Professional Documents
Culture Documents
by Emma
Power verbs are action words that have positive meanings in English. When you use a power
verb, you can communicate your message more strongly and confidently than when using other
verbs. This is especially useful when you are applying for a job and want to appear as a confident
and competent candidate. Power verbs can also make your writing more interesting and help
prevent you from using the same words too many times.
The following sentences are examples from the Work Experience section of a resume. Notice the
differences between the sentences.
Power verbs are useful in many situations. They are especially great for resumes, job interviews,
and academic writing like essays.
Make sure you understand the exact meaning of the power verb you are going to use.
You don’t want to make a mistake with the word, especially on a resume.
Look the word up in a dictionary, search the internet for examples of sentences where it
has been used, and if possible, find someone to check your sentence to make sure that
you’ve used it correctly.
Make sure you are comfortable with the word before you use it.
Here is a list of verbs you should avoid on your resume where possible:
act
activate
administer
apply
arrange
carry out
conduct
execute
facilitate
handle
perform
assemble
compose
create
design
develop
devise
engineer
establish
fashion
formulate
generate
produce
synthesize
alleviate
amended
debugged
detected
diagnosed
investigated
remedied
repaired
revitalized
solved
synthesized
streamline
demonstrate
depict
describe
exhibit
highlight
illustrate
portray
represent
addressed
advocate
briefed
communicate
composed
convince
consulted
collaborate
correspond
disseminate
edited
educated
explained
highlight
inform
instruct
interact
negotiate
present
publicize
report
specify
verify
welcome
ensure
maintain
strengthen
operate
achieve
obtain
procure
aid
assist
bolster
enhance
enrich
help
provide
compile
strengthen
initiate
Here are some power verbs we often use when talking about our experience in certain jobs and
industries. This is not a complete list of power verbs. I have covered some of the most common
power verbs in the list below, but there are many more. Please note that the same power verbs
can be used for many different jobs, so if you see a power verb in one job category such as
medicine, it may also apply to a different job too.
advocate
amend
analyze
arbitrated
extracted
interviewed
investigate
lobby
mediate
negotiate
represent
specify
allocate
approve
assess
assign
authorize
chair
consolidate
convince
coordinate
delegate
direct
encourage
enforce
guide
head
hire
lead
manage
monitor
orchestrate
oversee
recommend
resolve
run
supervise
spearhead
account for
anticipate
appraise
assess
audit
bargain
budget
demonstrate
distribute
estimate
evaluate
finance
forecast
fundraise
identify
implement
inventory
market
measure
negotiate
project
provide
purchase
record
report
streamline
tabulate
target
total
Public Sector & Government
accommodate
advise
allocate
appoint
authorize
budget
commission
consult
estimate
evaluate
finance
identify
implement
institute
issue
officiate
promote
negotiate
regulate
represent
sanction
specify
administer
answer
aide
assist
arrange
balance
catalog
categorize
classify
collect
coordinate
distribute
edit
file
format
handle
issue
order
organize
prepare
record
retrieve
report
schedule
Teaching & Advising
assist
coach
encourage
evaluate
foster
educated
empower
encourage
explained
guide
highlight
inform
instruct
prepare
present
promote
supplement
taught
acquire
analyze
classify
collaborate
collect
compile
conduct
consult
discover
examine
formulate
identify
interpret
interview
lecture
measure
publish
review
share
study
uncover
brainstorm
collaborate
compile
compute
consult
convert
debugged
detect
determine
develop
fix
format
identify
implement
innovate
launch
program
retrieve
track
transmit
verify
Medicine
advise
care
collaborate
counsel
detect
determine
diagnose
dispense
identify
provide
rehabilitate
treat
Engineer
assess
collaborate
construct
convert
develop
draft
draw
engineer
implement
innovate
regulate
Machine Operator
inspect
install
manufacture
operate
prepare
repair
Test your understanding of the English lesson by answering these questions. You will get the answers
and your score at the end of the quiz.
90
do
make
develop
have
oversaw
formulated
produced
assisted
communicated
measured
fostered
streamlined
investigated
improved
directed
inspected
7. A factory worker may use a machine. Which power verb means "use"?
solve
operate
coach
help
true
false
carried out
made
communicated
talked
10. If you don't know exactly how to use a specific power verb, you should still use it. It's okay on a
resume to make mistakes with power verbs.
true
false
Before you use a power verb on your resume, make sure you know its exact meaning and how to
use it. You should look at many example sentences of how it is used before you use it. It's also a
good idea to have someone check and make sure you've used it correctly.