400+ Action Verbs for Your Resume [Examples & Guide]

In today’s competitive hiring climate, every word on your resume matters. The strategic use of powerful action verbs can significantly enhance your resume's impact. 

Action words convey your accomplishments clearly and vividly, captivating hiring managers and increasing your chances of securing an interview.

Explore tailored action verb examples for resumes and use our Resume Builder to craft a job application that impresses even the toughest recruiters. 

What are action verbs?

Action verbs are words that describe actions. They bring your resume to life by making your writing more dynamic and engaging.

Strong action words for resumes are crucial for communicating key competencies and accomplishments and detailing your professional history. 

Our Certified Professional Resume Writers curated resume verb lists for various roles, industries, skills and achievements to help you stand out from the crowd and get hired faster.

Action verbs for top jobs

Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting your career journey, the right action verbs on your resume can make all the difference in showcasing your skills and accomplishments. 

We’ll provide examples of strong action verbs for resumes by job title so that you can tailor your resume to the role.

Navigate to the following job titles:

Action verbs for an accountant resume

Being in charge of finances is a big task. Use these resume action verbs to describe your accounting responsibilities and accomplishments effectively.

See also: Accountant Resume Examples and Templates

Action verbs for a business operations manager resume

As a business operations manager, you ensure efficiency, productivity and profitability across departments. Use these resume action words to showcase your leadership and organizational skills.

See also: Business Operations Manager Resume Examples and Templates

Action verbs for a cashier resume

As a cashier, you create positive customer experiences by maintaining a friendly demeanor and offering assistance when needed. These action words will help you communicate your skills and achievements.

See also: Cashier Resume Example and Tips

Action verbs for a consultant resume

As a consultant, you provide expert advice and strategic solutions to help organizations achieve their business goals. Use these action verbs on your resume to boost your accomplishments.

See also: Tax Consultant Resume Examples and Guide

Action verbs for a high school resume

As a high school student, emphasize your skills and educational accomplishments. Elevate your high school resume by incorporating these strong verbs for your resume.

See also:

• High School Resume Templates and Writing Guide
• How to Make a High School Resume for a College Application

Action verbs for an HR coordinator resume

As an HR coordinator, you play a pivotal role in facilitating recruitment, onboarding and employee relations. Use this action verbs list for your resume to showcase your skills. 

See also: 

• HR Coordinator Resume Examples and Template
• Human Resources Skills for a Resume

Action verbs for a nursing resume

As a nurse, you provide compassionate care to your patients, ensuring their comfort and well-being. Use these resume action words to show employers how much you care.

See also: Nursing Resume Examples and Templates

Action verbs for a project manager resume

You get things done. Describe your project management skills effectively with the following resume action verbs for project management resumes.

See also: Technical Project Manager Resume Templates and Examples

Action verbs for a server resume

You do a lot more than serve customers. Impress hiring managers with the full range of your skill set with these strong resume action verbs.

See also: Food and Beverage Server Resume Examples

Action verbs for a teacher resume

When you’re in charge of a classroom, you can tell employers that you teach, but so will every other teacher. Try some of these action words instead:

See also: Teacher Resume Examples and Templates

Action verbs for top industries

Unlock the potential of your resume across various industries with these powerful action words, carefully curated to make your achievements shine. 

Whether you’re in finance, marketing or transportation, these versatile verbs will elevate your resume and captivate potential employers.

Navigate to the following industries:

Action verbs for administration resumes

You make sure things run smoothly and efficiently. Give impact to your daily tasks with these action words.

See also: Administrative Resume Examples and Templates

Action verbs for construction resumes

Getting a job in an evolving industry requires a dynamic job application. Build a strong foundation with these resume action words. 

See also:

• Construction Resume Examples and Templates
• Construction Skills for a Resume

Action verbs for technology resumes

You analyze complex problems, develop innovative algorithms and create advanced solutions to technological challenges. This list of action verbs will help you demonstrate your strengths.

See also: Information Technology Resume Examples and Templates

Action verbs for culinary resumes

Workers in the culinary industry wear many hats. Spice up your resume with these strong action verbs. 

See also: Culinary Job Resume Examples and Templates

Action verbs for customer service resumes

As a job seeker in the customer service industry, you have a diverse range of skills. Present them powerfully with these strong resume action verbs. 

See also: Customer Service Resume Examples and Templates

Action verbs for engineering resumes

You design, develop and implement innovative solutions to complex problems across various industries. This action verbs list will help you bring your accomplishments to life. 

See also: Engineer Resume Examples and Templates

Action verbs for healthcare resumes

Action verbs are crucial for highlighting your many accomplishments in the healthcare industry. Boost your healthcare resume with these action verbs.

See also: 

• Healthcare Support Resume Examples and Templates
• Healthcare Skills for a Resume

Action verbs for marketing resumes

The following resume action words effectively convey the dynamic and strategic nature of most marketing roles. Use them to emphasize your ability to drive campaigns, analyze data and achieve results.

See also: Marketing Resume Examples and Templates

Action verbs for medical resumes

If you work in the medical industry, you give your all to others. Emphasize your abilities with these action verbs:

See also: Medical Resume Templates and Examples

Action verbs for transportation resumes

Accelerate your transportation resume with these action verbs.

See also: Top Transportation Resume Examples

Action verbs to showcase skills

Don’t just list your resume skills; bring them to life with powerful action words. Explore the resume action verb lists below for various skills employers seek.

Navigate to the following skills:

Action verbs for leadership skills

Put these action verbs for leadership skills on your resume to show potential employers you can take charge.

See also: Describing Leadership Skills: Your Approach and Impact

Action verbs for analytical thinking skills

Not sure how to present your impeccable analytical abilities? Try these resume action verbs out for size. 

See also: Essential Analytical Skills for Your Resume

Action verbs for interpersonal skills

Interpersonal skills are highly valued in most industries. Make yours stand out with the following action verbs on your resume.

See also: 40+ Interpersonal Skills and How to Use Them to Get a Job

Action verbs for creative skills

Use the following power verbs on your resume to showcase the ideas, projects, programs or products you make.

See also: Creative Resume Templates

Action verbs for computer skills

Add action verbs to your resume to describe your computer skills with vibrancy and clarity.

See also: 100+ Computer Skills for Resumes

Action verbs for technical skills

Try some of these verbs for resumes to highlight your expertise and give your job application a lift. 

See also: 100+ Essential Technical Skills for Your Resume

Action verbs for transferable skills

Showcase your transferable skills with dynamic action words to demonstrate your readiness to excel in diverse professional environments and contribute meaningfully to any team or project.

See also: 35+ Transferable Skills Examples to List on Resumes

Action verbs to showcase achievements

Incorporate action verbs on your resume to infuse your professional accomplishments with energy. We’ve provided lists of action words for various achievements to get you started.

Navigate to the following achievements: 

Action verbs for sales achievements

Have you surpassed a sales goal and saved money for a company? Use these resume verbs to wow potential employers. 

See also: Sales Resume Examples and Templates

Action verbs for promotions

Good job! You’ve made it to the next level. Highlight your promotion on your resume with these action words.

Action verbs for awards

If you were named employee of the month's top salesperson, showcase this achievement on your resume with these powerful action verbs.

Action verbs for innovations

Did your great idea make a difference? Use this list of resume action verbs to illuminate your vision.

See also: Interview Question: Discuss Creating an Innovative Solution to a Problem

Action verbs for process improvements

Use these action words to convey how you have increased organizational efficiency.

Examples of resumes with action verbs

Explore the sample resumes below to see how you can incorporate strong action verbs into your resume. Notice how each sample resume uses a wide variety of action words.

Use these templates to start crafting a compelling resume that engages hiring managers and wins interviews. Explore our library of professional resume templates for more options.

Communications manager

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Translator

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Nursing student

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How to use action verbs in your job application

Strong verbs for resumes can be applied to every step of the job application process, from interviews to resumes and cover letters. 

Explore our tips on how to incorporate action verbs into your job application materials to get hired faster.

How to use action verbs in a resume

Resume verbs can be used in almost every resume section to describe responsibilities, accomplishments and skills. 

Use a mix of power verbs for a resume and make them the first word of each bullet point. Refer to our resume action word lists and our guide on how to write a resume for inspiration.

In your resume summary

Strong action verbs in a resume summary or objective statement make a big impact because they are the first things hiring managers see after the contact information section. 

Use two to three action words in this section to compel hiring managers to want to read through your resume. For example:

In the work history section

Since your resume work history section should spotlight accomplishments and not responsibilities, the best verbs for resume employment sections are those that convey achievements.

Start each job accomplishment with an action verb. Here is an example:

In the skills section

Most often, the skills section of a resume is made up of lists of hard skills and soft skills to underscore a job applicant’s ability to perform the job, and that’s a great way to display them. 

However, it’s acceptable to explain how you used them by using strong resume action verbs to make your skills stand out. For example:

In the education section

You might use action words in the resume education section to display awards, honors, a high GPA or a title. Here are a few examples:

How to use action verbs in a CV

Like a resume, a curriculum vitae (CV) outlines your relevant qualifications for the job, but it’s more in-depth. See how to make a CV for additional details on crafting this document. 

Incorporate an array of resume verbs throughout your CV and add hobbies or personal interests, as long as they pertain to the target job. For example:

How to use action verbs in a cover letter

Pairing a resume with a strong cover letter is a must if you want to rise above the competition, and there’s no better way to make your letter compelling than with active verbs. 

The trick is to write a cover letter with action verbs dispersed throughout without repeating the exact words from your resume. 

If you’re in a creative field like graphic design, use power words to highlight how you used your creative skills to help a company reach a goal. For example:

If you’re an engineer, you might use action verbs to describe how you used your technical skills to solve a problem. For example:

How to use action verbs in a letter of intent

Write a letter of intent to express your desire to work for a company with no active job openings. To get noticed, add a variety of resume action verbs to make your qualifications shine. For example:

See also: Executive assistant resume examples and templates

How to use action verbs in an elevator pitch

An elevator pitch is a short, written or verbal speech that introduces you and explains what you offer. Its intent is to connect with a person from a company you’re interested in. 

Optimize your elevator pitch with strong resume action verbs that show hiring managers that you can do the job better than anyone else. For example:

See also: ER Nurse Resume Examples and Templates

How to use action verbs in a job interview

Project confidence and competence during your job interview and intrigue hiring managers by using strong action verbs to describe your accomplishments. 

If you’re a teacher and an employer asks, “What’s Your Proudest Accomplishment?” you might reply:

If you’re a car driver interviewing for a job with a transportation services company and the hiring manager says, “Explain How you Would Be an Asset to This Organization,” you might say something like:

Key takeaways