An Executive Resume Writer’s Secret – Power Verbs
These power verbs (also called action words) can quickly boost the effectiveness and personal branding message in your resume.
Action words are important in your resume! A valuable and compelling way to get your point across, these terms help you avoid over-used words such as “Responsible for” or “Led.”
Keep this list handy as you write your executive resume and when you are struggling for a new verb, review the list to see what fits your situation.
Remember, AVOID re-using the same verb more than once to start achievement bullets! You will engage your reader much more quickly and concisely by using an appropriate, yet compelling verb. There are so many ways to describe your strengths!
If you’re still challenged by writing an effective resume, see What’s Wrong With Your CXO Resume? or Executive Resume Trends That Help You Stand Out.
If you decide to hire an executive resume writer, see The 7 Questions to Ask an Executive Resume Writer to help you select the right expert for your situation.
This verb list is provided as a courtesy to you, and for use when writing your resume. This information is also widely available in various forms. Please consult a dictionary if you are unclear as to the meaning of any particular verb.
A
abated
abbreviated
abolished
abridged
absolved
absorbed
accelerated
acclimated
accompanied
achieved
acquired
acted
activated
actuated
adjusted
administered
advertised
advised
advocated
aided
aired
amplified
analyzed
answered
anticipated
appointed
appraised
approached
approved
assembled
assigned
attracted
audited
authorized
automated
awarded
B
balanced
bargained
borrowed
bought
broadened
budgeted
built
balanced
began
benchmarked
benefited
bid
billed
blended
blocked
bolstered
boosted
bought
branded
bridged
broadened
brought
budgeted
built
C
calculated
calibrated
capitalized
captured
cared for
carried
carved
categorized
catalogued
caught
cautioned
cemented
certified
chaired
challenged
championed
changed
charged
charted
checked
clarified
classified
cleaned
cleared
closed
coached
coded
collaborated
collated
collected
combined
commanded
commended
commenced
commissioned
communicated
compared
conceived
concentrated
conceptualized
configured
confirmed
confronted
connected
consulted
contacted
continued
contributed
controlled
conveyed
convinced
cultivated
customized
D
dealt
debated
debugged
decided
decoded
decreased
dedicated
defined
delegated
delineated
delivered
demonstrated
depreciated
described
designated
designed
determined
developed
devised
directed
disclosed
discovered
dispatched
distinguished
distributed
diversified
documented
doubled
drafted
E
earned
edited
elected
eliminated
enabled
encouraged
endorsed
enforced
engaged
engineered
enhanced
established
estimated
evaluated
examined
exceeded
exchanged
executed
exempted
expanded
expedited
explained
extended
F
facilitated
familiarized
fashioned
fielded
focused
forecasted
formalized
formulated
founded
framed
fulfilled
functioned
furnished
G
gained
gathered
gauged
generated
governed
granted
greeted
grouped
guided
H
handled
headed
hired
hosted
I
identified
illustrated
implemented
improved
increased
incurred
induced
influenced
initiated
inspected
inspired
installed
instigated
interfaced
interviewed
introduced
invented
inventoried
invested
isolated
J
joined
judged
L
launched
led
liquidated
litigated
lobbied
M
maintained
managed
mapped
marketed
maximized
merged
minimized
modified
monitored
motivated
N
named
narrated
negotiated
noticed
nurtured
O
obtained
opened
operated
orchestrated
ordered
organized
originated
oversaw
P
paid
participated
persuaded
pinpointed
pioneered
planned
presented
prevented
prioritized
procured
produced
projected
promoted
prompted
proposed
proved
published
Q
quantified
quoted
R
ranked
rated
recommended
reconciled
recorded
recovered
recruited
reduced
refined
reinforced
remedied
reported
represented
resolved
restructured
retained
reversed
reviewed
revitalized
S
safeguarded
scheduled
screened
secured
sent
served
settled
shaped
simplified
sold
solved
spearheaded
stabilized
staffed
standardized
streamlined
strengthened
submitted
substantiated
summarized
superseded
supervised
supplied
supported
surpassed
systematized
T
tabulated
tailored
targeted
taught
terminated
tested
took
trained
transferred
transformed
translated
transported
traveled
treated
tripled
U
undertook
unified
united
updated
upgraded
utilized
V
validated
valued
verified
viewed
visited
W
weighed
widened
won
worked
wrote