245 Powerful Resume Action Words

In order to make a great first impression during the hiring process is important to emphasize your most desirable skills, experiences, and accomplishments. The best way of doing this is through the use of powerful action words in a professionally formatted resume.

By using powerful verbs and strong and appropriate adjectives to convey your transferable abilities and job-specific skills, you’ll be able to easily create a targeted resume, designed with the intention of getting hired and advancing in your professional career.

When applying for jobs, whether you’re looking for a gig right out of college, switching careers, or searching for a new role to grow in your chosen industry, writing an effective resume is an essential step in the hiring process.

Since hiring managers typically review your resume and cover letter before ever meeting or speaking to you, it’s imperative that you use the professional documents to professionally introduce yourself, describe your qualifications, and make a lasting first impression.

Using several of the 245 power words outlined in this article will help you highlight your most desirable professional skills and job abilities and make your resume stand out from those of other competing applicants.

Closely following Zippia’s resume writing tips and guidebooks and diligently working to incorporate some of the top resume action words into the professional job application document will make your resume shine and bring you one step closer to landing your dream career.

Resume Action Verbs, Power Words, and Buzzwords

So, you might be wondering, what exactly are resume action verbs, power words, and buzzwords?

To put it simply, resume action verbs, power words, and buzzwords, are insightful verbs, adjectives, and words which, when used effectively and deliberately, are designed to bring your resume to life and showcase your hireability and biggest professional strengths, skills, and abilities.

• Action verbs are words that show your skills and abilities. These words express action, as their name indicates, and are used to demonstrate your skills and highlight previous work experience and job responsibilities. The best action verbs convey passion, enthusiasm, and drive and perfectly showcase your professional successes.

  When writing your resume, no matter what sort of job you’re applying for, it’s important to use unique and specific action verbs. These powerful words can help you capture a hiring manager’s attention and move forward in the hiring process.

• Power words are similar to action verbs in that they showcase your workplace skills and abilities, but, instead of expressing an action, power words describe your experiences and qualifications. Moreover, power words are strong adjectives designed for use on your resume or in your cover letter to illustrate your dedication, expertise, and ambition.

  When writing your resume, using too many power words can sometimes be cause for concern, but, when used sparingly and mindfully, they can be great tools to enhance your resume and give your job application the “facelift” you need to get hired.

• Buzzwords, also sometimes called action words, are words used to describe your roles and responsibilities in detail and are designed to add value to your resume. Buzzwords are important as they can differ from industry to industry.

  Usually, buzzwords can be found in job descriptions or advertisements and are used to narrow down the candidate pool.

  Nowadays, resumes are analyzed by computerized systems, which search for key buzzwords, before advancing to a hiring manager. Because of this, using the right buzzwords when writing your resume is vital to landing your dream job.

  Although important, too many buzzwords can sometimes take away from your skills and experience by crowding your resume with filler words. As essential as it is to use buzzwords, it’s also essential to use them sparingly and specifically.

  As a rule of thumb, it’s a good idea to avoid generalized, vague, and overused buzzwords, and, instead, focus on words that best describe your value as an employee.

What Power Words Accomplish

Resume power words, action verbs, and buzzwords work to convey your strongest professional skills, your qualifying job experiences, and your passion and excitement for working in the role you’re applying to.

Using strong and specific power words in your resume will place a bigger emphasis on the job-specific abilities you’re illustrating and allow your qualifications to speak for themselves.

Incorporating appropriate power words into your resume and cover letter can also help you avoid overly wordy descriptions that could mask your skills and strengths. Power words will work to keep your resume clean and concise and showcase your most desirable and relevant work experience and education.

Using power words in your resume and cover letter will help you convey confidence and illustrate a “go-getter attitude.”

How to Use Action Verbs In Your Resume

Action verbs and power words are only as effective as the way you use them.

If your resume is sloppy, poorly written, and riddled with generic, overused verbs and adjectives, you’re not going to get the same effect as you would if you properly structure your resume with significant and relevant action verbs.

In order to reap the benefits of resume power words, you must have a properly structured and grammatically correct resume that highlights your biggest strengths and accomplishments and is appropriately tailored to the job or industry you’re applying to.

The key to properly using action verbs and power words in your resume is choosing phrases that specifically enhance your personal skill set and experiences, writing in an active voice, and using the correct tense when discussing your career highlights.

When using action words to describe your responsibilities at a current job or professional skills, make sure to use the present tense. Contrarily, when discussing responsibilities you were tasked with at previous jobs, your action verbs should be in the past tense.

Double-checking your grammar and tenses, and working to only include action words that closely align with your skills and experiences will enable you to properly and efficiently use resume action verbs and power words.

1. Action Verbs to Showcase Management and Leadership

   Having solid leadership and management skills is a huge plus when applying to jobs. No matter the industry or job, hiring managers are always on the lookout for their company’s future leaders. If you have experience overseeing projects or coordinating a team, it’s essential to showcase this on your resume.

   Here are some of the most powerful words you can use to showcase your leadership abilities:

2. Oversaw

3. Planned

4. Coordinated

5. Headed

6. Produced

7. Orchestrated

8. Administered

9. Chaired

10. Hired

11. Implemented

12. Cultivated

13. Directed

14. Fostered

15. Enabled

16. Empowered

17. Supervised

18. Shaped

19. Trained

20. Refocused

21. Optimized

22. Championed

23. Coached

24. Then again, there’s one more thing you can do.

    Make a new resume and get more interviews.

    Plus, a great resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our resume builder here. Here’s what it may look like:

    Action Verbs to Showcase Accomplishments

    Since your resume in and of itself is a document used to showcase your professional accomplishments and abilities, it is imperative that you use strong verbs to describe your biggest and most relevant achievements. Using appropriate action verbs will clearly illustrate your work efficiency and allow you to put your best foot forward during the hiring process.

    To show your best professional accomplishments, try using verbs like these:

25. Modified

26. Replaced

27. Remodeled

28. Customized

29. Clarified

30. Integrated

31. Revamped

32. Streamlined

33. Upgraded

34. Transformed

35. Achieved

36. Sharpened

37. Spearheaded

38. Exceeded

39. Drove

40. Capitalized

41. Surpassed

42. Enacted

43. Established

44. Amplified

45. Earned

46. Guided

47. Action Verbs to Illustrate Job Responsibilities

    Clearly and concisely conveying your previous job responsibilities is immensely important when creating your resume and searching for your dream job. Efficiently communicating your previous work experience and the specific responsibilities you were tasked with on your resume will give you a leg-up among competing applicants.

    Here are some of the most impactful verbs you can use to illustrate your previous job responsibilities:

48. Analyzed

49. Handled

50. Improved

51. Executed

52. Initiated

53. Created

54. Accomplished

55. Delivered

56. Developed

57. Constructed

58. Built

59. Assembled

60. Operated

61. Organized

62. Facilitated

63. Engineered

64. Incorporated

65. Devised

66. Launched

67. Centralized

68. Led

69. Grew

70. Action Verbs to Describe Communication Skills

    Being able to effectively communicate, both verbally and in writing, is necessary to find professional success in nearly every industry. Whether you’re applying for a job as a delivery driver or a chief executive officer, you’ll be expected to have good communication skills. To make your resume shine, it’s essential to showcase your stellar communication skills.

    When describing communication skills on your professional resume or CV, consider using words like these:

71. Promoted

72. Illustrated

73. Informed

74. Negotiated

75. Moderated

76. Persuaded

77. Consulted

78. Corresponded

79. Explained

80. Clarified

81. Defined

82. Consulted

83. Advocated

84. Convinced

85. Presented

86. Documented

87. Collaborated

88. Campaigned

89. Edited

90. Reviewed

91. Motivated

92. Partnered

93. Action Verbs to Express Creativity

    Creative thinkers are usually very highly regarded by hiring managers and prospective employers. Showcasing your creative skills and your efficiency in generating new and exciting ideas on your resume and throughout the employee onboarding process will help you continue on in the hiring process and land the job of your dreams.

    Here are some of the best action verbs you can use to express creativity and originality:

94. Imagined

95. Inspired

96. Drafted

97. Customized

98. Published

99. Translated

100. Designed

101. Visualized

102. Edited

103. Curated

104. Conceptualized

105. Storyboarded

106. Modeled

107. Authored

108. Redesigned

109. Piloted

110. Fashioned

111. Crafted

112. Graphed

113. Drew

114. Modernized

115. Bolstered

116. Action Verbs to Illustrate Technical Experience

     Having technical experience and the job-specific skills and knowledge needed to complete tasks and be successful in your role is essential. Showcasing your practical, mechanical, mathematical, or scientific-technical skills on your resume will enable you to stand out during the hiring process.

     This is particularly applicable if you’re applying for a role in information technology, project management, programming, or business intelligence.

     When showcasing technical skills on your professional resume or CV, consider using words like these:

117. Reengineered

118. Fine-tuned

119. Finalized

120. Formatted

121. Backed-up

122. Equipped

123. Accelerated

124. Automated

125. Reconstructed

126. Balanced

127. Coded

128. Tested

129. Expediated

130. Installed

131. Architected

132. Discovered

133. Diagnosed

134. Programmed

135. Refined

136. Deployed

137. Consolidated

138. Delegated

139. Action Verbs to Showcase Work Efficiency

     If you can’t be efficient at work, chances are you’ll cost your company valuable time and money. Because of this, hiring managers and prospective employers usually only hire people that they have total confidence in. Using strong action verbs on your resume to showcase your work efficiency will illustrate your passion and drive and help you get hired.

     Here are some of the top action verbs you can add to your resume to illustrate your work efficiency and high productivity levels:

140. Maximized

141. Stimulated

142. Furthered

143. Gained

144. Generated

145. Sustained

146. Lifted

147. Rewrote

148. Enhanced

149. Discerned

150. Pioneered

151. Outperformed

152. Sparked

153. Steered

154. Endeavored

155. Founded

156. Expanded

157. Completed

158. Outpaced

159. Configured

160. Obtained

161. Solved

162. Action Verbs to Explain Research Skills

     These days, research skills are important in a wide range of professional careers, not just science and research analyst occupations. Hiring managers are looking for job-seekers who are well versed in collecting data, exploring and investigating new ideas, and analyzing information.

     To showcase your state-of-the-art research skills on your professional resume or CV, try using action verbs like these:

163. Calculated

164. Forecasted

165. Evaluated

166. Audited

167. Assessed

168. Identified

169. Tracked

170. Surveyed

171. Qualified

172. Investigated

173. Inspected

174. Verified

175. Screened

176. Inspected

177. Targete

178. Detected

179. Updated

180. Networked

181. Troubleshoot

182. Collected

183. Classified

184. Elicited

185. Extracted

186. Best Power Words to Add Adjectives to Your Resume and Cover Letter

     Resume action verbs are essential in highlighting your strongest skills, experiences, and accomplishments, but, that’s not to say that powerful adjectives aren’t equally as important. Incorporating a few thoughtfully placed and impactful adjectives around the action verbs in your resume will make your job application even stronger.

     Describing words and adjectives, when used sparingly and appropriately, can add an extra punch to your resume and cover letter and even give you a leg up among competing applicants.

     When using adjectives in your resume, it’s important to select the most relevant descriptors in order for them to have the biggest impact on hiring managers and future employers.

     Here’s an extensive list of the top adjectives you can add to your resume to help you stand out and get hired:

187. Fast-learning

188. Adaptable

189. Passionate

190. High-level

191. Diligent

192. Driven

193. Confident

194. Enthusiastic

195. Organized

196. Reliable

197. Versatile

198. Analytical

199. Innovative

200. Insightful

201. Complex

202. Intelligent

203. Methodical

204. Strategic

205. Meticulous

206. Practical

207. Cutting-edge

208. First-class

209. Progressive

210. Robust

211. Revolutionary

212. Imaginative

213. Groundbreaking

214. Sophisticated

215. Expert

216. Strong

217. Significant

218. Cost-effective

219. Superior

220. Proficient

221. Skillful

222. Sincere

223. Committed

224. Devoted

225. Genuine

226. Wholehearted

227. Alert

228. Focused

229. Persistent

230. Detailed

231. Precise

232. Structured

233. Systematic

234. Timely

235. Detail-oriented

236. Accurate

237. Loyal

238. Punctual

239. Professional

240. Dependable

241. Consistent

242. Clear

243. Diplomatic

244. Personable

245. Flexible

246. Multifaceted

247. Unique

248. Competent

249. Ingenious

250. Knowledgeable

251. Honest

252. Disciplined

253. Dynamic

254. Astute

Final Thoughts

Making use of powerful and insightful verbs and adjectives when writing your professional resume will help you highlight your key skills, stand out among job seekers, make a great first impression on hiring managers, and get the job of your dreams.

The best resumes stand out during the hiring process through the intelligent incorporation of action verbs, power words, and buzzwords.

By using the resume tips and action words outlined in this article, you’ll be well on your way to writing an impressionable professional resume, highlighting your strongest career successes during the hiring process, and landing the job of your dreams.

Author

Elsie Boskamp

Elsie is an experienced writer, reporter, and content creator. As a leader in her field, Elsie is best known for her work as a Reporter for The Southampton Press, but she can also be credited with contributions to Long Island Pulse Magazine and Hamptons Online. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Stony Brook University and currently resides in Franklin, Tennessee.