T HA N K S F OR S HO PP I N G A T P AP PE R M I N T S T U D I O !

C HE C K O U T T HE L I S T BE L O W , A N D G ET R E A DY T O MA K E Y O U R RE S U ME W A Y M OR E E X C I T I N G . L I ST
M A D E B Y T HE M U SE E D I T OR ( T HE M US E . C O M )

POWERFUL ACTION VERBS TO USE IN YOUR RESUME IF…

1. YOU LED A PROJECT ....................................................................................................................................2

2. YOU ENVISIONED AND BROUGHT A PROJECT TO LIFE ...............................................................................2

3. YOU SAVED THE COMPANY TIME OR MONEY ............................................................................................2

4. YOU INCREASED EFFICIENCY, SALES,REVENUE, OR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION ........................................3

5. YOU CHANGED OR IMPROVED SOMETHING ..............................................................................................3

6. YOU MANAGED A TEAM .............................................................................................................................4

7. YOU BROUGHT IN PARTNERS, FUNDING, OR RESOURCES .........................................................................4

8. YOU SUPPORTED CUSTOMERS ...................................................................................................................4

9. YOU WERE A RESEARCH MACHINE .............................................................................................................5

10. YOU WROTE OR COMMUNICATED ..............................................................................................................5

11. YOU OVERSAW OR REGULATED .................................................................................................................6

12. YOU ACHIEVED SOMETHING........................................................................................................................6

13. ADDITIONALLY… ..........................................................................................................................................6

IN YOUR EDUCATION SECTION: ................................................................................................................................6

IN YOUR EXPERIENCE SECTION: ................................................................................................................................7

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1. YOU LED A PROJECT
If you were in charge of a project or initiative from start to finish, skip “led” and instead try:

Chaired Controlled Coordinated

Executed Headed Operated

Orchestrated Organized Oversaw

Planned Produced Programmed

2. YOU ENVISIONED AND BROUGHT A PROJECT TO LIFE

And if you actually developed, created, or introduced that project into your company? Try:

Administered Built Charted

Created Designed Developed

Devised Founded Engineered

Established Formalized Formed

Formulated Implemented Incorporated

Initiated Instituted Introduced

Launched Pioneered Spearheaded

3. YOU SAVED THE COMPANY TIME OR MONEY

Hiring managers love candidates who’ve helped a team operate more efficiently or cost-effectively.
To show just how much you saved, try:

Conserved Consolidated Decreased

Deducted Diagnosed Lessened

Reconciled Reduced Yielded

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4. YOU INCREASED EFFICIENCY, SALES,REVENUE, OR
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

Along similar lines, if you can show that your work boosted the company’s numbers in some way, you’re bound to
impress. In these cases, consider:

Accelerated Achieved Advanced

Amplified Boosted Capitalized

Delivered Enhanced Expanded

Expedited Furthered Gained

Generated Improved Lifted

Maximized Outpaced Stimulated

5. YOU CHANGED OR IMPROVED SOMETHING

So, you brought your department’s invoicing system out of the Stone Age and onto the interwebs? Talk about the
amazing changes you made at your office with these words:

Centralized Clarified Converted

Customized Influenced Integrated

Merged Modified Overhauled

Redesigned Refined Refocused

Rehabilitated Remodeled Reorganized

Replaced Restructured Revamped

Revitalized Simplified Standardized

Streamlined Strengthened Updated

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6. YOU MANAGED A TEAM

Instead of reciting your management duties, like “Led a team…” or “Managed employees…” show what an inspirational
leader you were with terms like:

Aligned Cultivated Directed

Enabled Facilitated Fostered

Guided Hired Inspired

Mentored Mobilized Motivated

Recruited Regulated Shaped

Supervised Taught Trained

Unified United

7. YOU BROUGHT IN PARTNERS, FUNDING, OR RESOURCES

Were you “responsible for” a great new partner, sponsor, or source of funding? Try:

Acquired Forged Navigated

Negotiated Partnered Secured

8. YOU SUPPORTED CUSTOMERS

Because manning the phones or answering questions really means you’re advising customers
and meeting their needs, use:

Advised Advocated Arbitrated

Coached Consulted Educated

Fielded Informed Resolved

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9. YOU WERE A RESEARCH MACHINE

Did your job include research, analysis, or fact-finding? Mix up your verbiage with these words:

Analyzed Assembled Assessed

Audited Calculated Discovered

Evaluated Examined Explored

Forecasted Identified Interpreted

Investigated Mapped Measured

Qualified Quantified Surveyed

Tested Tracked

10. YOU WROTE OR COMMUNICATED

Was writing, speaking, lobbying, or otherwise communicating part of your gig? You can explain just
how compelling you were with words like:

Authored Briefed Campaigned

Co-authored Composed Conveyed

Convinced Corresponded Counseled

Critiqued Define Documented

Edited Illustrated Lobbied

Persuaded Promoted Publicized

Reviewed

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11. YOU OVERSAW OR REGULATED

Whether you enforced protocol or managed your department’s requests, describe what you really
did, better, with these words:

Authorized Blocked Delegated

Dispatched Enforced Ensured

Inspected Itemized Monitored

Screened Scrutinized Verified

12. YOU ACHIEVED SOMETHING

Did you hit your goals? Win a coveted department award? Don’t forget to include that on your
resume, with words like:

Attained Awarded Completed

Demonstrated Earned Exceeded

Outperformed Reached Showcased

Succeeded Surpassed Targeted

13. ADDITIONALLY…

IN YOUR EDUCATION SECTION:

• If you don’t have any work experience, mention your education section first.
• Mention your latest educational entry on top.
• If you have a university degree, don’t mention your high school at all.
• ONLY mention GPA if you had a very impressive academic career (3.5 GPA plus).

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IN YOUR EXPERIENCE SECTION:

• JOB HUNTERS WITH NO EXPERIENCE - If you don’t have any experience, it might be a bit hard
to fill in your work experience section. You can either keep it empty and focus on all the other sections,
or fill it up with work experience in student organizations, non-profits, etc.

• ENTRY-LEVEL CANDIDATES - List all the work you’ve done up to now.

• MID-LEVEL PROFESSIONALS - ONLY mention work experience relevant to the position you’re

applying for.

• SENIOR PROFESSIONALS - List up to 15 years of relevant work experience MAX. If your

recent experience is as a CEO, no one cares about how you started your career as a cashier in your
teenage years.

Good luck!!!

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