A Comprehensive Guide to Action Verbs in CVs for Job Seekers

Strong action verbs play an important role in creating an engaging and effective CV. They emphasise not just that you can do the job, but how you do it.

Concise and impactful language is a must for a strong CV. Recruiters won’t spend much time reading your CV. Don’t waste space with empty words that don’t mean anything.

Not just any action verbs will do. It’s crucial to choose the right action verbs.

Appropriate action verbs convey your skills, experiences, and accomplishments in a clear and persuasive manner.

In this article, we’ll provide key action verbs to enhance your CV. We’ll walk you through how to use action verbs effectively and common mistakes to avoid.

When you’re ready to enhance your CV with great action verbs, head over to our CV builder to start creating yours today.

Action verbs by category to enhance your CV

42 action verbs for leadership and management

Upper-level positions and roles that include managing teams require strong leadership and management skills.

Candidates for these roles need to show potential employers that they know how to lead others and make important decisions. Don’t bore them with weak verbs on your CV!

Here is a list of 42 key action verbs that demonstrate leadership and management skills.

Advised

Advocated

Budgeted

Chaired

Championed

Coached

Coordinated

Counselled

Cultivated

Delegated

Demonstrated

Developed

Directed

Educated

Empowered

Ensured

Established

Executed

Furthered

Guided

Hired

Implemented

Initiated

Integrated

Mentored

Motivated

Negotiated

Optimised

Orchestrated

Overhauled

Pioneered

Predicted

Prioritised

Provided

Resolved

Revitalised

Shaped

Spearheaded

Strengthened

Supervised

Transformed

United

34 action verbs for communication and collaboration

Communication and collaboration show your interpersonal skills and how you exchange information with others.

No matter what your industry or role is, it likely requires some degree of communication. Very few jobs don’t require any interaction with others at all.

For some jobs, it is a crucial part of the role. Communication and collaboration take place in person, on the phone, and via email.

If your CV contains many different skills in this category, it’s easy to get repetitive with your verbs.

Add some variety and choose from this list of 34 action verbs to enhance your communication and collaboration skills.

Advised

Aided

Answered

Clarified

Co-authored

Collaborated

Contributed

Cooperated

Corresponded

Enabled

Encouraged

Facilitated

Fielded

Fostered

Gathered

Guided

Informed

Inspired

Instructed

Interpreted

Introduced

Mentored

Negotiated

Partnered

Participated

Presented

Referred

Regulated

Resolved

Supported

Taught

Teamed up

United

Unified

32 action verbs for problem-solving and critical thinking

Problem-solving and critical thinking are strong skills for any candidate. They show that you have the ability to identify problems and provide solutions.

The specific skills in this category will vary based on your industry and role. Simply listing “critical thinking” on your CV isn’t very helpful. You need to be specific.

Make it clear for hiring managers by using specific examples. Choose the right action verb to create an accurate picture of how you applied your skills.

Here is a list of 32 action verbs to describe problem-solving and critical thinking on your CV.

Analysed

Assembled

Assessed

Audited

Budgeted

Calculated

Checked

Conserved

Converted

Discovered

Estimated

Evaluated

Examined

Explored

Identified

Inspected

Inquired

Inventoried

Investigated

Measured

Organized

Probed

Proved

Quantified

Resolved

Reviewed

Simplified

Standardised

Surveyed

Tested

Tracked

Verified

50 action verbs for creativity and innovation

Creativity and innovation bring new and unique ideas to a project. This is key to a wide range of industries including marketing, design, and engineering.

Companies looking for creativity and innovation want candidates with fresh and exciting ideas. Don’t lose their interest with boring action verbs!

Show how you’ve applied creativity and innovation in the past. Companies want to know how your skills will impact the success of their business.

Here is a list of 50 action verbs to enhance creativity and innovation on your CV.

Adapted

Animated

Applied

Arranged

Authored

Brainstormed

Built

Captured

Compiled

Composed

Conceived

Conceptualized

Condensed

Constructed

Curated

Customised

Crafted

Created

Designed

Determined

Developed

Devised

Displayed

Drafted

Drew

Engineered

Fashioned

Formulated

Illustrated

Initiated

Integrated

Invented

Launched

Modelled

Modified

Patched

Patented

Perfected

Performed

Piloted

Pioneered

Prepared

Redesigned

Revitalised

Revolutionised

Sculpted

Shaped

Storyboarded

Transformed

Visualised

55 action verbs for technical and digital proficiency

Technical and digital proficiency is key in today’s technological world, especially for jobs in the tech sector.

Developers, programmers, and engineers need to show potential employers that they have expertise in the necessary technical skills.

Don’t fall into the trap of reusing the same verbs over and over again on your CV to describe your technical and digital proficiency.

Here is a list of 55 action verbs to describe your technical and digital proficiency on your CV.

Amplified

Attained

Accelerated

Boosted

Consolidated

Corrected

Created

Debugged

Delivered

Designed

Detected

Developed

Diagnosed

Discovered

Drove

Eliminated

Enacted

Engineered

Established

Exceeded

Enhanced

Expanded

Identified

Implemented

Installed

Introduced

Invented

Fixed

Founded

Generated

Mapped

Maximised

Measured

Optimised

Outperformed

Overhauled

Pioneered

Programmed

Proved

Rebuilt

Remodelled

Restructured

Scheduled

Searched

Sharpened

Shattered

Solved

Sparked

Steered

Streamlined

Surpassed

Surveyed

Tested

Troubleshooted

Upgraded

Using action verbs effectively

You’ve read through our list and picked the best action verbs for your CV. Great!

But you’re not done yet. Throwing a bunch of action verbs on your CV with no strategy won’t do you any favours.

Use your action verbs effectively to enhance your CV and improve your chances of getting shortlisted.

Tailoring action verbs to your target role

Whatever industry and role you’re applying for, always tailor your CV to your target job!

Every section of your CV just be tailored to fit the job you’re applying for, all the way down to the action verbs.

Be sure to read the job description of your desired role carefully. Take note of the specific verbs, words, and phrases the company uses. Choose a CV format that highlights your strengths.

Do some research on the industry as well. Find out what action verbs are being used in the current market and follow trends of what skills are in demand.

Use the same language in your CV but be sure to stay natural and honest. Copying text directly from the company into your CV will be noticed right away.

When you use relevant action verbs effectively, companies will see that you have done your research and are committed to your career.

Varying your language to maintain interest

It may be tempting to repeat an action verb once you’ve found a good one, but that won’t do you any favours.

Just like using weak verbs, repeating the same action verbs over and over again will get boring to readers. It also shows a lack of range and written communication skills.

Diversify the action verbs on your CV to avoid repetition and maintain your potential employer’s interest.

Choose action verbs that are relevant and honest. Show employers that you have a range of skills and achievements.

Quantifying your accomplishments

Use action verbs in conjunction with quantifiable results or achievements to demonstrate the impact of your work.

Anyone can say they “analysed” or “developed” something on the job, but it doesn’t carry much weight without results.

For example, writing Launched retail location in your experience section.

For all the hiring manager knows, the store could have been a disaster and the employees were miserable.

Instead, try Launched the highest performing retail location in the district with an employee satisfaction rating of 98%.

Now the reader knows your leadership skills contributed to the successful launch and performance of a store.

Use measurable results and specific numbers to support your action verbs. Don’t expect hiring managers to take you at your word. Provide evidence of your claims.

Common mistakes to avoid when using action verbs on your CV

Even with strong action verbs and a good strategy, there are still common mistakes to avoid when writing your CV.

Overusing clichés or buzzwords

The overuse of clichéd or buzzword-laden action verbs may dilute the effectiveness of your CV.

Research your target industry and be mindful to avoid using these in your CV. Certain terms may be outdated or alert your potential employer that you lack knowledge of the industry.

Use action verbs that are relevant, original, and tailored to your target role.

Using weak or passive language

Writing a CV with weak or passive language runs the risk of getting lost among the CVs of all the other qualified candidates.

Hiring managers are reading through a huge stack of resumes, all from candidates with similar backgrounds. Weak language won’t stand out from the crowd and will be boring to readers.

Here is a list of 12 common weak verbs to avoid using on your CV.

Managed

Took part in

Led

Worked on

Improved

Participated

Made

Studied

Showed

Explained

Watched

Assisted

It’s not necessarily crucial that these words be avoided at all costs. In the right situation, it may be appropriate to use them in combination with quantifiable results.

But if you can use a more powerful action verb instead, be sure to do it.

Grab the attention of potential employers with strong and assertive action verbs. Show them that you are the right candidate for the role and will impact success!

Key takeaways for action verbs on your CV

Well-chosen action verbs on your CV have a positive impact on your job search. Powerful action verbs create a compelling and persuasive CV that stands out to potential employers.

Research your industry and your target job. Choose action verbs that are relevant, accurate, and honest. Browse our CV examples for inspiration.

Choose a diverse range of action verbs for your CV to keep readers interested. Show potential employers that you have a range of skills and excellent written communication.

Regularly review and update the language on your CV to ensure that it remains engaging and relevant. Refining your CV is an ongoing process and increases your chances of getting shortlisted!