Action Verbs for business letters

Action verbs should be used abundantly throughout your resume and cover letters to promote your achievements. They help make a strong impression.

Use action verbs extensively in sales copy. Begin benefit statements with action verbs but in the active voice.

Management Communication Research Technical Teaching
achieved
administered
analyzed
assigned
attained
chaired
conceived
contracted
consolidated
coordinated
decided
delegated
developed
directed
encouraged
evaluated
executed
handled
implemented
improved
incorporated
increased
inspired
launched
led
managed
motivated
organized
outlined
oversaw
planned
prioritized
produced
recommended
reevaluated
rejected
reported
reviewed
scheduled
strengthened
supervised
united addressed
arbitrated
arranged
authored
communicated
corresponded
counseled
developed
defined
directed
drafted
edited
enlisted
formulated
influenced
interpreted
lectured
mediated
moderated
motivated
negotiated
persuaded
promoted
publicized
reconciled
reunited
renegotiated
reported
researched
summarized
spoke
translated
wrote clarified
collected
conceived
critiqued
detected
diagnosed
disproved
evaluated
examined
extracted
identified
inspected
interpreted
interviewed
investigated
organized
researched
reported
reviewed
searched
studied
summarized
surveyed
systematized
wrote analyzed
assembled
built
calculated
computed
designed
devised
engineered
fabricated
inspected
maintained
operated
overhauled
programmed
remodeled
repaired
solved
trained
upgraded adapted
advised
clarified
coached
communicated
coordinated
defined
developed
enabled
encouraged
evaluated
explained
facilitated
guided
informed
initiated
instructed
lectured
persuaded
presented
set goals
stimulated
taught
trained
updated


Financial Creative Helping Clerical or Detail
adjusted
administered
allocated
analyzed
appraised
audited
balanced
budgeted
calculated
compared
computed
developed
estimated
forecast
forecasted
managed
marketed
planned
projected
reevaluated
reconciled
researched
sold acted
applied
composed
conceived
conceptualized
created
designed
developed
directed
established
evaluated
fashioned
formed
formulated
founded
illustrated
instituted
integrated
introduced
invented
loaded
molded
originated
perceived
performed
planned
presented
produced
refined
rewrote
updated advised
aided
assessed
assisted
brought
clarified
coached
coordinated
counseled
dealt
demonstrated
diagnosed
educated
encouraged
enlisted
expedited
facilitated
familiarized
guided
helped
inspired
maintained
modified
performed
referred
rehabilitated
represented
supported
upheld activated
altered
assembled
approved
arranged
catalogued
classified
collected
compiled
described
dispatched
edited
estimated
executed
gathered
generated
implemented
inspected
listed
maintained
monitored
observed
operated
organized
overhauled
prepared
processed
proofread
published
purchased
recorded
reduced
retrieved
screened
specified
streamlined
systematized


Additional Action Verbs
anticipated
arbitrated
ascertained
charted
checked
classified
collected
completed
conducted
conserved
consolidated
constructed
controlled
coordinated
counseled
created
decided
defined
delivered
detailed
detected
determined
devised
diagnosed
directed
discovered
dispensed
displayed
disproved
dissected
distributed
diverted
dramatized
drew
drove
eliminated
empathized
enforced
established
estimated
evaluated
examined
expanded experimented
explained
expressed
extracted
filed
financed
fixed
followed
formulated
founded
gathered
gave
generated
guided
handled
headed
helped
hypothesized
identified
illustrated
imagined
implemented
improved
improvised
increased
influenced
informed
initiated
innovated
inspected
installed
instituted
instructed
integrated
interpreted
interviewed
invented
inventoried
investigated
judged
kept
led
learned lectured
lifted
listened
logged
maintained
made
managed
manipulated
mediated
memorized
modeled
monitored
motivated
navigated
negotiated
observed
obtained
offered
operated
ordered
organized
originated
painted
perceived
performed
persuaded
photographed
piloted
planned
played
predicted
prepared
prescribed
presented
printed
processed
produced
programmed
questioned
raised
read
realized
reasoned received
recommended
reconciled
painted
perceived
performed
persuaded
photographed
piloted
planned
played
predicted
prepared
prescribed
presented
printed
processed
produced
programmed
projected
promoted
proof-read
protected
provided
publicized
purchased
recorded
recruited
reduced
referred
rehabilitated
related
rendered
repaired
reported
represented
researched
resolved
responded
restored
retrieved
reviewed
risked scheduled
selected
sensed
separated
served
sewed
shaped
shared
showed
sketched
solved
sorted
summarized
supervised
supplied
symbolized
synergized
synthesized
systematized
talked
taught
tended
tested
trained
transcribed
translated
traveled
treated
troubleshot
tutored
typed
unified
united
upgraded
used
utilized
verbalized
warned
washed
weighed
wired
worked