120 Resume Action Verbs by Category (with Examples)
Start every bullet with a strong verb, follow it with what you did, and end with a result. These 120 verbs are grouped by what you want to show.
Leadership
Achievement & growth
Cost & efficiency
Building & creating
Improvement
Analysis & research
Communication & influence
Customer & service
Organization & delivery
Technical
Weak vs strong bullets
| Weak | Strong |
|---|---|
| Responsible for managing the accounts payable team | Led a 4-person accounts payable team processing 2,000 invoices a month |
| Helped with social media | Grew Instagram followers from 3K to 18K in 9 months with a weekly Reels plan |
| Worked on the new website | Launched a new website that cut page load time 60% and lifted sign-ups 25% |
| Duties included customer service | Resolved 50+ customer queries a day with a 95% satisfaction score |
| Involved in reducing costs | Cut packaging costs 12% ($85K a year) by switching to a regional supplier |
Want bullets written for your role? See resume keywords and bullet examples by role, or paste a job ad into Job Match to get your bullets rewritten in its wording.
Spelling note: the verbs above use American spelling ("Analyzed", "Optimized"). For UK, Australian, Indian and Gulf CVs use "Analysed", "Optimised", "Modelled".
FAQ
Why use action verbs on a resume?
They make each bullet start with what you did, which is easier to scan and sounds more confident than "responsible for".
Should I use past or present tense?
Past tense for previous roles and finished achievements; present tense for ongoing duties in your current role.
Can I repeat the same verb?
Try not to repeat a verb within the same role. Vary with the lists above.