Powerful resumes make an impact.
Yet—
Many job seekers struggle to find the right words to stand out. That’s where our guide come in.
In this article, we’ve compiled a list of over 350 power words and action verbs, along with examples to help you incorporate them effectively into your resume.
Discover the most impactful power words and action verbs to transform your resume, drawing on insights from industry experts and successful professionals.
Ready to supercharge your resume? Let’s dive in:
List of Power Words and Action Verbs
A
Abated, Abbreviated, Abolished, Abridged, Absolved, Absorbed, Accelerated, Acclimated, Accompanied, Accomplished, Accomplished, Achieved, Acquired, Acted, Activated, Actuated, Adapted, Added, Addressed, Adhered, Adjusted, Administered, Admitted, Adopted, Advanced, Advertised, Advised, Advocated, Affected, Aided, Aired, Alerted, Allocated, Altered, Amended, Amplified, Analyzed, Answered, Anticipated, Appeared, Applied, Appointed, Appraised, Approached, Approved, Arbitrated, Arranged, Articulated, Ascertained, Asked, Assembled, Assessed, Assigned, Assisted, Assumed, Assured, Attained, Attracted, Audited, Augmented, Authored, Authorized, Automated, Awarded
B
Balanced, Bargained, Began, Bench-marked, Benefited, Bid, Billed, Blocked, Bolstered, Boosted, Borrowed, Bought, Branded, Bridged, Briefed, Broadened, Brought, Budgeted, Built
C
Calculated, Canvassed, Captured, Carried out, Cast, Cataloged, Catalogued, Categorized, Caused, Centralized, Chaired, Challenged, Championed, Changed, Channeled, Charted, Checked, Circulated, Clarified, Classified, Cleared, Closed, Coached, Co-authored, Co-directed, Collaborated, Collected, Combined, Commended, Commented, Commissioned, Committed, Communicated, Compared, Compiled, Completed, Complied, Composed, Computed, Conceived, Conceptualized, Condensed, Conducted, Conserved, Considered, Consolidated, Constructed, Consulted, Continued, Contracted, Contributed, Controlled, Converted, Conveyed, Convinced, Coordinated, Corrected, Cost, Counseled, Counted, Created, Critiqued, Cultivated, Customized, Cut
D
Dealt, Debated, Debugged, Decentralized, Decided, Decreased, Dedicated, Deferred, Defined, Delegated, Delivered, Demonstrated, Depreciated, Described, Designated, Designed, Detected, Determined, Developed, Devised, Diagnosed, Directed, Discovered, Discussed, Dispatched, Dissembled, Distinguished, Distributed, Diversified, Divested, Documented, Doubled, Drafted
E
Earned, Eased, Edited, Educated, Effected, Elicited, Eliminated, Emphasized, Enabled, Encouraged, Ended, Endorsed, Enforced, Engaged, Engineered, Enhanced, Enlarged, Enlisted, Enriched, Ensured, Entered, Established, Estimated, Evaluated, Examined, Exceeded, Exchanged, Executed, Exempted, Expanded, Expedited, Experimented, Explained, Explored, Exposed, Expressed, Extended, Extracted
F
Fabricated, Facilitated, Fashioned, Fielded, Filled, Finalized, Finalized, Financed, Fine-tuned, Focused, Forecasted, Formalized, Formed, Formulated, Fortified, Founded, Fulfilled, Furnished, Furthered
G
Gained, Gathered, Gauged, Generated, Governed, Graded, Granted, Greeted, Grew, Grouped, Guided
H
Halved, Handled, Headed, Helped, Hired, Hosted
I
Identified, Illuminated, Illustrated, Implemented, Improved, Improvised, Inaugurated, Incorporated, Increased, Incurred, Indexed, Individualized, Indoctrinated, Induced, Influenced, Initiated, Innovated, Inquired, Inspected, Inspired, Installed, Instigated, Instilled, Instituted, Instructed, Insured, Integrated, Interacted, Interpreted, Intervened, Interviewed, Introduced, Invented, Inventoried, Invested, Investigated, Invited, Involved, Isolated, Issued
J
Joined, Judged, Justified
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K
Kept
L
Launched, Learned, Leased, Lectured, Led, Licensed, Lightened, Liquidated, Listed, Litigated, Lobbied, Localized, Located, Logged
M
Made, Maintained, Managed, Mapped, Marketed, Matched, Maximized, Measured, Mediated, Mentored, Merchandised, Merged, Met, Minimized, Modeled, Moderated, Modernized, Modified, Monitored, Motivated, Moved, Multiplied
N
Named, Narrated, Navigated, Negotiated, Netted, Noticed, Nurtured
O
Observed, Obtained, Offered, Opened, Operated, Orchestrated, Ordered, Organized, Oriented, Originated, Overhauled, Oversaw
P
Participated, Patterned, Penetrated, Perceived, Performed, Persuaded, Phased, Photographed, Pinpointed, Pioneered, Placed, Planned, Played, Polled, Prepared, Presented, Preserved, Presided, Prevented, Processed, Procured, Produced, Profiled, Programmed, Prohibited, Projected, Promoted, Prompted, Proposed, Proved, Provided, Publicized, Published, Purchased, Pursued
Q
Qualified, Quantified, Questioned, Quoted
R
Raised, Ranked, Rated, Realized, Received, Recognized, Recommended, Reconciled, Recorded, Recovered, Recruited, Rectified, Redesigned, Reduced, Refined, Regained, Registered, Regulated, Rehabilitated, Reinforced, Reinstated, Rejected, Related, Remedied, Remodeled, Renegotiated, Reorganized, Repaired, Replaced, Replied, Reported, Represented, Researched, Resolved, Responded, Restored, Restructured, Resulted, Retained, Retrieved, Revamped, Revealed, Reversed, Reviewed, Revised, Revitalized, Rewarded
S
Safeguarded, Salvaged, Saved, Scheduled, Screened, Secured, Segmented, Selected, Separated, Served, Serviced, Set, Set up, Settled, Shaped, Shared, Shortened, Showed, Shrank, Signed, Simplified, Simulated, Slashed, Sold, Solicited, Solidified, Solved, Sorted, Sought, Sparked, Spearheaded, Specialized, Specified, Speculated, Spoke, Spread, Stabilized, Staffed, Staged, Standardized, Started, Steered, Stimulated, Strategized, Streamlined, Strengthened, Stressed, Stretched, Structured, Studied, Submitted, Substantiated, Substituted, Succeeded, Succeeded in, Suggested, Summarized, Superseded, Supervised, Supplied, Supported, Surpassed, Surveyed, Synchronized, Systematized
T
Tabulated, Tackled, Tailored, Targeted, Taught, Terminated, Tested, Tightened, Took, Toured, Traced, Tracked, Traded, Trained, Transacted, Transcribed, Transferred, Transformed, Translated, Transmitted, Transported, Traveled, Treated, Trimmed, Tripled, Troubleshot, Turned, Tutored
U
Umpired, Uncovered, Underlined, Underscored, Understood, Understudied, Undertook, Underwrote, Unearthed, Unified, United, Unraveled, Updated, Upgraded, Urged, Used, Utilized
V
Validated, Valued, Verbalized, Verified, Viewed, Visited, Visualized, Voiced, Volunteered
W
Waged, Weathered, Weighed, Welcomed, Widened, Withstood, Witnessed, Won, Worked, Wrote
Y
Yielded
Alison Adams, a Philly native and proud University of Pennsylvania alum, is your go-to Career Expert with a laid-back approach. She’s been in the job seeker’s shoes and knows how to navigate the wild world of work. Alison’s all about sharing practical tips and tricks with a personal touch, making her a favorite for those looking to level up their careers.