Choose verbs for precision, not drama
The first verb in a bullet should tell the reader what kind of contribution followed. Built, analyzed, negotiated, redesigned, coached, and reconciled create different expectations. Words such as spearheaded can be appropriate, but a plain accurate verb is stronger than an inflated one.
Match verbs to the work
- Creating: built, designed, developed, launched, authored
- Improving: streamlined, reduced, accelerated, strengthened, simplified
- Leading: directed, coordinated, coached, facilitated, aligned
- Analyzing: evaluated, modeled, audited, forecasted, investigated
- Delivering: implemented, resolved, negotiated, presented, completed
Do not stop at the verb
A strong opening cannot rescue a vague bullet. Add what you acted on, the scale or constraints involved, and the result or reason it mattered.
Complete the thought
Before
Managed customer onboarding.
After
Illustrative example only: Redesigned onboarding for 120 small business customers, shortening the time to first value from 14 days to 9. Use numbers like these only when they describe results you can verify.
Represent your ownership accurately
Use led when you owned direction or accountability, collaborated when responsibility was shared, and supported when your contribution enabled someone else’s work. Accurate scope builds more trust than claiming every team result as an individual win.
Final checklist
- Each bullet begins with a specific contribution
- Verb tense matches whether the role is current or past
- The sentence includes context, scale, or outcome
- Repeated verbs are changed only when a more precise option exists
- Ownership is represented honestly
Frequently asked questions
- Is it bad to repeat an action verb?
- Occasional repetition is fine. Clarity matters more than forcing a synonym. Change the verb when another word describes the action more precisely.
- Should current roles use present tense?
- Use present tense for work you still do and past tense for completed achievements, even within a current role.
- What if I do not have a metric?
- Use other evidence such as volume, complexity, audience, quality, deadline, adoption, or the problem resolved.