resume verbs

Resume Verbs – Synonyms to Spice Up Your Resume

There are few things more boring than a resume that repeatedly uses the same exact resume verbs in sentence after sentence.

Total snorefest! To engage your readers, you must spice up your resume by highlighting strong action resume verbs that bring your background to life.

While not every synonym will be the perfect fit to convey your exact meaning, by choosing from various alternatives, you can mix things up and create a resume that is fresh and engaging.

Below are a few more commonly used resume verbs along with some spicy alternatives to flavor it up!

Managed – Directed, Administered, Guided, Supervised, Executed, Orchestrated, Organized, Headed, Led, Ran

Developed – Created, Generated, Established, Devised, Initiated, Implemented, Spearheaded, Constructed, Fostered, Grew, Promoted, Cultivated

Improved – Enhanced, Augmented, Restructured, Rectified, Increased, Revised, Remodeled, Reworked, Amended, Modified, Catapulted

Planned – Arranged, Strategized, Devised, Orchestrated, Coordinated, Crafted, Organized, Formulated, Constructed, Championed

Contributed – Collaborated, Partnered, Participated, Aided, Enriched, Supported

The goal is to engage your reader rather than putting them down for a nap. To identify, obtain, or acquire (aka find) some good synonyms to boost the energy of your résumé, I recommend you check out www.thesaurus.com or www.visualthesaurus.com.

If writing is not your thing, you may want to consider leaving it to a professional resume writer who can create a compelling document that effectively uses action verbs. If you do decide to go it alone, be sure to proofread carefully and look for repetition. It is okay to use the same verb more than once in your resume, but if you have a bulleted list of items, you should vary your action verbs as much as possible.

Looking at sample resumes can also help you come up with ideas for your own resume. Beware though – not all resume samples on the Internet are perfectly written.  Conduct careful research and once you have an updated resume, ask a trusted friend or colleague to look your work over.  In addition to reviewing for typos, grammar, and punctuation, check for frequency of word usage and redundancy.

The bottom line: you want your resume to be vibrant and enticing rather than sounding like broken record.