Making your CV Work with Action Verbs.

So, it’s time to update your CV and you are wondering how to make it more dynamic? One way to do this is to use vibrant action verbs which will demand attention when outlining your previous duties. The language we use in our CVs is very important and help to clearly communicate your skills and experience. Starting each bullet point with a strong action verb will help the reader scan through the information quickly and will paint a clear picture of your previous tasks.

Every duty should try to sell your abilities, highlight your accomplishments and leave a lasting impression. The list of verbs below will help you to do just that.

 ACTION VERBS TO DESCRIBE PREVIOUS DUTIES

A

Accompanied

Achieved

Acquired

Acted

Adhered to

Advised

Aided

Alerted

Analysed

Answered

Anticipated

Approved

Arranged

Assembled

Assessed

Assigned

Assisted

B

Boosted

C

Calculated

Called

Carried out

Changed

Checked

Clarified

Cleaned

Coached

Collaborated

Collated

Collected

Communicated

Compared

Compiled

Complied with

Completed

Conducted

Consulted

Contacted

Contributed

Controlled

Convinced

Cooperated

Coordinated

Corrected

Counted

Created

Customised

D

Dealt with

Decorated

Defined

Delegated

Delivered

Demonstrated

Described

Designed

Detected

Determined

Developed

Devised

Diagnosed

Directed

Disposed of

Distributed

E

Edited

Eliminated

Employed

Enabled

Encouraged

Enhanced

Ensured

Established

Estimated

Evaluated

Exceeded

Explained

F

Facilitated

Followed up

G

Gained

Generated

Greeted

Guided

H

Handled

Helped

Hired

I

Identified

Implemented

Improved

Increased

Informed

Inspected

Installed

Instructed

Interviewed

Introduced

Investigated

Issued

L

Labelled

Launched

Lectured

Led

Liaised

Lifted

Listened

Loaded

Located

Lodged

M

Maintained

Managed

Marketed

Maximised

Measured

Mediated

Merchandised

Merged

Minimised

Modified

Monitored

Motivated

Moved

N

Negotiated

O

Observed

Obtained

Offered

Operated

Ordered

Organised

Oversaw

P

Participated

Performed

Persuaded

Planned

Prepared

Presented

Prevented

Printed

Prioritised

Processed

Projected

Promoted

Proposed

Provided

Publicised

Published

Purchased

R

Received

Recommended

Recorded

Recruited

Rectified

Reduced

Referred

Registered

Removed

Repaired

Replaced

Replenished

Reported

Represented

Requested

Researched

Resolved

Responded to

Responsible for

Reviewed

Revised

Rotated

S

Satisfied

Scanned

Scheduled

Screened

Searched

Secured

Selected

Sent

Served

Shared

Showed

Simplified

Signed

Solved

Sorted

Stocked

Submitted

Suggested

Summarised

Supervised

Supplied

Supported

T

Tailored

Taught

Tested

Tidied

Tracked

Trained

Transcribed

Translated

Troubleshot

Tutored

Typed

U

Updated

Upgraded

V

Verified

Visited

Volunteered

W

Washed

Welcomed

Breda Hegarty is a career counsellor with the EPIC Programme run by Business in the Community Ireland. EPIC is a free programme supporting people from migrant backgrounds to gain employment. If you are interested in participating in one of the free programmes contact Livia Bartolomé  on 01 8743842 / 086 8391313 or epic@bitc.ie

You can contact Breda Hegarty directly on bhegarty@bitc.ie.