Remember to use the below action verbs when describing your skills and accomplishments in a resume or cover letter—by doing so, you’ll maximize the effectiveness of your accomplishments, and make potential employers take notice. Be sure to use the verbs in their proper context.
Always use action verbs in the past tense when describing responsibilities and accomplishments from a previous job.
Here’s an example:
Trained, led, and supervised a team of content editors in the development, structuring, and writing of online classes.
Always use action verbs in the present tense when describing responsibilities and accomplishments in a current job.
Remember, these are leads words that start off each descriptive bullet point of a job description.
Here's an example:
Train, lead, and supervise a team of content editors in the development, structuring, and writing of online classes.
Know that when it comes time build skills into your resume, LiveCareer is here to help. You can get skills building assistance by using our Resume Builder, which offers step-by-step guidance in creating a resume, or by using our resume templates, which are organized by job industry and title.
Action Verbs: Communication/People Skills
- Addressed
- Advertised
- Arbitrated
- Arranged
- Articulated
- Authored
- Clarified
- Collaborated
- Communicated
- Composed
- Condensed
- Conferred
- Consulted
- Contacted
- Conveyed
- Convinced
- Corresponded
- Debated
- Defined
- Developed
- Directed
- Discussed
- Drafted
- Edited
- Elicited
- Enlisted
- Explained
- Expressed
- Formulated
- Furnished
- Incorporated
- Influenced
- Interacted
- Interpreted
- Interviewed
- Involved
- Joined
- Judged
- Lectured
- Listened
- Marketed
- Mediated
- Moderated
- Negotiated
- Observed
- Outlined
- Participated
- Persuaded
- Presented
- Promoted
- Proposed
- Publicized
- Reconciled
- Recruited
- Referred
- Reinforced
- Reported
- Resolved
- Responded
- Solicited
- Specified
- Spoke
- Suggested
- Summarized
- Synthesized
- Translated
- Wrote
Action Verbs: Creative Skills
- Acted
- Adapted
- Began
- Combined
- Composed
- Conceptualized
- Condensed
- Created
- Customized
- Designed
- Developed
- Directed
- Displayed
- Drew
- Entertained
- Established
- Fashioned
- Formulated
- Founded
- Illustrated
- Initiated
- Instituted
- Integrated
- Introduced
- Invented
- Modeled
- Modified
- Originated
- Performed
- Photographed
- Planned
- Revised
- Revitalized
- Shaped
- Solved
Action Verbs: Data/Financial Skills
- Administered
- Adjusted
- Allocated
- Analyzed
- Appraised
- Assessed
- Audited
- Balanced
- Budgeted
- Calculated
- Computed
- Conserved
- Corrected
- Determined
- Developed
- Estimated
- Forecasted
- Managed
- Marketed
- Measured
- Netted
- Planned
- Prepared
- Programmed
- Projected
- Qualified
- Reconciled
- Reduced
- Researched
- Retrieved
- Slashed
- Sliced
Action Verbs: Helping Skills
- Adapted
- Advocated
- Aided
- Answered
- Arranged
- Assessed
- Assisted
- Clarified
- Coached
- Collaborated
- Contributed
- Cooperated
- Counseled
- Demonstrated
- Diagnosed
- Educated
- Encouraged
- Ensured
- Expedited
- Facilitated
- Familiarized
- Furthered
- Guided
- Helped
- Insured
- Intervened
- Motivated
- Prevented
- Provided
- Referred
- Rehabilitated
- Represented
- Resolved
- Simplified
- Supplied
- Supported
- Volunteered
Action Verbs: Management/Leadership Skills
- Administered
- Analyzed
- Appointed
- Approved
- Assigned
- Attained
- Authorized
- Chaired
- Considered
- Consolidated
- Contracted
- Controlled
- Converted
- Coordinated
- Decided
- Delegated
- Developed
- Directed
- Eliminated
- Emphasized
- Enforced
- Enhanced
- Established
- Executed
- Generated
- Handled
- Headed
- Hosted
- Improved
- Incorporated
- Increased
- Initiated
- Inspected
- Instituted
- Led
- Managed
- Merged
- Motivated
- Navigated
- Organized
- Originated
- Overhauled
- Oversaw
- Planned
- Presided
- Prioritized
- Produced
- Recommended
- Reorganized
- Replaced
- Restored
- Reviewed
- Scheduled
- Secured
- Selected
- Streamlined
- Strengthened
- Supervised
- Terminated
Action Verbs: Organizational Skills
- Approved
- Arranged
- Catalogued
- Categorized
- Charted
- Classified
- Coded
- Collected
- Compiled
- Corrected
- Corresponded
- Distributed
- Executed
- Filed
- Generated
- Incorporated
- Inspected
- Logged
- Maintained
- Monitored
- Obtained
- Operated
- Ordered
- Organized
- Prepared
- Processed
- Provided
- Purchased
- Recorded
- Registered
- Reserved
- Responded
- Reviewed
- Routed
- Scheduled
- Screened
- Submitted
- Supplied
- Standardized
- Systematized
- Updated
- Validated
- Verified
Action Verbs: Research Skills
- Analyzed
- Clarified
- Collected
- Compared
- Conducted
- Critiqued
- Detected
- Determined
- Diagnosed
- Evaluated
- Examined
- Experimented
- Explored
- Extracted
- Formulated
- Gathered
- Inspected
- Interviewed
- Invented
- Investigated
- Located
- Measured
- Organized
- Researched
- Reviewed
- Searched
- Solved
- Summarized
- Surveyed
- Systematized
- Tested
Action Verbs: Teaching Skills
- Adapted
- Advised
- Clarified
- Coached
- Communicated
- Conducted
- Coordinated
- Critiqued
- Developed
- Enabled
- Encouraged
- Evaluated
- Explained
- Facilitated
- Focused
- Guided
- Individualized
- Informed
- Instilled
- Instructed
- Motivated
- Persuaded
- Simulated
- Stimulated
- Taught
- Tested
- Trained
- Transmitted
- Tutored
Try it yourself! Add these skills to your resume by using the many tools that LiveCareer offers jobseekers.
