USING ACTION VERBS

TO DESCRIBE YOUR SKILLS

Communication & Team Building Skills

HOW TO USE ACTION VERBS
advocated educated orchestrated reached out
accelerated emphasized participated staffed
#1. Identify and Explore Your Skills
authored edited planned strengthened Make
Use Action your
Verbs resumeawareness
to expand more interesting
of your skillsand pass
using this the 10
activity.
built elected processed translated First, create a basic
sec. test by statement about an activity
Start descriptions with or task you
verbs have the
to help recently
clarified enlisted protected participated
served readerin.see
Foryou
example,
usingI might write: skills you possess.
the great
collaborated introduced projected worked Task
composed interacted published I am working on creating a handout about verbs. Description
spoke
integrated responded surveyed Next, skim the action verb lists to trigger ideas for expanding on your
contributed interpreted prompted summarized initial task description and explore skills you’re using! For example, the
convinced listened outlined taught verbs provided, researched and collaborated made me think of these
coordinated located provided understood three additional facts.
critiqued lectured publicized updated
cultivated mediated qualified unified To do this I… Now I see I used
decreased moderated reported wrote …provided examples and instructions research, team
diagnosed negotiated represented generated …researched how others presented information collaboration,
…collaborated with team to identify learning goals. instruction, and
information
Creativity & Problem Solving Skills presentation skills
I didn’t see before.

accentuate crafted inspired performed #2. Pass the 10 Second Resume Test
acted customized installed practiced Resume readers typically decide to read or skip your resume in less than 10
activated designed merged quantified sec. Keep them reading by using ACTION VERBS so they can visualize you:
adapted devised memorized rendered  using skills performing activities  achieving goals
augmented drafted made repaired
approved drew marketed repurposed
assembled engineered manufactured restored
budgeted expressed manipulated revitalized
brainstormed exhibited mastered sculpted
#3. Create STAR Interview Answers
combined fabricated modified shaped Using the STAR technique is an effective approach to Situation
conceptualized fixed rehabilitated supplied Interview Questions. Begin answers by describing the Task 
constructed illustrated transformed sketched
consolidated
Situation (what was needed, who was involved…) Actions
improvised overhauled submitted
corrected inspected operated
Task or your goal (…so we needed to complete…)
trouble-shot Results 
Actions you took (… I created, combined, shaped….)
Leadership, Management, & Supervision Skills Results or the outcomes you achieved (I made it under the
deadline and…)
accomplished directed guided generated
achieved identified headed promoted Use Action Verbs to describe your Actions. For example:
administered interviewed hired realized
allocated maintained increased sold S: A team I am working with had several improvement ideas
arbitrated earned initiated solved for our Verb Handout. I volunteered to help.
boosted enhanced instituted sponsored T: The goal was to update the sheet and integrate the team’s ideas.
built consensus expanded mobilized specified A: So I: …edited the old handout to create room for new
chaired exceeded led seized information
commanded established launched suggested …clarified ideas shared by team members
commissioned exhibited managed traded …drafted options and gathered individual feedback
conferred finalized overcame united R: We integrated multiple great ideas, retained the original
contracted fostered ordered undertook strengths, and added helpful ideas about how to use the new
created founded presided uncovered handout.
decided financed persisted used
designated formed persuaded ventured
 PRACTICE USING ACTION VERBS Teaching, Social Service, & Training Skills

Identify and Explore Your Skills advised developed influenced supervised

#1. Write a task or activity statement below about something you have advanced discovered familiarized maximized
worked on recently. It can be related to school, work, volunteer, assessed explored modeled navigated
helping out friends or family or any activity you are part of. broadened facilitated invented gathered
coached encouraged learned recorded
________________________________________________________ communicated empowered mentored observed
consulted investigated informed stimulated
#2. Skim the action verb lists to brainstorm ideas to expand the description. conveyed measured motivated tested
contacted employed proposed trained
To do this I… counseled enforced recognized tutored
determined executed resumed volunteered
________________________________________________________ delivered helped recruited recommended
demonstrated instructed served researched
________________________________________________________ dissected improved supported utilized

________________________________________________________
Organization & Administrative Skills
Writing Telegraphic Resume Phrases controlled prepared produced
When writing a resume using a telegraphic writing style is recommended. adhered
corresponded produced reduced
This means being concise and starting with action verbs, and avoiding addressed
bought prioritized rated
whole sentences or pronouns. For example: anticipated
explained streamlined read
our sentence: “ I am working on creating a handout about verbs.”
appraised
dispatched qualified revised
arranged
becomes: Created a handout about verbs. documented referred sorted
attained
invoiced represented scheduled
audited
The phrases you wrote to expand your original statement above are logged received surpassed
briefed
probably already in telegraphic form that you could add to your resume. estimated reorganized shared
balanced
Convert your original statement to a telegraphic form here. compared retrieved simplified
charted
ensured reconciled transcribed
checked
________________________________________________________ liquidated regulated transacted
detected
oversaw resolved
conserved
Action Verbs in Interviews
Imagine you are asked in an interview to describe something you have been Research & Information Processing
working on recently and you decide to describe the task you worked on in
activity A and B. Using the STAR technique and the phrases you have analyzed conducted invested predicted
developed above, write what you might say in the interview about the task. applied computed obtained reached
attended converted licensed reviewed
Situation: calculated defined organized routed
catalogued entered regulated tabulated
centralized extracted prevented tracked
Task: classified evaluated reached secured
collected examined prescribed selected
combined eliminated monitored sorted
Actions: compiled followed proved systematized
completed focused purchased synthesized
computed forecasted programmed upgraded
concluded formulated related validated
condensed implemented reasoned verified
Results:

Walk-In Advising Hours

Monday, 10:30am-5:30pm
You can also use action verbs to improve your verbal Tuesday-Thursday, 9:00am-4:00pm
Friday, 9:00am-12:30pm
communications and applications for: *See uwm.edu/careerplan for summer hours
scholarships volunteer opportunities leadership roles
See These Handouts for More Tips:
internships admission to your major graduate school
study abroad research opportunities …and more. Resume Writing
Interviewing Resources

Career Planning & Resource Center • Mellencamp 128 • 414-229-4486 • uwm.edu/careerplan