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Action verbs for your CV
Grouped by the kind of contribution they describe, so you find the accurate word rather than the biggest one.
In short
Action verbs are the words that open CV bullets and show what you did, such as led, reduced, built or negotiated. Choose the verb that describes your actual contribution, then follow it with a result. A precise, modest verb with evidence reads stronger than an impressive verb without it. Vary your verbs, but never inflate your role to find a new one.
By Chanuka Jeewantha · Updated
A verb list is only useful if it helps you describe what you really did more precisely. Use this one on a finished draft: mark every weak opener such as ‘responsible for’, ‘helped with’ or ‘worked on’, decide what you actually did in that situation, then find the verb that says it. The themes below are there to point you to the right family of words, not to make a bullet sound bigger than the work behind it.
Leadership: you set direction or were accountable for people
- Led
- Directed
- Headed
- Managed
- Oversaw
- Supervised
- Mentored
- Coached
- Recruited
- Delegated
- Mobilised
- Chaired
- Steered
- Championed
Delivery: you got something finished
- Delivered
- Launched
- Completed
- Executed
- Implemented
- Shipped
- Rolled out
- Coordinated
- Scheduled
- Organised
- Produced
- Achieved
- Met
- Closed
- Secured
Growth: you increased revenue, customers or reach
- Grew
- Increased
- Expanded
- Generated
- Won
- Acquired
- Opened
- Scaled
- Negotiated
- Converted
- Retained
- Upsold
- Diversified
- Doubled
Analysis: you found out what was true
- Analysed
- Assessed
- Evaluated
- Investigated
- Forecast
- Modelled
- Measured
- Audited
- Researched
- Identified
- Diagnosed
- Quantified
- Mapped
- Tested
- Reviewed
Improvement: you made something faster, cheaper or better
- Improved
- Reduced
- Streamlined
- Simplified
- Automated
- Standardised
- Redesigned
- Restructured
- Consolidated
- Cut
- Resolved
- Upgraded
- Modernised
- Optimised
- Accelerated
Communication: you informed, persuaded or taught
- Presented
- Wrote
- Authored
- Briefed
- Trained
- Advised
- Influenced
- Persuaded
- Facilitated
- Mediated
- Reported
- Published
- Pitched
- Edited
- Translated
Technical: you built or ran the system
- Built
- Developed
- Designed
- Engineered
- Architected
- Configured
- Programmed
- Integrated
- Migrated
- Deployed
- Debugged
- Maintained
- Prototyped
- Documented
- Installed
Tips
- Match the verb to your real role. ‘Led’ means you were accountable for the outcome. ‘Contributed to’ or ‘supported’ is honest when you were part of a larger team, and an interviewer will ask.
- Put the weight in the result, not the verb. ‘Reduced invoice errors by a third’ needs no adjective; ‘spearheaded a transformational initiative’ says nothing a reader can check.
- Words such as spearheaded, orchestrated and revolutionised tend to read as inflation. Use them only when a plainer verb would genuinely undersell what happened.
- Avoid starting two bullets in a row with the same verb, but do not reach for an obscure synonym either. Mild repetition is a smaller problem than a word that sounds unlike you.
- Use past tense for previous roles, and present tense for ongoing work in your current role.
- Replace ‘responsible for’ with the verb for what you did with that responsibility: ‘responsible for onboarding’ becomes ‘trained’, ‘redesigned’ or ‘ran’ depending on the truth.
- Test each verb against the interview question ‘what exactly did you do?’. If the honest answer is smaller than the verb, change the verb.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What are good action verbs for a CV?
Good CV action verbs are specific and accurate: led, delivered, reduced, built, negotiated, analysed and improved each describe a clear contribution. The best verb is the one that matches what you actually did, followed by a result. Weak openers such as ‘responsible for’, ‘helped with’ and ‘worked on’ describe a job rather than your contribution to it.
Is ‘spearheaded’ a good word for a CV?
It can be accurate, but it is so widely used that it often reads as filler. If you started and led an initiative, ‘launched’ or ‘led’ followed by a clear result usually sounds more credible. Whatever verb you choose should never claim more than you did, because an interviewer will ask you to describe your role in detail.
Should every bullet on a CV start with an action verb?
Most should, because a verb-first bullet makes your contribution clear in the first word a recruiter reads. Occasionally a bullet reads better starting with the scope or result, such as a named project or a figure. Consistency matters more than a rigid rule, so keep the same grammatical pattern within each role.
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