Verbs to Remove from Your CV Immediately
- Responsible for: Describes a duty, not an action or outcome
- Assisted with: Vague supporting role; gives away ownership
- Helped to: Same issue; passive and supportive rather than leading
- Worked on: Says nothing about your contribution or impact
- Involved in: Completely non-specific; could mean anything
- Participated in: Implies presence, not contribution
10 Power Verbs That Transform CV Bullet Points
Spearheaded
Meaning: Initiated and led something new from the front
Before: Helped to launch a new client onboarding programme
After: Spearheaded the company’s first structured client onboarding programme, reducing time-to-value by 40%
Orchestrated
Meaning: Coordinated multiple complex elements toward a single outcome
Before: Worked on coordinating the office relocation project
After: Orchestrated a 200-person office relocation across 3 sites, completed on schedule and £45K under budget
Accelerated
Meaning: Increased speed, growth, or progress toward a goal
Before: Responsible for improving sales pipeline velocity
After: Accelerated pipeline velocity by 28% by introducing automated lead scoring in Salesforce
Quantified
Meaning: Measured and reported on outcomes with data
Before: Involved in tracking project performance
After: Quantified project ROI across 7 client engagements, surfacing £180K in previously untracked value
Transformed
Meaning: Made a fundamental change with lasting impact
Before: Worked on improving the customer service department
After: Transformed customer service operations, lifting NPS from 32 to 67 in 9 months through team restructure and SLA reform
Championed
Meaning: Advocated for and drove adoption of an idea or initiative
Before: Assisted with promoting diversity and inclusion initiatives
After: Championed the company’s first D&I strategy; secured board sign-off and achieved 34% increase in diverse hiring within 12 months
Streamlined
Meaning: Made a process faster, simpler, or more efficient
Before: Responsible for improving the invoicing process
After: Streamlined the invoicing process from 14 steps to 6, reducing processing time by 55% and late payment rate by 22%
Negotiated
Meaning: Reached mutually beneficial outcomes through discussion
Before: Involved in supplier contract discussions
After: Negotiated 11 supplier contracts, delivering £230K in annual cost reductions across 3 categories
Cultivated
Meaning: Built and nurtured relationships or culture over time
Before: Helped with building client relationships
After: Cultivated relationships with 40+ enterprise accounts, growing retention rate from 71% to 89% over 2 years
Pioneered
Meaning: Was the first to introduce or apply something
Before: Worked on introducing AI tools to the team
After: Pioneered the adoption of AI content tools across the marketing team, first in the group globally, reducing content production time by 45%
Using “spearheaded” five times in one CV looks repetitive and loses impact. Vary your verbs across bullets and roles. Save your strongest verbs for your most impressive achievements.
Bonus: 30 More Power Verbs by Category
Leadership & People
Directed, Mentored, Mobilised, Galvanised, Steered, Unified, Empowered, Coached, Inspired, Oversaw
Growth & Results
Grew, Expanded, Maximised, Generated, Surpassed, Exceeded, Doubled, Tripled, Boosted, Captured
Innovation & Strategy
Architected, Designed, Launched, Repositioned, Conceived, Devised, Formulated, Restructured, Reinvented, Executed
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best action verbs for a CV?
The best action verbs are specific, active, and appropriate to the level of contribution you made. Senior roles call for verbs like “spearheaded,” “orchestrated,” and “pioneered.” Mid-Level roles might use “managed,” “led,” or “developed.” Entry-level roles can use “contributed,” “supported,” or “assisted” but only when followed by a measurable outcome.
Should I start every CV bullet with a verb?
Yes, every bullet in your experience section should begin with a strong past-tense action verb (for previous roles) or present-tense verb (for your current role). This creates parallel structure, improves scannability, and signals active contribution rather than passive duty.
What verbs should I avoid on my CV?
Avoid: responsible for, assisted with, helped to, worked on, involved in, participated in, supported, contributed to (without specifics), and was part of. These verbs hide your actual contribution behind vague language.
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