What Kind of Action Words Should You Use on Your Resume?

Posted on: 11th January 2023
by Conor Kealy
CV Assistance

Hiring managers and recruiters review a lot of resumes, so it's important to make yours stand out. One way to do this is by using action words in your resume. These words can make your resume more compelling and show the hiring manager that you have the right skills and qualifications for the job. 

This is especially important in the "Work Experience" section of your resume, where you can use action words to describe your responsibilities and achievements. Avoid using common phrases like "led," "communicated," and "managed," and try to be more creative with your language. Here are some action words to consider using when describing your leadership, communication, and team management skills on your resume:

Leadership related words that should be reflected in your CV

• Achieved

• Consolidated

• Coordinated

• Established

• Executed

• Generated

• Launched

• Orchestrated

• Oversaw 

• Supervised

• Upgraded

When using these words, try to give specific examples and provide context to highlight your achievements. For example, instead of saying "I was in charge of running a project that got completed and finished" you could say "I supervised a project, supervising five team members. We executed a clear set of deliverables on time and within budget, which generated cost savings of 10%." 

This gives the hiring manager a better understanding of what you did and how you did it. Remember to keep your statements concise, while also providing enough detail to showcase your skills and accomplishments. 

Action words to highlight your communication skills

• Addressed

• Authored

• Composed

• Conveyed

• Convinced

• Critiqued

• Defined

• Negotiated

• Persuaded

• Promoted

• Publicised

When describing your communication skills on your resume, it's important to use action words that make your statements more compelling and specific. Instead of using general phrases like "ensuring strong communication in the team," try to provide specific examples and context to highlight your achievements. For example, you could say "I promoted better communication across the team by establishing several channels for information sharing and discussing key challenges. This allowed the team to identify problems early and adopt a solutions-focused approach to solving them." 

This statement is more detailed and gives the hiring manager a better understanding of what you did and how you used your communication skills.

Action words for when you managed a team 

• Appointed

• Cultivated 

• Championed

• Delegated 

• Directed

• Facilitated

• Fostered

• Guided

• Mentored

• Mobilised

• Shaped

When writing about your team management experience, it's important to distinguish between "managing" and "leading" a team. Managing refers to how you set up resources (people, tools, systems) to work on the team, while leading refers to how you motivate people, show them a vision, and drive engagement and career development. 

When describing your experience, try to use action words that reflect these distinctions. For example, instead of saying "I manage a team of 6 people," you could say "As Manager on the team, I mentor and guide 6 people by fostering a culture of accountability. My aim is to facilitate them in delivering on their tasks." This statement is more specific and gives a better sense of your leadership style and approach to managing a team.

Overall, when writing your resume, it's important to take the extra time to make it as compelling and effective as possible. Use action words to showcase your skills and accomplishments and avoid using generic phrases and jargon. By doing so, you can make your resume stand out and increase your chances of getting an interview!

Speaking of interviews, have you had a chance to browse through our list of live jobs yet? We're hiring, head over to our IT careers page and apply.