Keywords and Action Verbs

Keywords

Keywords are specific words or phrases that job seekers use to search for jobs and employers use to find the right candidates.

  • These are most easily found in the job description under the responsibilities, tasks and recommended skills sections.
  • Try the company mission statement or values on their website for additional ideas.
  • You can also search online. For example, “keywords for nursing resumes.”
  • Keywords can include action verbs, technical skills (programs, software, language, equipment, etc.) and desired personal qualities.
  • Review your major related text books for vocabulary.

Action verbs

  • Action verbs describe your skills, accomplishments, and experiences.
  • Review our action verbs below and search online for words/phrases specific to your area of study and expertise. For example, “action verbs for mechanical engineering resumes.”

Communication

addressed

advertised

arbitrated

articulated

clarified

collaborated

communicated

composed

conferred

consulted

contacted

conveyed

corresponded

debated

defined

described

directed

discussed

drafted

edited

encouraged

enlisted

explained 

expressed

formulated

incorporated

interacted

interpreted

interviewed

involved

listened

marketed

mediated

moderated

motivated 

negotiated

observed

outlined

participated

persuaded

presented

proposed

publicized

reconciled

recruited

referred

reinforced 

reported

resolved

responded

solicited

suggested

summarized

synthesized

translated 

wrote

Critical thinking and creativity

adapted

analyzed

applied

assessed

combined

composed

conceptualized

created

customized

designed

developed

directed

displayed

drew

established

evaluated

fashioned

formulated

illustrated

improved

initiated

instituted

integrated 

introduced

invented

modified

predicted

revised

revitalized 

shaped

Financial data

administered

adjusted

allocated

analyzed

appraised

assessed

audited

balanced

budgeted

calculated

computed

conserved

corrected

determined

developed

estimated

measured

planned

prepared

processed

programmed

projected

reconciled

reduced

researched

retrieved

Helping / Customer service

adapted

advocated

aided

answered

arranged

assisted

cared for

coached

collaborated

communicated

contributed

cooperated

counseled

demonstrated

encouraged

facilitated

familiarized

guided

helped

improved

listened

monitored

motivated

organized

prioritized

provided

reconciled

rehabilitated

represented

resolved

responded

retained

scheduled

served

supported

trained

valued

volunteered

Leadership / Management

administered

appointed

approved

assigned

attained

authorized

chaired

considered

contracted

controlled

coordinated

decided

delegated

demonstrated

developed

directed

eliminated

enforced

established

executed

generated

handled

headed

hired

hosted

improved

implemented

increased

initiated

managed

merged

motivated

overhauled

oversaw

planned

presided

prioritized

produced

recommended

replaced

restored

scheduled

secured

selected

streamlined

strengthened

supervised

trained

transformed

Organization and details

arranged

catalogued

categorized

charted

classified

coded

collected

compiled

corrected

distributed

generated

implemented

incorporated

inspected

logged

maintained

ordered

organized

prepared

recorded

registered

reserved

reviewed

routed

scheduled

screened

submitted

supplied

standardized

systematized

updated

validated

verified

Teaching

adapted

advised

clarified

coached

communicated

conducted

coordinated

critiqued

developed

enabled

encouraged

evaluated

explained

facilitated

focused

guided

individualized

informed

instilled

instructed

motivated

persuaded

set goals

simulated

stimulated

taught

tested

trained

transmitted

tutored

Research and technical 

adapted

analyzed

applied

assembled

authored

built

calculated

clarified

collected

compared

computed

conducted

conserved

constructed

converted

critiqued

designed

detected

determined

developed

devised

diagnosed

engineered

evaluated

examined

experimented

explored

extracted

formulated

gathered

identified

implemented

inspected

integrated

interpreted

interviewed

invented

investigated

located

maintained

measured

modified

operated

organized

printed

programmed

regulated

repaired

replaced

researched

restored

reviewed

searched

simulated

solved

specialized

standardized

studied

summarized

surveyed

systematized

tested