10 Strong Action Verbs to Transform Your Resume

Author: Dua is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Career Coach. Since 2019, she’s dedicated her career to creating ATS-optimized job application materials for a diverse clientele, including Grammy-winning artists, and executives at Fortune 500 companies. Her expertise spans executive-level resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn content, and she holds a successful track record of supporting clients from prestigious organizations such as the CDC, NOAA, NHS, and Johns Hopkins University to achieve their career aspirations.

Over the years, resume writing has revolutionized into a strategy-based art form, that significantly determines whether your hard work yields results. Furthermore, with job hunting becoming more competitive, your resume is the gateway to your next career opportunity.

The secret to preparing a resume that gets a great response lies within the details, and the real game-changers are the ‘action’ or ‘power’ verbs. These powerful, dynamic words make your skills, achievements, and experiences stand-out, and further help to make your resume more engaging, impactful, and keyword-optimized to navigate the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

Top 10 Action Verbs to Make Your Resume More ATS-Compliant:

Do action verbs make a difference on your resume? Whether you’re a professional in the resume-writing industry, or you’re simply crafting your resume, it’s useful to understand how the right language can transform an ordinary resume into a compelling story of success. To assist you, we’ve prepared a list of 10 action verbs that will improve the overall look and ranking of your resume, and place you as a top candidate:

1. Directed:

This is a strong action verb, which is a great choice for showcasing leadership capabilities. As opposed to ‘manage,’ it’s a term that communicates initiative, leadership, and successful execution. It’s a must-have for leadership roles or when emphasizing your ability to innovate and lead projects.

Example: Directed supply chain operations, including team leadership, operations management, and financial planning.

2. Achieved:

This serves as an excellent choice because the entire goal of the resume is to make it ‘achievement-based.’ Therefore, it aligns perfectly to create an achievement-focused resume, especially when combined with measurable accomplishments and impactful contributions.

Example: Achieved 98% customer satisfaction rate by redesigning internal processes and training teams to deliver a customized service.

3. Implemented:

It works so well because employers deeply value candidates who can turn plans into action. “Implemented” highlights your role in executing strategies that deliver results.

Example: Implemented a new software that effectively streamlined operations and reduced downtime.

4. Streamlined:

This action verb shows your ability to simplify processes, save time, or cut costs, and it works great because efficiency and optimization are critical in today’s fast-paced work environment.

Example: Streamlined the onboarding process by digitizing paperwork and successfully reduced new hire setup time by 50%.

4. Optimized:

This power verb is great for showing your ability to improve efficiency, resources, or results. Additionally, it’s perfect because it’s valued by employers in all industries.

Example: Optimized inventory management by implementing a real-time tracking system which reduced stock discrepancies.

6. Elevated:

This conveys growth, improvement, and the ability to enhance existing processes or outcomes. It is so effective because it shows that you didn’t just maintain the status quo, you actively improved it. It’s often associated with motivating others, improving morale, or advancing outcomes.

Example: Elevated team performance and improved productivity by 25% through targeted training programs.

7. Transformed:

It signifies major positive change and demonstrates your ability to make a meaningful impact. It emphasizes that you completely revamped something, and made it more effective, efficient, or valuable.

Example: Transformed an underperforming sales team into a top revenue-generating unit.

8. Advised:

This is a versatile and impactful word that emphasizes your ability to provide guidance, expertise, and strategic recommendations. Moreover, it effectively evidences your role as a trusted resource or leader in decision-making processes.

Example: Advised the CEO on compliance strategies while strengthening compliance with evolving regulations and avoiding potential penalties.

9. Spearheaded:

Reiterating the importance of leadership and initiative-taking, ‘spearheaded’ is exactly what denotes the ability to take charge and drive impactful projects or initiatives to success.

Example: Spearheaded a company-wide digital transformation project which drove a 30% increase in operational efficiency.

10. Championed:

Lastly, this is an excellent action verb because it helps to communicate your passion and advocacy for a cause, project, or initiative.

Example: Example: Championed the launch of a new product line which increased market share by 15%.

The Importance of Action Verbs for a Resume

In the resume-writing industry, action verbs are tools that help to convey value, relevance, and achievements. When you apply for a job, the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) scan the resumes for specific keywords which then determines your ranking, and directly influences your chances of securing an interview.

The better the match, the higher the possibility that you’ll be selected. The aforementioned action verbs support this by optimizing your resume to help it pass through the ATS systems effectively, and rank you higher amongst the other applicants.

Furthermore, these action verbs are also added to appeal to the human eye by making the resume more engaging, compelling hiring managers to take notice. They also help to communicate your unique value by emphasizing accomplishments over responsibilities, shifting the focus to the impact you’ve made.

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We understand that resume-writing is a challenging process, and as professionals, we specialize in identifying and incorporating the right language to showcase your unique value proposition.

By leveraging our expertise, you can ensure your resume meets the ATS requirements for your target industry, stands out to hiring managers through impactful and precise language, and demonstrates measurable results and your ability to deliver value.

Additionally, investing in professional resume-writing services ensures that your resume is keyword-optimized, impactful, and perfectly aligned with your career goals. Let us support you on your professional journey, and watch as your resume opens doors to new opportunities.