Vocabulary of Action Words
Use action words to describe what you have done but to secure maximum impact use them selectively. Try to avoid vague words such as “Administered, Co-ordinated, Helped and Liaised”, they all suggest a subordinate rather than a lead role. For the same reason consider what a phrase could mean before using it as it could be perceived as a claim to association that could be dubious “assisted with, participated in and involved in”.
Advertising & Promotion | |||
Accounted for | Influenced | Persuaded | Represented |
Convinced | Launched | Promoted | Secured |
Generated | Marketed | Recommended | Sold |
Improved | Delivered |
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Communications | |||
Approved | Edited | Moderated | Presided |
Counselled | Facilitated | Participated | Served as |
Demonstrated | Instructed | Presented | Wrote |
Disseminated | Interviewed |
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Creativity | |||
Arranged | Devised | Invented | Reshaped |
Conceived | Enabled | Originated | Resolved |
Created | Enhanced | Packaged | Solved |
Designed | Formulated | Refined | Structured |
Developed | innovated |
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Management | |||
Administered | Exceeded | Managed | Retained |
Attained | Executed | Masterminded | Revised |
Conducted | Expanded | Obtained | Strengthened |
Contracted | Headed | Organized | Supervised |
Controlled | Implemented | Performed | Trimmed |
Coordinated | Incorporated | Produced | Turned Around |
Directed | Initiated | Reduced | Undertook |
Enacted | Instituted | Repositioned | Was Responsible for |
Established | Maintained |
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Negotiations | |||
Assured | Evaluated | Mediated | Proposed |
Closed | Investigated | Negotiated | Sorted |
Determined | Secured |
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Public Relations & Human Resources | |||
Advised | Employed | Handled | Motivated |
Balanced | Facilitated | Hired | Recruited |
Collaborated | Grouped | Integrated | Sponsored |
Consulted | Guided | Monitored | Strengthened |
Counselled |
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Research & Analysis | |||
Automated | Differentiated | Investigated | Solved |
Classified | Equated | Related | Synthesized |
Determined | Experimented | Searched | Theorized |
Developed |
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Resourcefulness | |||
Accomplished | Diverted | Improved | Solved |
Awarded | Eliminated | Pioneered | Strengthened |
Corrected | Identified | Rectified | Surpassed |
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Technique & Authority | |||
Analysed | Computed | improvised | Reviewed |
Arranged | Decreased | Increased | Revised |
Budgeted | Distributed | Indexed | Scheduled |
Catalogued | Enlarged | Leveraged | Singlehandedly |
Compared | Examined | Redesigned | Synthesized |
Compiled | Expanded | Reorganized | Systematized |
Completed | Generated | Restructured | Verified |
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Generic | |||
Accelerated | Accomplished | Achieved | Activated |
Approved | Attained | Budgeted | Built |
Calculated | Conceived | Completed | Conducted |
Contribution | Contributed | Consolidated | Created |
Core | Controlled | Designed | Delegated |
Demonstrated | Diagnosed | Directed | Doubled |
Delivered | Ended | Ensured | Exceeded |
Established | Extended | Eliminated | Empowered |
Finished | Foresaw | Forecasted | Finalised |
Forecast | Generated | Headed | Introduced |
Increased | Implemented | Improved | Invented |
Instigated | Launched | Led | Motivated |
Maintained | Negotiated | Operated | Ordered |
Planned | Pioneered | Presented | Processed |
Programmed | Positive | Profit | Promoted |
Perceived | Persuaded | Performed | Questioned |
Rectified | Recognised | Redesigned | Reduced |
Reorganised | Rescued | Researched | Revived |
Revised | Stressed | Strengthened | Summarised |
Stretched | Succeeded | Superseded | Supervised |
Saved | Scheduled | Set-up | Sold |
Solved | Sorted | Started A | Streamlined |
Terminated | Trained | Traded | Transformed |
Translated | Tripled | Trimmed | Turned |
Uncovered | Unified | Utilised | Verified |
Waged | Won | Worked | Wrote |