Action Verbs for a CV

Why action verbs matter

Starting a bullet point with a strong, specific verb makes it immediately clear what you did, rather than making a reader work through a vague or passive sentence. It also helps keep each bullet point short and focused.

Replace phrases like 'was responsible for managing a team' with a direct verb: 'Managed a team of six'. The shorter version is easier to scan and reads with more confidence.

This matters because most readers scan a CV quickly rather than reading every word closely at first. A page full of bullet points that each open with a clear, active verb is much easier to skim than one built from long, passive sentences, and it gives a stronger first impression even before the detail is read.

This applies at every stage of your career, from a first part-time job to a senior role; the size and scale of what you describe changes, but the value of a clear, direct opening verb does not.

Weak phrases to replace

Certain phrases turn up repeatedly on CVs and tend to weaken a bullet point rather than strengthen it. Swapping these for a direct verb almost always improves the sentence, since it removes an extra layer of wording between the reader and what you actually did.

A useful exercise is to go through an existing CV and underline every bullet point that starts with a weak phrase like these, then rewrite each one with a direct verb instead, checking that the new sentence still reads naturally.

• 'Was responsible for' becomes 'Managed', 'Ran' or 'Oversaw'
• 'Helped with' becomes 'Assisted', 'Supported' or 'Contributed to'
• 'Involved in' becomes 'Coordinated', 'Took part in' or a more specific verb
• 'Duties included' becomes a direct list of verbs describing what was actually done
• 'In charge of' becomes 'Led' or 'Managed', depending on the scale of the responsibility

Leadership and management

Use these when describing supervising others, leading a project, or taking ownership of an outcome. Choose the verb that best matches the scale of what you actually led, rather than defaulting to the grandest-sounding option each time.

• Led
• Managed
• Supervised
• Coordinated
• Delegated
• Mentored
• Trained
• Directed

Communication and customer service

Use these for roles involving dealing with customers, colleagues or the public directly. These verbs work particularly well for retail, hospitality, care and office-based roles where clear communication is a core part of the job.

They also work well for describing how you dealt with a difficult situation, such as 'Resolved a customer complaint' or 'Liaised between departments to clear a scheduling conflict'.

• Communicated
• Advised
• Resolved
• Liaised
• Assisted
• Presented
• Explained
• Responded to

Organisation and administration

Use these for planning, scheduling, or keeping processes running smoothly. They suit administrative, office-based and coordination-focused roles particularly well.

They can also strengthen bullet points in roles that are not primarily administrative, wherever some planning or record keeping was part of the job.

• Organised
• Scheduled
• Maintained
• Processed
• Prepared
• Coordinated
• Arranged
• Documented

Problem solving and improvement

Use these for identifying an issue and doing something about it. They are useful across almost any role, since most jobs involve solving practical problems at some point.

• Resolved
• Improved
• Streamlined
• Identified
• Implemented
• Reduced
• Simplified
• Corrected

Using verbs naturally and building a full bullet point

Vary your verbs across the CV rather than repeating the same one for every bullet point, and only use a verb that accurately describes what you did. A strong verb should make a true sentence clearer, not stretch the truth.

If you are unsure which verb fits, describe the task in plain language first, then look for the closest, most accurate verb from the list rather than forcing a grander-sounding word that does not quite match what happened. It also helps to keep the tense consistent: past tense for previous roles, such as 'Managed' or 'Organised', and present tense only for tasks in your current role.

A strong verb is only the start of a good bullet point; it needs enough detail behind it to be genuinely useful. Compare 'Organised events' with 'Organised a weekly fundraising event for a school charity group, coordinating volunteers and handling collections'. The second version keeps the same clear opening verb but adds enough specific detail that a reader understands exactly what was done.

This combination of a clear verb and specific supporting detail is one of the simplest ways to strengthen a CV without changing its overall structure or length.