March 30, 2026 · resume · writing · bullets
Action Verbs That Beat the Bar (And the Ones That Sink You)
A short list of verbs that signal ownership and impact, and the weak verbs that quietly tell recruiters you were a passenger.
Every bullet on your resume answers one question: did you drive this, or did it happen near you? The verb you choose answers it before the rest of the sentence does.
Strong: ownership and outcome
These verbs imply you decided, executed, and own the result.
- Architected, built, shipped, launched, delivered. You produced a thing.
- Drove, owned, led, spearheaded. You were responsible.
- Cut, reduced, accelerated, increased, doubled. You moved a number.
- Negotiated, partnered, mentored. You were the agent in a relationship.
Weak: passenger language
- Was responsible for. Job descriptions, not accomplishments. Cut.
- Helped with, assisted, supported. You were nearby. Demote yourself voluntarily.
- Worked on, involved in, participated. You attended.
- Handled, managed (without scale). Vague. Pair with a number or replace.
The conversion
Every weak bullet has a stronger version. "Was responsible for the platform roadmap" → "Drove the platform roadmap across 4 engineering teams; shipped 9 of 11 committed Q-themes on schedule." Same fact. Different signal.