Using action words in a CV will give it impact and make a firmer impression on potential employers. Use action words to put over your achievements, posts of responsibility or duties you performed. The best CVs are those which display you as an achiever and a doer. This will make you stand out from the rest of the competition. This is can be done by using CV action words.
For example, rather than writing:
"For my last year of employment, I had to design a questionnaire about opinions on client services. This involved interviewing clients in their homes. A database was used to record the data. This project was completed under budget and I was given a bonus and was subsequently promoted. "
You should instead write:
" Designed and implemented a questionaire about opinions on client services. Interviewed clients in their homes. Built a database to analyse and interpret this data. Completed the project under budget and gained a promotion."
Incorporating power words will put across strong writing skills and boost the strength of your CV.
Write action words in the past tense. This will create the impression of something having been already completed or achieved. If you use the present tense then it will give an impression that you are still in the process of doing it.
accelerated | accessed |
accomplished | accurately |
achieved | achievement |
acquainted | acted |
activated | active |
adapted | added |
addressed | adjusted |
administered | advanced |
advertised | advised |
aided | aligned |
allocated | altered |
amended | analysed |
answered | anticipated |
applied | appointed |
appraised | approved |
arbitrated | arranged |
asked | assembled |
assertively | assessed |
assigned | astutely |
attained | attended |
attracted | audited |
augmented | authored |
authorised | automated |
averted | awarded |
balanced | boosted |
briefed | broadened |
brought | budgeted |
built | calculated |
calmed | canvassed |
capably | captured |
carefully | catalogued |
categorised | catered |
centralised | chaired |
challenged | changed |
charted | checked |
choreographed | clarified |
classified | clearly |
cleverly | coached |
collaborated | collaboratively |
collected | combined |
comforted | communicated |
competed | competently |
compiled | completed |
composed | compounded |
computed | conceived |
conceptualised | condensed |
conducted | conserved |
considered | consistently |
consolidated | constructed |
consultative | consulted |
contacted | contracted |
contributed | controlled |
converted | conveyed |
convinced | cooperated |
cooperatively | coordinated |
copied | corrected |
correlated | corresponded |
counselled | crafted |
created | creatively |
criticised | critiqued |
cultivated | customised |
cut | debated |
debugged | decisively |
decreased | deduced |
defined | defused |
delegated | delighted |
delivered | demonstrated |
depreciated | described |
designated | designed |
detailed | determined |
developed | devised |
devoted | diagnosed |
diagrammed | differentiated |
directed | disciplined |
disclosed | discovered |
dispatched | dispensed |
disproved | disseminated |
dissuaded | distinguished |
distributed | diversified |
documented | doubled |
drafted | drew |
drove | earned |
edited | educated |
effected | effectively |
efficiently | elaborated |
elected | elevated |
elicited | eliminated |
emphasised | employed |
enabled | encouraged |
endorsed | energetically |
enforced | engineered |
enhanced | enjoyed |
enlarged | enlisted |
enriched | ensured |
enthusiastically | equipped |
established | estimated |
ethically | evaluated |
evidence | examined |
exceeded | excelled |
excited | executed |
exhibited | expanded |
expedited | experience |
experienced | experimented |
explained | exploited |
explored | extended |
extracted | extrapolated |
fabricated | facilitated |
familiarised | fashioned |
fast-paced | filtered |
finalised | financed |
fine-tuned | fixed |
focused | followed |
forecast | forecasted |
formalised | formed |
formulated | fortified |
fostered | found |
founded | framed |
fulfilled | gained |
gathered | generated |
governed | grown |
guarded | guided |
handled | harmonised |
harnessed | headed |
helped | highlighted |
hired | identified |
illustrated | imagined |
impact | implemented |
improved | improvised |
inclusively | incorporated |
increased | individual |
inferred | influenced |
informed | initiated |
innovated | inspected |
inspired | installed |
instigated | instilled |
instituted | instructed |
integrated | interested |
interpreted | interviewed |
introduced | invented |
invested | investigated |
involved | issued |
joined | judged |
justified | launched |
lead | lectured |
leveraged | liaised |
licensed | linked |
liquidated | listened |
lobbied | located |
logged | machined |
maintained | managed |
marketed | mastered |
maximised | mediated |
mentored | merged |
minimised | mobilised |
modelled | moderated |
modernised | modernized |
modified | monitored |
motivated | named |
narrated | navigated |
negated | negotiated |
nurtured | observed |
obtained | offset |
opened | operated |
orchestrated | ordered |
organised | oriented |
originated | overcame |
overhauled | oversaw |
participated | performed |
persuaded | piloted |
pinpointed | pioneered |
planned | planning |
positively | powerfully |
practiced | praised |
predicted | prepared |
prescribed | presented |
preserved | presided |
prevailed | prevented |
prioritised | proactively |
probed | processed |
procured | produced |
programmed | projected |
promoted | promptly |
proposed | protected |
proved | provided |
provoked | publicised |
published | purchased |
quadrupled | qualified |
quantified | quickly |
raised | rapidly |
realised | received |
recognised | recommended |
reconciled | recorded |
recruited | rectified |
redesigned | reduced |
reengineered | referred |
refined | registered |
regulated | rehabilited |
reinforced | remodelled |
rendered | renewed |
reorganised | reorganized |
repaired | replaced |
reported | represented |
requested | researched |
resolved | resourcefully |
responded | responsibly |
restored | restructured |
retained | retrieved |
revamped | reversed |
reviewed | revised |
revitalised | revolutionised |
rewarded | routed |
saved | scheduled |
screened | searched |
secured | segmented |
selected | selectively |
served | serviced |
settled | shaped |
shared | shopped |
simplified | simplifies |
sold | solicited |
solved | sorted |
sparked | specialised |
specified | spoke |
sponsored | stabilised |
staffed | standardised |
started | stimulated |
straightened | streamlined |
strengthened | stretched |
structured | studied |
submitted | succeeded |
successfully | summarised |
superseded | supervised |
supplemented | supplied |
supported | surpassed |
surveyed | synthesised |
systematised | tailored |
targeted | taught |
tended | terminated |
tested | thanked |
thrived | traced |
tracked | traded |
trained | transacted |
transferable skills | transferred |
transformed | translated |
treated | trimmed |
tripled | troubleshooted |
turned | tutored |
uncovered | unified |
updated | upgraded |
used | utilised |
validated | verified |
viewed | visualised |
volunteered | well-judged |
widened | won |
written |