verb bank

Resume action verbs that survive the recruiter scan.

Bullets that open with 'worked on', 'helped', or 'was responsible for' get downgraded by both recruiters and the outcome-density sub-score. The 200 verbs below group by intent so you can pick the one that fits the impact.

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build / ship

Verbs that signal creation.

Use these when the bullet describes building, shipping, designing, or launching something new.

  • BuildBuilt, Shipped, Launched, Designed, Architected, Implemented, Engineered, Prototyped, Constructed, Composed, Authored, Drafted, Modeled, Configured, Initiated, Created
  • ShipReleased, Deployed, Rolled out, Productized, Industrialised, Landed, Open-sourced, Published
lead / own

Verbs that signal responsibility.

Use these when the bullet describes leading a team, owning a function, or directing a workstream.

  • LeadLed, Owned, Directed, Spearheaded, Chaired, Coordinated, Mentored, Coached, Managed, Supervised, Orchestrated, Championed, Stewarded, Drove, Headed, Anchored
grow / lift

Verbs that signal upward movement.

Use these when the bullet describes growing, scaling, or improving a number.

  • GrowGrew, Scaled, Doubled, Tripled, Quadrupled, Lifted, Accelerated, Increased, Drove, Multiplied, Amplified, Boosted, Expanded, Outpaced, Surpassed, Catalysed
reduce / save

Verbs that signal efficiency.

Use these when the bullet describes cutting cost, time, or complexity.

  • ReduceReduced, Cut, Streamlined, Eliminated, Saved, Optimised, Consolidated, Refactored, Pruned, Compressed, Slashed, Trimmed, Halved, Decommissioned, Retired, Simplified
analyse / decide

Verbs that signal judgment.

Use these when the bullet describes analysis, research, or making a call.

  • AnalyseAnalysed, Audited, Benchmarked, Diagnosed, Evaluated, Investigated, Researched, Synthesised, Assessed, Quantified, Mapped, Profiled, Interrogated, Stress-tested, Modeled, Surveyed
  • DecideDecided, Prioritised, Scoped, Selected, Greenlit, Killed, Pivoted, Recommitted, De-risked, Sequenced, Resolved, Adjudicated
frequently asked

Questions, answered.

Q ·
How many action verbs should I use on a resume?

One per bullet, no repeats within the same role. Across a CV, repeating a strong verb is fine if it accurately describes a different action, but mixing in synonyms reads more senior than hammering 'Led' eight times.

Q ·
What action verbs should I avoid on a resume?

Worked on, helped, assisted with, was responsible for, participated in, contributed to. They're filler. Replace each with a verb that names the specific action you took.

Q ·
Are action verbs case-sensitive on a resume?

No, but capitalise the first letter of each bullet for visual consistency. Some templates use sentence case for bullets; pick one and apply it everywhere.

Q ·
Can I use the same action verb twice on a resume?

Within a single role, avoid it. Across roles, fine when accurate. The recruiter scan only catches repetition within a visually grouped block.

Q ·
Should action verbs be past tense or present tense?

Past tense for everything except your current role. Current role uses present tense ('Building', 'Leading', 'Shipping'). Past roles use past tense ('Built', 'Led', 'Shipped').

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