Resume Action Verbs

In the last chapter, Ch. 3: Resume Format, we discussed the methods and importance of properly formatting your resume to best showcase your qualifications and experience for the position you're seeking. Here, we will cover action verbs and why using them in your healthcare resume is beneficial. Plus, at the end, we provide hundreds of examples for you to use in your own resume!

Creating a resume from scratch takes research, knowledge of the employer's needs, and an understanding of common hiring practices. In addition, applicants must learn the principles behind resume terminology to build a resume that peaks employer’s interests and successfully lands an interview.

Most Human Resource (HR) representatives and hiring managers receive hundreds of resumes on a daily basis, and in order to make the cut, resumes must be written in a logical way that quickly portrays accomplishments and what the applicant can do for the prospective employer.

Employers are looking to hire achievers and hard workers that can contribute to the company, not just do-ers who don’t try and strive for greatness.

That’s where action words come in. When used correctly, action words can portray a multitude of desirable qualities in an applicant. The trouble is, there are hundreds of words one can use to fluff up the document and sound important, but only a few that actively speak to the employer. Follow along with this guide as we discuss great action verbs for your resume, as well as some pitfalls to avoid.

 

What are Action Verbs?

One of the best methods for grabbing your prospective employer's attention on a resume is to use action verbs: words that specifically describe what the subject (the applicant) is doing or has done. These are words that express mental or physical action, are typically used on resumes in the past tense (unless describing a current position), and are sometimes referred to as "action words," "active verbs," "power words," or simply "resume words."

Examples: appropriated, boosted, constructed, discovered, expedited, outpaced, streamlined, restored, lobbied, sold, edited, wrote, assigned, oversaw, etc.

Job seekers often use passive language without thinking about it. This can lead to hiring managers and healthcare recruiters passing over the resume on their desk. It’s critical to use action verbs in their resume to showcase the potential benefits you might provide for the employer.

A resume is the best way to get our foot in the door by making your resume stand out by using action verbs.

 

Resume Action Verbs

Action verbs are words that convey purpose and emotion, describe the applicant's accomplishments, and impact the reader through the strength of the verbs used. Use strong verbs, rather than flowery adjectives, to establish accomplishments with prospective employers.

For instance, instead of talking about features — “I am creative, hardworking, and a team player” — successful job seekers use action verbs to show prospective employers just what makes them a team player, as well as exactly how former employers benefited.

Correct Examples:

• Led a team that created new systems, streamlining research processes and saving the company $20,000/quarter.
• Formulated new marketing strategies, resulting in 15% more efficient allocation of resources.
• Outpaced our competitors by releasing a better product, earlier.
• Forged lasting partnerships with companies in the industry, garnering $50,000/year in additional revenue.

 

When writing these statements, hospital job seekers should be sure to include the action verbs, a clear statement of how they were an asset to the hospital, clinic, or company, and a timeline in which they saw results.

Another thing to take note of, is the use of statistics in the accomplishments or achievements mentioned. One great way to stand out from other candidates is to provide quantitative answers. Employers can relate to how successful you were if they can quantitatively see the level of your accomplishments through numbers.

Incorrect Examples:

• I used to work the cash register and help customers.
• Training new hires on how to run the business.
• I filed monthly reports on the state of the businesses finances.
• Consistently met daily and monthly deadlines.

Use of these types of statements will quickly get the resume tossed, so avoid them! 

 

Accomplishments, Not Features

A car has features: doors, upholstery, color options, etc. But, what consumers really want to know is how much money will it save them on gas, if it lets them go off-road, and if it will protect them and their family in the case of an accident.

Likewise, applicants need to sell the qualities they possess and the accomplishments they’ve met, because that’s what employers are really searching for. That’s why applicants should not only sell themselves with action words, but with an active voice. What makes you a strong candidate? What makes you the best applicant? Avoid being superficial by backing up each accomplishment and what you’re saying with statistics and numerical values whenever possible.

Correct Accomplishment Examples:

• Refined the target market, increasing the customer base by 400% and doubling sales to $12 million.

• Created a 2-year strategic marketing plan to increase web traffic by 230% and sales by 22%.

• Spearheaded a strategy team that reorganized the company's market approach, increasing project efficiency by 32%.

• Established a rapport with clients, maintaining 130% quota in completed sales.

Weak Accomplishment Examples:

• Savvy with social media usage and informed about current digital media trends.

• Provided administrative support to staff and organized events.

• I made media, product, and event-specific marketing plans.

• Responsible for creating training materials and research.

Although some of these examples include active verbs, they do not format their points correctly, nor do they tell the reader what was actually accomplished for the employer at the time. The general rule of thumb here is to list accomplishments first, and add feature details only afterward.

Accomplishments are much more important to employers than features.

 

Avoid Fluff & Flowery Language

"The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do."

-Thomas Jefferson

Flowery, fluff language describes any unnecessary word or phrase. It is an error against brevity and ultimately clouds the sentence with adjectives. People use fluff language as a filler because they believe having a longer resume is better, but that is definitely not the case!

Employers look at fluff language and think that you might be attempting to hide inexperience. Job seekers should be concise, clear, and avoid writing a resume like a long-winded poem.

Flowery language usually sounds like loaded poetry and detracts from the overall message of a resume. That’s why, with resumes, it’s better to say what is meant with one word than with many. For your greatest impression, find the verbs that drive the impact of the accomplishment home to the employer.

Examples of Flowery Language:

• Worked with an amazingly talented team to achieve our extremely steep goals.

• Responsible for creating complex training materials for extremely unmotivated staff members.

• Recruited, trained, and managed a huge team of sales associates who provided excellent customer support and retention due to my superior oversight.

• Overly exceeded annual goals in key metrics including skyrocketing profits, extreme sales, and rock solid employee retention.

Language like that of the above examples should always be avoided. Respect the time of those who will be reviewing the resume by remaining clear and concise in your writing. To make an impression on the audience, job seekers should use action verbs that have an impact, describe what they are doing or have done, and that describe the outcome.

 

Phrases to Avoid	Why Avoid Them?
"Salary negotiable"	Does not support applicant's experience and takes up space on the resume. This should be omitted because it is implied that the salary will be negotiated upon hiring.
"Experienced"	Sounds passive. Experience is something that happens to someone, not an accomplishment. Instead, job seekers should aim to show how their experiences has paid off. How has it been productive?
"Hard-working"	Show, don't tell.  Explaining what they've done and how it benefited their former employers conveys hard work.
"Detail-oriented"	Everyone notices details. This phrase doesn't really tell the employer anything. If the job seeker is applying to a career position, it is implied that they are aware of the details of that position.
"Problem-solving skills"	Everyone has these skills. This is a vague phrase that lacks any real substance and wastes valuable space on the resume that could be otherwise better utilized.
"Responsible for..."	Employers definitely want to know what an applicant has done in the past, but they're more interested in what they can do for themselves. Convey achievements with statistics and numerical values.

Successful job seekers use action verbs to show what they did, what was achieved, and how it benefited the past employer. Using active language and clearly conveying your worth will set you apart from hundreds of candidates who are still writing a feature resume and not a showcase of accomplishments.

 

Action Verbs For Different Experience

We have compiled a list of action verbs to use for different experience credentials that you might have on your resume.

1. Inspired a Beneficial Project For The Company

Here are some great action verbs to use if you have ever been the inspiration for a project that benefited a company you were working for.

Administered	Built	Chartered	Created
Designed	Developed	Devised	Founded
Engineered	Established	Formalized	Formed
Formulated	Implemented	Incorporated	Initiated
Instituted	Introduced	Launched	Pioneered
Spearheaded

2. Led Or Managed A Company Project

Here are some great action verbs to use if you have ever been the leading force on a company project.

Charied	Controlled	Coordinated	Executed
Headed	Operated	Orchestrated	Organized
Oversaw	Planned	Produced	Programmed

3. You Increased Company Efficiency, Sales, Revenue, or Customer Satisfaction Levels

Here are some great action verbs to use if you have helped increase company efficiency, sales, revenue, profits, customer satisfaction, or customer experience levels.

Accelerated	Achieved	Advanced	Amplified
Boosted	Capitalized	Delivered	Enhanced
Expanded	Expedited	Furthered	Gained
Generated	Improved	Lifted	Maximized
Outpaced	Stimulated	Sustained

4. You Improved Something

Here are some great action verbs to use if you have helped improve existing company procedures or standards.

Centralized	Clarified	Converted	Customized
Influenced	Integrated	Merged	Modified
Overhauled	Redesigned	Refined	Refocused
Rehabilitated	Remodeled	Reorganized	Replaced
Restructured	Revamped	Simplified	Standardized
Streamlined	Strengthened	Updated	Upgraded
Transformed

5. You Saved The Company Time and Money

Here are some great action verbs to use if you have helped save the company time and money.

Conserved	Consolidated	Decreased
Diagnosed	Lessened	Reconciled
Yielded	Deducted	Reduced

6. You Managed A Company Team

Here are some great action verbs to use if you have helped lead a company team.

Aligned	Cultivated	Directed	Enabled
Facilitated	Fostered	Guided	Hired
Inspired	Mentored	Mobilized	Motivated
Recruited	Regulated	Shaped	Supervised
Taught	Trained	United

7. You Brought In Additional Funding Or Partnerships

Here are some great action verbs to use if you have helped establish or garner additional funding or critical partnerships for your company.

Acquired	Forged	Navigated
Partnered	Secured	Negotiated

8. You Supported Customers

Here are some great action verbs to use if you have provided customer support in your previous roles.

Advised	Advocated	Arbitrated
Consulted	Educated	Fielded
Resolved	Coached	Informed

9. You Provided Oversight To Projects and Teams

Here are some great action verbs to use if you have provided oversight to company projects or teams. This is different than leading those teams. These action verbs are more focused around providing any additional guidance, or ensuring that the company projects and teams are following standard operating procedures.

Authorized	Blocked	Delegated	Dispatched
Enforced	Ensured	Inspected	Itemized
Monitored	Screened	Scrutinized	Verified

10. You Conducted Critical Company Research

Here are some great action verbs to use if you have provided critical company research.

Analyzed	Assembled	Assessed	Audited
Calculated	Discovered	Evaluated	Examined
Explored	Forecasted	Identified	Interpreted
Investigated	Mapped	Measured	Qualified
Quantified	Surveyed	Tested	Tracked

11. You Exceed Company Standards Or Had Several Accomplishments

Here are some great action verbs to use if you have exceeded company standards.

Attained	Awarded	Completed	Demonstrated
Earned	Exceeded	Outperformed	Reached
Showcased	Succeeded	Surpassed	Targeted

 

Summary

Using strong verbs, rather than passive language, allows the reader to visualize the applicant's strengths, reassures the employer that the applicant is professional, and provides further information about the applicant's accomplishments.

The small, allotted space on a resume is valuable and ought to be treated as such. Before finalizing a resume draft for your ideal hospital or healthcare job, be sure to review each line to ensure that the information is valuable enough to be included. Using strong verbs and clear language will help you convey strengths and avoid fluff.

 

Action Verbs - Full List

Able	Decreased	Instituted	Referred
Absorbed	Deducted	Instructed	Refined
Accelerated	Defined	Integrated	Refocused
Accomplished	Delegated	Interfaced	Regulated
Achieved	Delivered	Interpreted	Reinstated
Acquainted	Designed	Introduced	Rejected
Acquired	Detected	Invented	Remodeled
Acted	Determined	Invested	Reorganized
Action	Developed	Investigated	Repaired
Adapted	Devised	Itemized	Replaced
Addressed	Devoted	Judged	Reported
Adhered	Diagnosed	Justified	Repositioned
Adopted	Disbursed	Lectured	Researched
Administered	Discovered	Led	Reshaped
Advanced	Dispatched	Lessened	Resolved
Advised	Dispensed	Liaised	Responded
Advocated	Disseminated	Licensed	Restored
Aligned	Dissuaded	Lifted	Restructured
Allocated	Disguised	Listed	Retailed
Amplified	Distributed	Lobbied	Retrieved
Analyzed	Documented	Located	Returned
Announced	Doubled	Logged	Revamped
Applied	Downsized	Maintained	Reviewed
Appraised	Drafted	Managed	Revised
Appropriated	Earned	Manipulated	Revitalized
Approved	Economized	Mapped	Revolutionized
Arbitrated	Edited	Marketed	Riveted
Arranged	Educated	Mastered	Routed
Articulated	Efficient	Maximized	Safeguarded
Assembled	Eliminated	Measured	Saved
Assessed	Empowered	Mediated	Scheduled
Assigned	Enabled	Mentored	Screened
Assist	Encouraged	Merchandised	Scrutinized
Assisted	Enforced	Merged	Searched
Assured	Engineered	Mobilized	Secured
Attained	Enhanced	Moderated	Segmented
Attracted	Enlarged	Modernized	Selected
Audited	Enriched	Modified	Served
Augmented	Ensured	Molded	Set goals
Authored	Established	Monitored	Shaped
Authorized	Evaluated	Motivated	Shopped
Awarded	Examined	Multiplied	Showcased
Balanced	Exceeded	Navigated	Simplified
Bargained	Excelled	Negotiated	Skilled
Beneficial	Executed	Networked	Sold
Benefited	Exhibited	Observed	Solicited
Blocked	Expanded	Obtained	Solved
Bolstered	Expedited	Operated	Sourced
Boosted	Experimented	Optimized	Spearheaded
Bought	Explained	Orchestrated	Specified
Briefed	Explored	Ordered	Sponsored
Broadened	Exposed	Organized	Standardized
Budgeted	Extracted	Originated	Sponsored
Built	Fabricated	Outpaced	Stimulated
Calculated	Facilitated	Outperformed	Streamlined
Campaigned	Familiarized	Overhauled	Strengthened
Capitalized	Fashioned	Oversaw	Structured
Cataloged	Fielded	Packaged	Succeeded
Centralized	Financed	Participated	Suggested
Certified	Focused	Partnered	Summarized
Chaired	Followed up	Performed	Superseded
Charted	Fomented	Persuaded	Supervised
Chartered	Forecast	Pinpointed	Supplemented
Clarified	Foresaw	Pioneered	Supported
Classified	Forged	Planned	Surpassed
Closed	Formalized	Prepared	Surveyed
Co-authored	Formed	Prescribed	Sustained
Coached	Formulated	Presided	Systematized
Collaborated	Fulfilled	Produced	Tracked
Compared	Funded	Programmed	Trained
Compiled	Furthered	Projected	Transcended
Completed	Gained	Promoted	Transformed
Complied	Gathered	Proofread	Translated
Composed	Gave	Proposed	Trimmed
Computed	Generated	Provided	Tripled
Concentrated	Governed	Publicized	Triumphed
Conciliated	Granted	Published	Troubleshot
Conducted	Grouped	Purchased	Tutored
Conquered	Guided	Pursued	Uncovered
Conserved	Harmonized	Quadrupled	Underwrote
Consulted	Headed	Qualified	Unearthed
Consolidated	Helped	Quantified	Unified
Constructed	Hired	Quoted	United
Construed	Hosted	Ranked	Updated
Consulted	Identified	Reached	Upgraded
Contributed	Identified	Realized	Utilized
Converted	Implemented	Received	Validated
Conveyed	Improved	Recommended	Valued
Convinced	Improvised	Reconciled	Vended
Coordinated	Incorporated	Reconstructed	Verified
Corresponded	Increased	Recorded	Viewed
Costumed	Influenced	Recovered	Volunteered
Counseled	Informed	Recruited	Witnessed
Created	Initiated	Rectified	Won
Critiqued	Innovated	Redesigned	Wrote
Cultivated	Inspected	Redirected	Yielded
Customized	Inspired	Reduced
Cut	Installed	Reengineered

 

Next: Ch. 5: Skills for Your Resume