50+ Strong Action Verbs You Need to Use on Your Resume Now
By Jessica Holbrook Hernandez, Expert Resume Writer
Stop using passive terms on your resume; passive terms dilute the quality and value of what you offer the employer. Seriously, if you’re using any of the following terminology, you need to make a change today!
Demonstrated mastery of...Responsibility for...Duties included...Worked with...Familiar with...Knowledge of (or) Knowledgeable in...
These passive terms are not action-oriented, and they make for a rather lackluster resume. Instead, show the employer exactly what you’re capable of achieving and bringing to the table! Below you’ll find a list of 50+ strong action verbs that you can put on your resume NOW to spice things up!
| Advance | Discern | Halt |
| Anchor | Dispense | Handle |
| Architect | Draft | Head |
| Arrange | Drive | Illustrate |
| Augment | Earn | Imagine |
| Believe | Effectuate | Institute |
| Bestow | Eliminate | Instruct |
| Brainstorm | Empower | Integrate |
| Brief | Enact | Intensify |
| Capitalize | Endeavor | Lower |
| Capture | Endorse | Maintain |
| Centralize | Enforce | Network |
| Champion | Enliven | Optimize |
| Classify | Ensure | Orchestrate |
| Convey | Entrench | Predict |
| Decipher | Equalize | Renovate |
| Deploy | Extricate | Spark |
| Derive | Forge | Steer |
| Detect | Formulate | Terminate |
| Devise | Foster | Unify |
| Differentiate | Graduate | Visualize |
| Direct | Guide | Win |
Remember that word choice is important—and so is customizing your resume for each position. For tips on how to brand your resume, check out my recent article: 5 Key Areas to Target When Branding Your Resume.
About the Author
Jessica Hernandez, is a resume authority for the Job Talk America radio program and multi-published expert author for resume, career, and job search publications. She boasts more than ten years in human resources management and hiring for Fortune 500 companies and utilizes her extensive experience to support job seekers in their quest to move onward and upward in their careers. Find out more at Great Resumes Fast.
Check out the latest Career Insider eNewsletter - April 26, 2012.
