Action Words for Resume Writing

To have your resume shine among several others, you have to use language that will communicate to your potential employer, why you are better than the rest. Here are some action words that you can use in your resume to send out the appropriate message. Take a look.
Every organization wants to employ proactive, passionate, and goal-driven professionals. This is why they take the time to at least skim through every resume trying to pick out the best candidate possible for an interview. A bland resume that only speaks of your experience will definitely not work in your favor. What you need are specific action words you should use that will make your resume stand out among others. These are words that will showcase you in a positive light, and will have you appear worth your while. No matter how good you are at your job, if you are unable to put it down effectively in your resume, it is going to be difficult to get through to the potential employer. As such, given here are some powerful words for writing a resume that will distinctly enhance it.

The Importance of Using Action Words in your Resume

Sometimes, you don't have the opportunity to be present when your resume is being perused by a potential employer. As such, your resume has to do all the talking for you. In your absence, how do you convince a potential employer that you are perfect for the job? How should he know that the resume in his hand is proof of your abilities to be the ideal employee? You therefore need to use some powerful, hard-hitting action words to support every task you have performed, every activity you have undertaken in college (if you don't have work experience), and every skill you possess. This makes a whole world of a difference to the way you are perceived and can help you get at least that first meeting with the potential employer. So ready to make your resume speak for you? Here's a whole list of words that you can use to have your resume stand out, irrespective of the type of resume it is.

A
Accelerated Acquired Accomplished Achieved Acquainted Allocated Adapted Administered
Addressed Activated Altered Advanced Advised Amended Appointed Arranged
Applied Analyzed Assigned Attended Approved Appraised Arbitrated Attained
Acted Assembled Assessed Asked Apprised Anticipated Adhered Assisted
Attracted Audited Authorized Augmented Averted Authored Awarded Automated
B
Built Boosted Briefed Balanced Broadened Budgeted Brought Bargained
C
Caused Consolidated Classified Clarified Chaired Combined Contracted Controlled
Communicated Consulted Coordinated Conceptualized Changed Compiled Corrected Concluded
Conceived Critiqued Cataloged Compared Completed Considered Commented Closed
Collected Counseled Constructed Converted Created Counted Conducted Continued
D
Decentralized Deferred Diagnosed Decided Delegated Distinguished Documented Diversified
Distributed Defined Discounted Discovered Designed Developed Dispatched Drafted
Devised Diverted Directed Determined Devoted Demonstrated Delivered Displayed
Disclosed Decreased Dissembled Divested Designated Described Doubled Diagrammed
E
Expedited Engaged Employed Executed Encouraged Edited Eased Eliminated
Exceeded Enriched Endorsed Earned Enabled Effected Established Enhanced
Entered Extended Evaluated Elected Enforced Explained Exposed Estimated
Extrapolated Examined Exercised Expanded Entertained Exempted Extracted Engineered
F
Focused Functioned Facilitated Formed Figured Furnished Framed Formalized
Fulfilled Familiarized Fabricated Formulated Forecasted Fortified Financed Founded
G
Granted Governed Guided Greeted Grossed Generated Graded Grouped
Gathered Gauged Gained Gave Grew Guaranteed Graduated Garnered
H
Hosted Halved Hired Hypothesized Helped Handled Headed Held
I
Interpreted Investigated Instructed Inquired Incurred Instilled Innovated Invented
Introduced Influenced Indoctrinated Induced Instituted Increased Interviewed Inspired
Instigated Identified Improvised Involved Installed Inventoried Invested Inaugurated
Implemented Insured Illustrated Initiated Informed Integrated Interacted Issued
J
Joined Judged Justified Jump-started Journeyed Journaled -- --
L
Launched Lectured Led Leased Located Leveraged Learned Lifted
M
Manipulated Marketed Monitored Mediated Mobilized Masterminded Measured Mapped
Manufactured Motivated Modeled Managed Moderated Merged Mentored Maximized
N
Negotiated Navigated Neutralized Normalized Named Narrated Nurtured Netted
O
Observed Outlined Obtained Oversaw Orchestrated Organized Operated Overcame
Originated Overhauled Opened Ordered Outsourced Offseted -- --
P
Planned Propagated Propounded Persuaded Participated Presented Perceived Promoted
Projected Publicized Proposed Procured Presided Predicted Performed Prevented
Processed Proved Prioritized Pioneered Prepared Programmed Propelled Pinpointed
Partnered Protected Produced Perfected Probed Preserved Practiced Provoked
Q
Qualified Questioned Quantified Quadrupled -- -- -- --
R
Reconciled Recommended Recorded Reviewed Rendered Redesigned Raised Referred
Revolutionized Refined Remodeled Regulated Repaired Reorganized Replaced Reported
Reduced Recruited Received Realized Resolved Responded Restored Restructured
Routed Reversed Researched Revised Revitalized Recycled Rated Recognized
S
Searched Solved Standardized Specialized Suggested Studied Simulated Served
Shaped Scheduled Supervised Solicited Sorted Saved Satisfied Surpassed
Structured Supported Summarized Shared Sponsored Secured Selected Started
Sustained Systematized Strengthened Surveyed Spearheaded Streamlined Separated Simplified
T
Transitioned Targeted Tested Tutored Trained Terminated Transmitted Taught
Traveled Transformed Transcribed Tracked Totaled Traded Troubleshot Tightened
U
Upgraded Utilized United Uncovered Updated Undertook Underwrote Unraveled
V
Verified Validated Viewed Volunteered Verbalized Vitalized Visualized Ventured
W
Widened Won Wrote Worked Weighed Withdrew Waged Welcomed

Believe it or not, there are definitely some more action words for resume writing that can make it in this list. For now, this is the best compilation possible. The use of these words in your cover letter and resume will make you appear as a proactive individual who is goal-driven and determined to succeed. Use these words well. They can make all the difference. Good luck!
By
Published: 6/2/2011
Like This Article?
Follow:
Post Comment
Your Comments:
Your Name: