied Began Combined Composed Conceived Conceptualized Condensed Created Customized Designed Developed Directed Displayed Drew Entertained Established Evaluated Fashioned Formed Formulated Founded Illustrated Initiated Instituted Integrated Introduced Invented Loaded Modeled Modified Molded Originated Perceived Performed Photographed Planned Presented Produced Refined Revised Revitalized Rewrote Shaped Solved Updated |
Adapted Advised Advocated Aided Answered Arranged Assessed Assisted Brought Clarified Coached Collaborated Contributed Cooperated Coordinated Counseled Dealt Demonstrated Diagnosed Educated Encouraged Enlisted Ensured Expedited Facilitated Familiarized Furthered Guided Helped Inspired Insured Intervened Maintained Modified Motivated Performed Prevented Provided Referred Rehabilitated Represented Resolved Simplified Supplied Supported Upheld Volunteered |
Useful Guide on Resume Action Words
You have heard it over and over again – a well-written resume is a winning resume. What does that mean? How can you determine whether your resume is written in a tone and style that employers will respond to? Synthesizing your educational achievements, years of your professional experience, and numerous qualifications you have acquired over the years into one to two pages is not easy to accomplish. Every phrase or statement you write has to convince your potential employer that you are the best candidate for the job. To do so, you will need to use action or power word.
Why Using Action Words or Power Words is Important?
When you submit your resume to your potential employer, there are two scenarios that will occur:
1. Your application will be run through a computer software program, which searches your resume for key terms as indicated by the employer. If your resume contains those key words, your resume will be pulled aside for further review.
2. A hiring manager, or most often a human resources associate, will receive a stack or resumes and scan through them quickly to pick out those that stand out the most, again based on certain keywords. It should now be clear why these action words are critical to your success in job hunting.
How to Use them?
When listing your employment history, each responsibility should be listed in bullet point form, with each statement starting with an action word. Using power verbs or phrases will indicate to your employer that you are driven by action and results and that you can effectively articulate your professional experience.
However, be aware of the words that you are using and consider their value in your resume. Do not go overboard with using varying terms, especially those that may change your role or your responsibilities. Additionally, you can find key action words in job descriptions. Review your resume against a job description and make sure that all required qualifications are addressed in your statements. This will also help you identify action words that the employer uses, which you can in turn use to customize your resume or cover letter to that specific job.
Always make sure that you are consistent in the way you list all of your responsibilities and qualifications, and make sure that your statements exude positive attitude and focus on actions and results. By doing so, you are guaranteed to create a winning resume that will get you noticed.
Related Useful Resume Resources
- Complete Resume Format, Form and Layout – Find out the complete resume form, format and layout with explanation on how to write each resume sections.
- Top 19 Effective Resume Writing Tips – Find out what are the top 19 effective resume writing tips to help you to write a winning resume and get the interview.)
- Resume Writing Software Reviews – Find out what is top rating Resume Writing Software programs as well as what is the most favorite one for other people.
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