When explaining your achievements on your CV it is easy to develop writer’s block. The list below gives you a wide-range of words suitable for all types of CV.
A good CV uses strong language, action verbs and past tense.
Accelerated
Accomplished
Accumulated
Achieved
Acquired
Administered
Advised
Analysed
Appointed
Appraised
Arranged
Attained
Assessed
Audited
Avoided
Bought
Broadened
Budgeted
Built
Calculated
Captured
Centralised
Changed
Checked
Collated
Collected
Combined
Compiled
Completed
Composed
Conceived
Conducted
Constructed
Contributed
Controlled
Consolidated
Converted
Coordinated
Corrected
Counselled
Created
Cut
Decreased
Defined
Demonstrated
Designed
Despatched
Determined
Developed
Devised
Directed
Discovered
Diversified
Diverted
Doubled
Downsized
Edited
Effected
Eliminated
Employed
Encouraged
Ended
Enforced
Engineered
Enhanced
Enlarged
Ensured
Eradicated
Established
Estimated
Evaluated
Evaded
Exceeded
Executed
Expanded
Extended
Extracted
Finished
Forecasted
Formed
Formulated
Founded
Gained
Generated
Guided
Halved
Headed
Highlighted
Hired
Identified
Implemented
Improved
Increased
Inducted
Initiated
Inspired
Inspected
Installed
Instructed
Interpreted
Interviewed
Introduced
Invented
Investigated
Invigorated
Joined
Judged
Launched
Led
Lengthened
Lessened
Liaised
Lightened
Lowered
Maintained
Managed
Marketed
Maximised
Minimised
Modernised
Modified
Monitored
Motivated
Negotiated
Obtained
Operated
Optimised
Ordered
Organised
Outlined
Performed
Piloted
Pioneered
Planned
Positioned
Prepared
Presented
Prevented
Processed
Procured
Produced
Programmed
Promoted
Proposed
Proved
Provided
Publicised
Published
Purchased
Re-arranged
Recommended
Recruited
Rectified
Re-designed
Re-directed
Reduced
Refined
Regulated
Reinforced
Rejected
Rejuvenated
Related
Renewed
Re-organised
Repaired
Replaced
Represented
Rescued
Researched
Resolved
Restored
Retained
Re-structured
Re-vamped
Reviewed
Revised
Revived
Re-vitalised
Saved
Scheduled
Secured
Serviced
Selected
Set up
Settled
Shaped
Shortened
Simplified
Solved
Specified
Stabilised
Staffed
Standardised
Started
Stimulated
Stopped
Streamlined
Strengthened
Structured
Studied
Succeeded
Suggested
Supervised
Supported
Surpassed
Surveyed
Taught
Tested
Tightened
Trained
Transferred
Transformed
Translated
Travelled
Uncovered
Undertook
Unified
United
Utilised
Verified
Visited
Widened
Won
Wrote
Take Away Points
1: Employers want to learn about what you have achieved, not just what your responsibilities were – action verbs help you to do this.
2: Use a range of words, all in past tense, to demonstrate a number of achievements and skills.
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