Action Verbs
As a rule, students are often too brief in their description of their skills, qualities and traits. Consult the following list of action verbs when writing your resume and describing your experience.
A Helpful Strategy for Using These Verbs:
- Print this page
- Go through the entire list and check off all of the action verbs (skills) employers in your intended career field look for.
- Go through the list a second time and check off all of the verbs you have used in the experiences you are describing on your resume.
- Note the words that you have checked twice. Incorporate into your resume (and cover letters) the words that best sell your skills and abilities.
Action Verbs
A
| accelerated |
accomplished |
accounted for |
| achieved |
acquired |
acted |
| activated |
adapted |
added |
| addressed |
adjusted |
administered |
| adopted |
advertised |
advised |
| aided |
aligned |
alphabetized |
| analyzed |
anticipated |
applied |
| appointed |
appraised |
approved |
| arbitrated |
argued |
arranged |
| ascertained |
assembled |
assessed |
| assisted |
assumed |
assured |
| attained |
attended |
audited |
| authored |
authorized |
awarded |
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B
| balanced |
began |
billed |
| bolstered |
boosted |
bought |
| briefed |
brought |
budgeted |
| built |
|
|
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C
| calculated |
calibrated |
carried out |
| catalogued |
caught |
caused |
| chaired |
changed |
charted |
| checked |
chopped |
chose |
| classified |
cleared up |
closed |
| coached |
collected |
combined |
| communicated |
compared |
compiled |
| completed |
computed |
conceived |
| conceptualixed |
conciliated |
concluded |
| conditioned |
conducted |
confronted |
| conserved |
consolidated |
constructed |
| consulted |
continued |
contracted |
| controlled |
convinced |
coordinated |
| copied |
corrected |
corresponded |
| counseled |
counted |
crafted |
| created |
critiqued |
|
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D
| dealt |
debated |
deferred |
defined |
delegated |
delivered |
demonstrated |
designed |
detailed |
detected |
determined |
developed |
devised |
diagnosed |
did |
digested |
diminished |
directed |
discovered |
dispensed |
displayed |
disproved |
dissected |
distributed |
diverted |
drafted |
dramatized |
drew |
drew up |
dropped |
drove |
|
|
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E
| earned |
edited |
educated |
| effected |
elected |
electrified |
| eleiminated |
employed |
enabled |
| encouraged |
enforced |
enhanced |
| enjoyed |
enloarged |
enlisted |
| ensured |
entered |
entertained |
| estimated |
evaluated |
examined |
| executed |
exercised |
exhibited |
| expanded |
expedited |
experienced |
| explained |
explored |
expressed |
| extracted |
|
|
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F
| fabricated |
facilitated |
familiarized |
| figured |
filed |
filtered |
| financed |
fixed |
forecast |
| foresaw |
formed |
formulated |
| forwarded |
fostered |
found |
| founded |
|
|
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G
| gained |
gathered |
gave |
| generated |
governed |
grabbed |
| graded |
greeted |
grossed |
| guided |
|
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H
| handled |
harnessed |
hastened |
| headed |
heightened |
helped |
| highlighted |
hiked |
hired |
| housed |
hunted |
|
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I
| identified |
illustrated |
imagined |
| implemented |
improved |
improvised |
| included |
incorporated |
increased |
| indexed |
indicated |
indoctrinated |
| influenced |
informed |
initiated |
| innovated |
inspected |
inspired |
| installed |
instituted |
instructed |
| instrumented |
insured |
integrated |
| interpreted |
intervened |
interviewed |
| introduced |
invented |
inventoried |
| investigated |
|
|
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L
| labored |
launched |
lectured |
| led |
licensed |
located |
| looked |
|
|
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M
| made |
maintained |
managed |
| mapped |
marketed |
mastered |
| maximized |
measured |
mediated |
| mentored |
met |
modeled |
| moderated |
modified |
monitored |
| motivated |
moved |
|
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N
| named |
navigated |
negotiated |
| netted |
|
|
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O
| observed |
obtained |
opened |
| operated |
ordered |
organized |
| originated |
overcame |
oversaw |
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P
| paid |
painted |
participated |
| perceiveed |
perfected |
performed |
| persuaded |
photographed |
piloted |
| pioneered |
placed |
planned |
| played |
pliced |
predicted |
| prepared |
prescribed |
presented |
| preserved |
presided |
prevailed |
| preinted |
processed |
preoduced |
| profited |
programmed |
prohibited |
| projected |
promoted |
proofed |
| proposed |
protected |
proved |
| provided |
publicized |
published |
| purchased |
|
|
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R
| raised |
ran |
rated |
| realized |
reasoned |
received |
| recognized |
recommended |
reconciled |
| recorced |
recruited |
reduced |
| referred |
rehabilitated |
reinforced |
| related |
rendered |
renomvated |
| reorganized |
repaired |
replaced |
| reported |
represented |
rescued |
| researched |
resolved |
responded |
| restored |
resulted in |
retrieved |
| returned |
reveamped |
revealed |
| reviewed |
revised |
rewrote |
| routed |
|
|
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S
| said |
saved |
saw |
| scheduled |
scouted |
screened |
| scrutinized |
selected |
sent |
| served |
serviced |
set up |
| set |
sewed |
shaped |
| shipped |
shored up |
showed |
| sifted |
simplified |
sketched |
| smoothed |
sold |
solve |
| sorted |
sought |
sparked |
| spearheaded |
specified |
spoke |
| started |
stated |
stimulated |
| stopped |
straightened |
streamlined |
| strengthened |
stripped |
structured |
| studied |
submitted |
suggested |
| summariezed |
supervised |
supplied |
| suppported |
surmounted |
surpassed |
| surveyed |
synthesized |
systemized |
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T
| tabulated |
talked |
targeted |
| taught |
teamed with |
tended |
| tested |
tightened |
timed |
| took |
took over |
totaled |
| toured |
tracked |
trained |
| transcribed |
transferred |
transformed |
| translated |
transmitted |
traveled |
| treated |
tutored |
typed |
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U
| uncovered |
unearthed |
unfurled |
| unified |
upgraded |
used |
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W
| welcomed |
won |
worked |
| wrote |
|
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