Action verbs for your CV, with examples
The best action verbs for a CV describe a specific action and its result: launched, reduced, organised, negotiated. They replace the vague "responsible for" and show what you actually did. Below are more than 60 verbs grouped by skill, with sentences you can adapt.
Why verbs matter so much
A recruiter skims a CV in seconds. "Responsible for the warehouse" only says where you were. "Cut order picking time by 15%" says what you did and what changed. The verb makes the difference.
Start each bullet point with a verb and drop the pronoun "I": "Launched a new booking system", not "I launched". Keep the same style throughout the document. For how to turn duties into strong bullet points, see how to describe your duties on a CV.
Action verbs by group
| Area | Verbs |
|---|---|
| Leading and organising | coordinated, supervised, planned, led, organised, delegated, prioritised |
| Results and improvements | increased, reduced, cut, streamlined, automated, launched, simplified |
| Sales and customers | won, served, negotiated, advised, retained, resolved, persuaded |
| Communication | prepared, presented, trained, explained, edited, wrote |
| Analysis | analysed, researched, assessed, compared, forecast, audited |
| Technical and hands-on work | installed, serviced, repaired, operated, picked, loaded, measured |
| Creating | designed, wrote, developed, built, created, produced |
Use the past tense for previous jobs and the present tense for your current one: "manage" now, "managed" before.
Verbs for different industries
The same verb sounds different in an office and on a building site. Here are examples that fit specific jobs. Match them to the offer you are applying for.
- Retail and customer service: advised, sold, handled the till, processed returns, merchandised, met sales targets.
- Warehouse, production and logistics: picked, received deliveries, operated a forklift, inspected quality, planned routes, ran stocktakes.
- Office and administration: kept records, processed invoices, organised meetings, archived, drafted contracts.
- IT: designed, coded, tested, deployed, automated, maintained, migrated data.
- Care and healthcare: cared for, administered medication as prescribed, kept medical records, supported daily activities.
- Construction and trades: installed, fitted, laid, renovated, read drawings, supervised a crew.
If you apply through an ATS, also use words from the job ad. When the company writes "key account management" and you write "working with important clients", the system may not make the connection.
How to build a strong CV sentence
The simplest pattern is verb, what you did, scale or result. Numbers are best but not always needed. A specific detail someone could check is enough.
- Weak: "Responsible for customer service". Better: "Served up to 60 customers a day in a busy store and resolved complaints on the spot".
- Weak: "Worked with the warehouse system". Better: "Picked an average of 120 order lines per shift in the WMS with no shipping errors".
- Weak: "Helped with projects". Better: "Prepared schedules and budgets for three construction clients' projects".
Verbs help beyond the experience section too: in the short summary at the top of your CV, covered in our guide to the professional profile, and when you describe your skills on a CV.
What to avoid
- The same verb again and again. Five times "managed" in one CV tires the reader.
- Empty adjectives with no proof: "creative", "dynamic", "motivated". Show it through actions instead.
- The present tense for past jobs.
- Exaggeration. Any line in your CV can come up in an interview, so write only what you can explain in detail.
You will find job descriptions with strong verbs in our resume examples for more than 240 professions.
Verbs in a cover letter
The same verbs work in a cover letter, where you write in full sentences and can add context. Instead of repeating your CV, pick one achievement and tell it briefly: the problem, what you did and the result.
Ready-to-copy template
Swap in your own numbers and names. If you do not know exact figures, use approximate ones you can explain.
Cut order processing time from 3 to 2 working days by reorganising tasks in the team. Served an average of 50 customers a day, including returns and complaints, with a 4.8 out of 5 customer rating. Launched a new time tracking system for 25 employees and trained the team to use it. Prepared monthly sales reports for the management board in Excel and Power BI. Coordinated 4 fitters on the construction of a 2,000 m2 warehouse.
Frequently asked questions
Which verbs should I use on a CV?
Verbs that describe a specific action: launched, reduced, served, coordinated, prepared. Combine them with a scale or result, such as the number of customers or the time saved.
Should I write "I" on my CV?
Usually not. Start bullet points with the verb: "Launched a new system" rather than "I launched a new system".
Past or present tense on a CV?
Present tense for your current job, past tense for previous ones.
Do action verbs help with ATS?
Indirectly. An ATS mainly looks for keywords from the job ad, but specific sentences with a verb and the name of the task contain more of them than general claims.