ACTION VERBS FOR RESUME WRITING
Employers hire people who can do things for them. Your resume should be written
to clearly communicate the message that you possess valuable skills, not that you have
simply existed for the past 21 years. One way to do this is to include action verbs that
accurately describe what you have accomplished (e.g., "I designed and administered
a student satisfaction survey, analyzed the results with a microcomputer statistics
program, and presented my findings at an undergraduate research conference). The
following list of verbs (modified from Lock, 1988) is a good place to start your search
for strong words to describe what you have accomplished.
| Adapted |
Designed |
Investigated |
Protected |
| Advised |
Developed |
Judged |
Questioned |
| Administered |
Diagnosed |
Learned |
Read |
| Analyzed |
Directed |
Lectured |
Reasoned |
| Applied |
Discovered |
Led |
Recommended |
| Approved |
Displayed |
Listened |
Reconciled |
| Arranged |
Drew |
Located |
Recorded |
| Assembled |
Edited |
Maintained |
Recruited |
| Assessed |
Encouraged |
Managed |
Reduced |
| Assisted |
Estimated |
Measured |
Reinforced |
| Balanced |
Established |
Mediated |
Reorganized |
| Budgeted |
Evaluated |
Memorized |
Repaired |
| Classified |
Expedited |
Mentored |
Reported |
| Clarified |
Followed |
Monitored |
Researched |
| Coached |
Forged |
Motivate |
Restored |
| Collected |
Formulated |
Negotiated |
Retrieved |
| Coordinated |
Founded |
Nurtured |
Revised |
| Communicated |
Gathered |
Observed |
Reviewed |
| Compared |
Generated |
Operated |
Scheduled |
| Compiled |
Guided |
Organized |
Shaped |
| Completed |
Handled |
Originated |
Simplified |
| Computed |
Helped |
Participated |
Solved |
| Conceived |
Identified |
Perceived |
Spoke |
| Conceptualized |
Implemented |
Performed |
Synthesized |
| Conducted |
Improved |
Persisted |
Streamlined |
| Confronted |
Improvised |
Persuaded |
Studied |
| Constructed |
Increased |
Planned |
Supervised |
| Contrasted |
Influenced |
Prepared |
Supported |
| Controlled |
Initiated |
Presented |
Taught |
| Coordinated |
Integrated |
Processed |
Tested |
| Comprehended |
Inspired |
Produced |
Trained |
| Counseled |
Installed |
Programmed |
Treated |
| Created |
Instructed |
Promoted |
Tutored |
| Decided |
Interpreted |
Proposed |
Validated |
| Defined |
Interviewed |
Proved |
Volunteered |
| Demonstrated |
Invented |
Provided |
Wrote |
If one of these words is close to something that you have done but does not quite
describe it, look it up in a thesaurus and check its list of synonyms for the right word.
Another good source for action verbs is the list of objectives that appear on class
syllabi. These objectives contain the skills you will acquire as a result of successfully
completing these classes.