Powerful Resume Action Words to Showcase Your Impact and Achievements

You get one chance to make the right first impression. So, choose your words wisely. When you’re trying to hook the hiring manager, including powerful resume action words is the answer. These words help you make a real impact with your application.

But how can you choose the right ones?

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In this guide, we’ll delve into some of the most impactful resume action words and cover how to use them in your next application.

The benefits of using action words in your resume

Before we dive into the action words you can use, let’s talk about WHY you should use them.

Categories of resume action words

Now you understand the underlying importance of resume action words, let’s talk about how to choose the right ones. Your words can help you to accentuate certain strengths on your resume. In this following section, we’ll discuss the different categories of action words and how to use them.

Leadership skills

Do you have what it takes to motivate and inspire others? If so, use the following resume action words to help you convey that sense of power:

• Led
• Supervised
• Managed
• Oversaw
• Motivated
• Presented
• Facilitated
• Delivered

Here’s an example of how you may use these action words in the work experience section of your resume.

Communication skills

Effective communication is the baseline of any position. Make sure you write a clear resume and include some of the following resume action words:

• Articulated
• Presented
• Negotiated
• Explained
• Conveyed
• Liaised
• Briefed
• Collaborated

You can demonstrate your communication skills in your resume summary, as follows.

Technical skills

Are you a technical whiz kid? If you want to show off your technological know-how, use the following resume action words.

• Administrated
• Built
• Deployed
• Improved
• Resolved
• Troubleshooted
• Engineered
• Programmed

Let’s take a look at how you can use the above in your resume:

Problem-solving skills

No matter what line of work you’re in, chances are that you’ll need to solve real-time problems.

Let’s take a look at some of the words you could use here:

• Resolved
• Improved
• Implemented
• Analyzed
• Reported
• Diagnosed
• Strategized
• Considered

Check out an example of how you may use one of these action words in your summary.

Creativity

If you’re full to the brim with creativity, now’s the time to show it off.

Take a peek at the following resume action words for some inspiration:

• Designed
• Created
• Invented
• Conceptualized
• Envisioned
• Ideated
• Reimagined
• Illustrated

Here’s an example of how you can use “designed” in your work experience section.

Picking the right resume action words for your skill set is a surefire way to gain the hiring manager’s interest.

Industry-specific action words

Of course, the action words you use will depend largely on the industry you’re in. Every field has its own unique language. If you want to get ahead, it pays to speak it. We’ve got you covered. In this section, we reveal the top resume action words for common industries.

Healthcare

Healthcare is a competitive industry—you hold people’s lives in your hands. Show that you have what it takes by incorporating dynamic action words into your resume.

Whenever using one of the above words, add some context by including metrics—for example, you might write:

“Diagnosed and treated an average of 20 patients per day with a 95% accuracy rate, exceeding the department average by 5%.”

Engineering

Engineering is an ever-changing beast. If you want to stay ahead of the game, you need to work extra hard. Use these resume action words to showcase your skills.

Be clear about how your actions impacted the business as a whole—you could include a sentence like:

“Conceptualized a new traffic flow system for the city center, resulting in a 12% reduction in average commute times and a 5% decrease in traffic accidents.”

Sales and Marketing

Do you have what it takes to get results? That’s what the sales and marketing field is all about. Use impactful language to let the hiring manager know you’re a cut above the rest.

Craft a hard-hitting sentence like:

“Boosted sales revenue by 20% in one year by implementing a new customer segmentation strategy and developing targeted sales campaigns.”

This one-liner tells the hiring manager what results they can expect if they hire you.

Customer service

If you’re a people person, working in customer service may be calling your name. Focus on how you communicate with customers to get the job done.

Use sentences like:

“Explained complex technical issues to customers in a clear and concise manner, ensuring their understanding and satisfaction.”

This proves the role you play when it comes to helping customers better understand certain products.

Education

When you work in the educational field, you’ll be no stranger to stating your value. If you want to pass the test, weave resume action words into the heart of your resume.

Take a straightforward approach when using these words—impress with lines such as:

“Structured engaging lesson plans incorporating diverse learning styles and innovative teaching methods, resulting in a 10% improvement in student test scores.”

Tips for using action words effectively

By this point, you should be ready to pepper your resume with action words. However, there are some final tips you may want to consider.

Read our expert-backed tips before you get started:

Look at the job description first

Before using action words in your resume, look back at the job description. Does the writer use any specific words there? You can improve your chances of success by using the same ones.

Add in results-based points

Pairing action words with metrics is a recipe for success. So, rather than just saying that you “increased sales,” you can be more specific and write that you “increased sales by 25% in Q1.”

Avoid repeating the same words

Are you starting to sound like a broken record? Repeating the same resume action words multiple times will get you nowhere fast. Try to mix things up a bit.

Next steps

Resume action words are a must if you’re looking to impress the hiring manager. Make sure you align your language with your specific industry for the best results. Including this powerful language in your next application could make a major difference to the impact it has.

Why not get started now?