Your resume should give off a confident tone and illustrate your strengths. And the best way to do this is to use resume action verbs. Essentially, these verbs will help you define your contribution to each job persuasively and highlight your expertise. 

What are resume action verbs?

Action verbs describe the responsibilities and acquired skills on your resume. Unlike passive, overused verbs, action verbs are dynamic and powerful. Using them in bullet points will communicate your expertise in a concise yet persuasive manner. Additionally, a hiring manager is more likely to read through your resume if you use strong, active verbs. Altogether, action verbs are a powerful way to describe your capabilities and set you apart from other applicants.

Why is it important to use action verbs?

Action verbs make sentences more concise, easy to understand, and persuasive. Because of this, they are perfect for resumes. They allow you to save space on position descriptions yet still highlight your experience. Because action verbs describe the exact actions you carried out, they create a more specific and detailed image of your responsibilities. Also, they are not as overused and cliché, which will make your resume stand out.

But, possibly the most crucial reason to use resume action verbs is that they improve scannability and readability. Using action verbs from the job listing will help you pass through the ATS (applicant tracking system). Also, it will make it easier for the hiring manager to find essential skills and experience on your resume. Generally, resume action verbs leave a more significant impact on the reader. They will make your resume memorable and unique and increase your chances of landing the job.

How to use action verbs on your resume

To use action verbs, scan your resume for passive voice and forms of the verb “to be.” These are the most overused and weak forms of verbs that you should try to replace. Then, choose the relevant words from the list of action verbs below, and get to improving your resume.

Be as specific in your word choice as you can. Essentially, choose the words that define your experience in detail and sound compelling. If you’re not sure what verbs to use, don’t be afraid to use an online thesaurus to see all your choices.

Also, avoid using passive voice on your resume. It takes up more space and doesn’t sound as convincing as action verbs. An easy way to detect passive voice is to look for verbs that comprise two words. Apart from that, you can try and add “by you” behind the verb – if it still makes sense, it is passive voice. Minimizing your use of passive voice and replacing it with action verbs will make your resume easier to read and more concise.

List of resume action verbs

Creative Skills

Communication Skills

Leadership Skills

Management Skills

Helping Skills

Research Skills

Financial Skills

Efficiency Skills

Technical Skills

Teaching Skills

Remember: Action verbs can completely transform and improve your resume. When writing your resume, use this list of resume action verbs to find the words that best describe your experience. They will make your resume unique and compelling, giving you a competitive advantage over other candidates.