Professional Development, Tips & Techniques

Looking for a new Job? Beef up your Resume with these action verbs

Vocabulary matters.

words by: Natasha Marsh

Apr 21, 2020

Whether you have a job or are searching for one, keeping your resume up-to-date should always be top of mind. Most successful professionals update resumes monthly or quarterly. Information and recent projects are fresh in their minds and get harder to translate on paper the longer they wait.

It’s one thing to update your resume regularly. It’s another to create a resume that stands out. In a saturated job world, soon to be even more saturated with COVID-19, standing out is the key. Hiring managers delve over countless resumes daily, the last thing you want is to miss a potential opportunity because you used too many common words.

So, let’s get a little more creative. No matter what skill or accomplishment you’re hoping to showcase, we have just the action verb for you below.

You saved the company time or money…

First of all, if this is you, always lead with this on your resume. It is impressive and shows your potential employer you not only get your work done but you are resourceful in doing it. Skip the word “saved” and try:

Deducted
Decreased
Reduced
Yielded
Conserved

You increased sales or customer satisfaction…

Managers will be impressed that you boosted sales but even more impressed if you say it like this:

Accelerated
Amplified
Expedited
Capitalized
Advanced

You managed a team…

Stay away from “I lead a team” or “I looked after six employees” instead say:

Fostered
Supervised
Guided
Shaped
Steered

You were a communications wizard…

Regardless of industry, communicating effectively and with multiple departments or clients will always be an asset. Instead of saying you communicate well, try any of the below: