Learn to love action words

Words like accomplished, managed, developed, launched, implemented, and presented will make your resume stand out.

Some companies scan resumes electronically, so the computer will pick up on key action words. Computer programs are to pull those candidates that meet certain criteria. Computers are searching for one thing: action keywords that have been picked by the hiring manager and relate to the position. Don’t fall under the radar; give your resume action right away.

ABC List of Action Words

A
accelerated accomplished achieved addressed administered advised allocated answered appeared applied appointed appraised approved arranged assessed assigned assisted assumed assured audited awarded

B

bought briefed broadened brought budgeted built

C

cataloged caused changed chaired clarified classified closed collected combined commented communicated compared compiled completed computed conceived concluded conducted conceptualized considered consolidated constructed consulted continued contracted controlled converted coordinated corrected counseled counted created critiqued cut

D

dealt decided defined delegated delivered demonstrated described designed determined developed devised diagnosed directed discussed distributed documented doubled drafted

E

earned edited effected eliminated endorsed enlarged enlisted ensured entered established estimated evaluated examined executed expanded expedited experienced experimented explained explored expressed extended

F

filed filled financed focused forecast formulated found founded

G

gathered generated graded granted guided

H

halved handled helped

I

identified implemented improved incorporated increased indexed initiated influenced innovated inspected installed instituted instructed insured interpreted interviewed introduced invented invested investigated involved issued

J

joined

K

kept

L

launched learned leased lectured led licensed listed logged

M

made maintained managed matched measured mediated met modified monitored motivated moved

N

named navigated negotiated

O

observed opened operated ordered organized oversaw

P

participated perceived performed persuaded planned prepared presented processed procured programmed prohibited projected promoted proposed provided published purchased pursued

Q

qualified questioned

R

raised ranked rated realized received recommended reconciled recorded recruited redesigned reduced regulated rehabilitated related reorganized repaired replaced replied reported represented researched resolved responded restored revamped reviewed revise

S

saved scheduled selected served serviced set set up shaped shared showed simplified sold solved sorted sought sparked specified spoke staffed started streamlined strengthened stressed stretched structured studied submitted substituted succeeded suggested summarized superseded supervised surveyed systematized

T

tackled targeted taught terminated tested took toured traced tracked traded trained transferred transcribed transformed translated transported traveled treated trimmed tripled turned tutored

U

umpired uncovered understood understudied unified unraveled updated upgraded used utilized

V

verbalized verified visited

W

waged weighed widened won worked wrote