The Best Resume Action Words Power Verbs List with 250+ Examples

The Best Resume Action Words Power Verbs List with 250+ ExamplesThe Best Resume Action Words Power Verbs List with 250+ ExamplesI am a really good team-player...I was responsible for managing...I dont really know what Im doing so Ill use the same ja genau over and over again...The last one is more or less the summation of the first two lines. Recruiters are so tired of going through the same points in hundreds of resumes that they develop an ability to read between the lines.And you cant blame them. When you scan resumes at that volume on a daily basis, it needs a whole anotlageher level of ingenuity to stand apart from everyone else.And thats where the action verbs for resume come in.The idea is not to sound like an English major who just graduated and is looking for avenues to flex his/her vocabulary muscles. The idea is to break free from the rest while being genuine and authentic.Our 2019 Guide to Resume Words with a focus on Action Verbs Examples will provide a detailed roadma p for you to shift your resume from oh well to wow.Well broadly be covering the following topicsWhat are action words or resume power verbs?Most people who are looking for quick hacks around making their resumes usually tend to scan the Job Description of the profiles they were in and pick points from there.Are you nodding silently because you do that too?Well, theres a downside to that. A JD is typically responsibility-based. Its designed to give the applicants an idea of the work theyll be doing.A resume, on the other hand, is achievement-based. Simply cherry-picking points from the JD will leave you high and dry. You need to turn the responsibility-based points in the JD to achievement-based points in the resume.How do you do that? Or rather, how do you that in a way which gets you those shortlists?Two words. Action verbs.Most resumes that we see, particularly IT resumes, will involve the same function endlessly across all profiles. So, for instance, if youve worked across 5 diff erent companies in IT, the work profile will more or less remain the same.But thats not the worst part. The worst part is you copypasting your points in one work profile into all other profiles. We know your work profiles were the same, but cant you show a tiny bit of initiative and at least try to not sound like a robot?What that essentially involves is a single work profile containing a few dozen points all beginning with Managing or installing, maintaining and troubleshooting...We get it. Your profile was the same. What else can I do?If you are asking that question right now, read on.Why action verbs for Resume?Let us start off by clarifying what action verbs are not.They are not steroids for your resumes. They wont beef up your achievements if there arent any to begin with.They are not designed to add unnecessary fluff to your resume. It shouldnt look like you used the default synonyms in MS Office for every word that you fancied - and believe us, most competent HRs and Recruite rs can figure that out too.They are simply the cherry on top. The cherry itself will do no good if there isnt a smackilicious cake below it. Action verbs for resume can only bolster your existing achievements but cant replace them.They dont describe your work profile. Or your self. They are only used to showcase how you accomplished your achievements. Additionally, they act as a breath of fresh air for the recruiters who are tired of seeing the same words day in and day out.Action verbs for resume possess an ability to elevate your responsibilities or achievements.You dont simply manage a team. You champion or spearhead a team.You dont reduce costs. You slash costs by x% or achieve a cost reduction by y%.The difference is subtle, but its significant enough to overshadow a dozen other resumes who are managing everything.Most people have a vague idea of the skills which they think are desirable. And they go on to include the same in their resume.For instance, I am an experienced Manag er possessing excellent team management and negotiation skills.Off the top, this looks like the partie who wrote it went through the JD and figured that the recruiters will be looking for Managers with team management and negotiation skills.But guess what. A hundred other applicants like you are doing the same.What do you do then?Show, dont tell.Show how you possess team management skills. Did you team surpass other teams w.r.t KPIs? Demonstrate how your negotiation skills helped achieve higher margins.Below examples will clear that right out.BORINGWOWPossesses excellent team management skillsChampioned a team of 15 to surpass KPI targets and secure the Top Rank out of 20 other regional teamsArmed with stellar negotiation skillsSpearheaded negotiations for the Microsoft B2B Strategic Alliance to achieve a cost reduction of 22%Difference between Resume Keywords and Resume VerbsWeve often seen people getting confused between Resume Keywords and Resume action words, but they are comple tely different concepts.Resume Keywords are centered around your base skills. They are the skills which the recruiters are looking for, which are critical to the vacancy which is advertised.Resume action words, on the other hand, are incorporated to elevate your existing achievements and refine them better. Their scope visvis Resume keywords is limited and are only there to present your achievements in a better light.A typical point in a resume will begin with an action word. The idea is to convince the recruiter how you accomplished something in a way better than the rest.Resume keywords will showcase your specific skills. They are majorly sourced from the Job Description, which indicate the priorities of the recruiter, the skills which the organization is looking for.For instance, process optimization, project management, cost control, etc. are all examples of resume keywords.On the other hand, directed, spearheaded, administered, etc. are all examples of resume action verbs.Resum e keywords play a critical role in getting you those shortlists that you want. Aligning and optimizing your resume along the lines of the keywords and skills which the recruiter is looking for will go a long way in surpassing the competition.Meanwhile, action words dont particularly help you directly in that regard, but they play a key role in refining your resume and helping you break away from the rest.Kickass Resume action verbs to replace commonly used wordsStrong Resume words for Planning or Strategic PlanningAdministeredDevelopedFormulatedPreparedRevisedAnticipatedDevisedIdentifiedPrioritizedStrategizeCommissionedEvaluatedObservedResearchedReservedDeterminedForecastedTailoredAdditionally, check out this great resource for more action verbs around Strategic PlanningGood Resume words for ManagingAlignedCultivatedDirectedEnabledFacilitatedFosteredGuidedHiredInspiredMentoredMobilizedMotivatedRecruitedRegulatedShapedSupervisedTaughtTrainedStrong Resume words for OrganizingAcquiredD esignatedActivatedCentralizedDesignedMapped outScheduledAdjustedFacilitatedOrderedChartedDispatchedEstablishedSecuredClassifiedSimplifiedArrangedImplementedProcuredAssembledContractedIncorporatedProgrammedSuggestedAssessedCoordinatedInstitutedRecruitedTrackedAssignedCustomizedIssuedRectifiedTrackedAuthorizedDelegatedGood Resume words for Supervising or LeadershipChairedAuthorizedCultivatedDelegatedDirectedEnabledExecutedFacilitatedFosteredGuidedHeadedHostedInspiredMentoredMobilizedOperatedOrchestratedOversawSpearheadedTrainedControlledInspectedScrutinizedReviewedRegulatedRefinedOversawOverhauledMonitoredMaintainedStrong Resume words for Executing or Worked on or Handled ArrangedCompiledComposedConstructedCreatedDevelopedEngaged InFashionedForgedActedAdministeredConductedFormulatedMade Progress OnOperatedOrganizedPerformedPreparedPerfectedPut TogetherSet UpUndertookTrainedExercisedInspectedScrutinizedReviewedRegulatedRefinedOversawOverhauledMonitoredMaintainedPursuedProcessedControl ledGood Resume words for CommunicationAdvocatedAuthoredClarifiedComposedConsultedConveyedConvincedCorrespondedDefinedExplainedFieldedIllustratedInfluencedInformedMediatedModeratedNegotiatedPromotedPersuadedPublicizedTransmittedSystematizedSynthesisedSurveyedSummarizedSubstantiatedSolicitedSpecifiedSanctionedRepresentedReportedRenderedReinforcedPerceivedPresentedMarketedInterpretedInstructedInferredEducatedTrainedDraftedDemonstratedDeliberatedBrainstormedArbitratedBriefedInterfacedStrong Resume words for HelpingAidedBolsteredEasedFamiliarizedPrescribedAccommodatedCoachedElevatedProvidedSavedAdvisedValidatedEnabledIntercededProtectedServedAlleviatedCooperatedEndorsedMobilizedRehabilitatedSustainedAssistedCounseledEnhancedModeledRelievedTutoredAssuredDealtEnrichedPolishedRescuedGood Resume words for Creativity or Problem SolvingAlteredDraftedOverhauledBuiltEnhancedPatchedCorrectedEstablishedPilotedCraftedFashionedPioneeredDesignedConceivedRebuiltDeterminedInitiatedResolvedDevisedInvent edBrainstormedTheorizedSynthesizedRevitalizedRevampedRemediedInvestigatedRemodeledFormulatedEngineeredDecipheredDebuggedConceptualizedStrong Resume words for Responsible for or Getting ResultsAccomplishedOperatedTargetedAcquiredPartneredRejuvenatedAchievedPerformedReduced / MinimizedActed AsPreparedRealizedCreatedProducedQualifiedFinishedSecuredQualifiedForgedSucceeded InOrchestratedNavigatedUndertookLaunchedNegotiatedIntegratedInnovatedIntegratedGeneratedExpeditedExcelledEliminatedDemonstratedGood Resume words for Team PlayerUnitedAssimilatedAcknowledgedCoalescedCollaboratedContributedDiversifiedEmbracedEncouragedEnergizedBlendedHarmonizedIgnitedJoinedVolunteeredMergedParticipatedPartneredResume Buzzwords 2019 List of Resume Verbs to Include and AvoidWhat to AvoidWhat to IncludeTipsHard WorkerAchievedMention instances to demonstrate your achievementsCreative/Outside the Box/InnovativeCreatedShow, dont tell. Detail your creative endeavours with examplesStellar CommunicatorInterfaced /NegotiatedDetail how your communication skills benefitted the organization across specific domainsResponsibleDirected/OrchestratedRealign your resume from a responsibility-based document to an achievement-based oneLeadershipDirected/FacilitatedTo morph what Tywin Lannister said, anyone who needs to say that he is a leader is no true leaderPassionateGained an in-depth understanding ofA passion to learn triumphs over the passion for anything else in any professional environment.Strategic ThinkerStrategy FormulationShowcase the strategies which you designed and the impact which it managed to deliverExperiencedTrack record ofThe former is vague and gives no concrete information. Mention a track record of the most significant thing youve done instead, with performance figures to showcase the quantifiable impactGo-getterTarget-orientedGo and get what? Be specific and highlight the targets which you successfully achievedSynergyAlliances/TeamworkIts not 2010 anymoreGo-to partSPOCMention SP OC only if you were, but do try and see if you can avoid the formerResults-drivenData-drivenThe former is a generic term which is hard to quantify. However, its easier to convince the recruiter that you rely on a data-driven approach by, surprise surprise, providing data.To Sum UpTo recap everything that we discussed till nowAction verbs for resume are different from resume keywords. The latter pertains to professional job skills which the recruiter is looking for. The former helps to realign your resume from responsibility-based to achievement-based.Simply stuffing your resume with action vebs will do you no good. Its always a better idea to validate everything that you say with quantifiable instances and achievements.If everyones special, no ones special. Resume buzzwords come and go with each passing season and its of critical importance to be aware of the trend. Our section on the 2019 Guide to Resume Keywords will give you an idea of which ones to use and which ones to avoid.Us e our extensive compendium of action verbs for resume grouped by resume skills to revamp your resumeStill have doubts regarding action verbs for resume in particular or resume writing in general? Drop in a line at teamhiration.com and our Resume Experts will personally help you out