ACTION VERBS FOR JOB DESCRIPTIONS:
Verb phrases are the strongest way to describe previous job responsibilities. To write verb phrases, pretend you're telling someone about your job, beginning each sentence with "I. . . . " For example, "I supervise ten employees. I organize mass mailings. I arrange airline and hotel reservations." On the resume, you omit the "I" and use only the remaining verb phrases to describe the work you do: "Supervise ten employees. Organize mass mailings. Arrange airline and hotel reservations." Use present tense verb phrases for jobs you currently hold and past tense for former jobs. If you have any difficulty finding the right verbs to describe your work, choose from the following list:
accomplished achieved
acquired acted
adapted addressed
adjusted administered
advanced advised
allocated analyzed
applied appraised
approved arranged
assembled assigned
assisted attained
audited author
automated balanced
brought budgeted
built calculated
catalogued chaired
changed clarified
coached collected
communicated compared
compiled completed
composed computed
computerized conceptualized
conceived concluded
conducted conserved
consolidated contained
continued contracted
contributed controlled
coordinated corrected
corresponded counseled
created critiqued
cut decreased
delegated decided
defined delivered
demonstrated determined
designed developed
devised diagnosed
directed dispatched
distinguished distributed
diversified drafted
edited educated
eliminated enabled
encouraged engineered
enlisted established
ensured estimated
evaluated examined
executed expanded
expedited extracted
fabricated facilitated
familiarized fashioned
finalized focused
forecast formulated
founded gathered
generated graded
guided handled
headed up identified
illustrated implemented
improved increased
indoctrinated influenced
informed initiated
innovated inspected
instructed insured
integrated interpreted
interviewed introduced
invented investigated
kept launched
lectured led
made maintained
managed manufactured
marketed mediated
moderated modified
monitored motivated
negotiated observed
operated ordered
organized originated
outsold overhauled
oversaw participated
performed persuaded
planned prepared
presented presided
prioritized processed
produced programmed
projected promoted
proposed provided
publicized published
purchased recommended
reconciled recorded
recruited reduced
referred regulated
rehabilitated related
remodeled repaired
reported represented
researched restored
restructured retrieved
reversed reviewed
revised revitalized
saved scheduled
schooled screened
selected serviced
set shaped
screened selected
simplified skilled
sold solidified
solved specified
stimulated streamlined
strengthened suggested
summarized supervised
surveyed systemized
tabulated taught
tested trained
translated traveled
trimmed updated
upgraded validated
worked wrote
