CV action verbs UK 2026 — 150 powerful words that strengthen every bullet point

The difference between a CV that gets interviews and one that doesn't is often a single word. Here are 150 action verbs that make every bullet point land harder.

Why action verbs matter so much

Weak CV bullets start with passive constructions or nouns: "Responsible for managing...", "Worked on...", "Helped with...". Strong CV bullets start with a powerful action verb that immediately signals agency and impact: "Led...", "Delivered...", "Increased...". The verb is the first thing a recruiter reads in each bullet — it sets the entire tone of the achievement before they've read what you actually did.

ATS systems also weight action verbs in CV scoring — they signal active contribution rather than passive involvement, and many ATS platforms are trained to score CVs with strong action verb usage higher in their relevance rankings.

Leadership and management

Led, Managed, Directed, Oversaw, Spearheaded, Championed, Established, Founded, Launched, Initiated, Pioneered, Drove, Guided, Mentored, Coached, Developed, Recruited, Built, Scaled, Transformed

Achievement and delivery

Delivered, Achieved, Exceeded, Surpassed, Accelerated, Boosted, Generated, Grew, Increased, Maximised, Improved, Enhanced, Optimised, Streamlined, Reduced, Cut, Saved, Recovered, Resolved, Solved

Analysis and strategy

Analysed, Assessed, Evaluated, Diagnosed, Identified, Researched, Investigated, Modelled, Forecast, Strategised, Developed, Designed, Architected, Planned, Prioritised, Recommended, Advised, Consulted, Informed, Presented

Communication and collaboration

Collaborated, Coordinated, Facilitated, Negotiated, Influenced, Persuaded, Presented, Communicated, Liaised, Partnered, Engaged, Consulted, Mediated, Championed, Advocated, Represented, Reported, Briefed, Trained, Educated

Weak: "Responsible for managing the social media accounts"

Strong: "Grew Instagram following from 2,400 to 31,000 in 14 months through organic content strategy, increasing post engagement rate from 1.2% to 4.8%"

Technical and digital

Built, Developed, Engineered, Coded, Programmed, Deployed, Launched, Automated, Integrated, Migrated, Upgraded, Optimised, Maintained, Monitored, Tested, Debugged, Architected, Designed, Implemented, Configured

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