When employers read resumes they look for words that precisely describe the writers' accomplishments, because accomplishments predict potential. Avoid generalizations or overview statements. For example, "Assisted faculty with a wide variety of duties" is vague. "Researched labor law reports; graded papers for 50 junior level finance students; developed Visual Basic Software programs for classroom use" is specific. "Responsible for providing services for students with disabilities" is vague. "Recorded text books, coordinated campus orientations and tours, and acted as sight guide for visually impaired university students” is specific. Following is a sampling of action words.
| achieved acquired acted adapted addressed adjusted administered advertised advised advocated aided allocated analyzed answered applied appointed appraised approached approved arbitrated arranged articulated assembled assessed assigned assisted attained audited authored authorized awarded balanced began briefed budgeted built calculated cared for cataloged categorized chaired charted clarified classified closed coached |
collaborated collected combined communicated compared compiled completed composed computed conceived conceptualized condensed conducted conferred conserved consolidated constructed consulted contacted contracted contributed controlled converted conveyed convinced cooperated coordinated corrected corresponded counseled created critiqued customized debated debugged decided decreased defined delegated delivered demonstrated designed detailed detected determined developed |
diagnosed directed dispensed displayed distributed drafted drew earned edited educated elicited eliminated emphasized enabled encouraged enforced engineered enhanced enlarged enlisted ensured entered entertained established estimated evaluated examined exceeded executed exhibited expanded expedited experienced experimented explained explored extracted facilitated familiarized fashioned filed focused forecasted formed formulated |
founded furnished furthered gathered generated guided handled headed helped hired hosted identified illustrated implemented improved incorporated increased individualized influenced informed initiated inspected installed instilled instituted instructed insured integrated interacted interpreted intervened introduced invented investigated involved joined judged launched lectured led located logged |
maintained managed manipulated marketed measured mediated merged modeled moderated modified monitored motivated negotiated observed obtained opened operated ordered organized originated outlined overhauled oversaw participated performed persuaded photographed planned prepared prescribed presented presided prevented printed prioritized processed produced programmed projected promoted proposed protected proved provided publicized |
purchased qualified received recommended reconciled recorded recruited rectified redesigned reduced referred refined registered regulated rehabilitated reinforced remodeled rendered reorganized repaired replaced reported represented researched reserved resolved responded restored retrieved revamped reviewed revised revitalized routed scanned scheduled screened searched secured selected served serviced set goals set up settled |
simplified simulated sold solicited solved spearheaded specialized specified spoke standardized stimulated streamlined strengthened structured studied submitted succeeded suggested summarized supervised supplied supported surpassed surveyed synthesized systematized taught terminated tested trained transformed translated transmitted transported tutored updated upgraded utilized validated verified volunteered won wrote |