CV power words: 150 action verbs & CV sentence starters (UK guide)

Updated January 2026

If your CV reads like a job description (“responsible for…”, “worked on…”, “helped with…”), you’ll blend in. This guide gives you copy/paste-ready CV power words (action verbs) plus CV sentence starters to rewrite bullets fast, without sounding robotic.

Quick answer: What are CV power words?

CV power words are strong action verbs that clearly show what you did and hint at the result. They make your experience easier to scan and help you mirror the language in a UK job advert, useful for both recruiters and ATS keyword screening. For a deeper (UK-specific) guide to keyword matching and ATS-friendly structure, see the ATS CV optimisation guide: https://brendanhope.com/blog/ats-cv-optimisation-uk-guide/ and the Indeed UK action verbs guidance: https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/cvs-cover-letters/action-verbs-to-make-your-cv-stand-out

12 high-impact power words you can use today (copy/paste)

• Led (teams, projects, change)
• Delivered (outcomes, programmes, targets)
• Improved (process, performance, quality)
• Reduced (costs, errors, time, risk)
• Built (relationships, systems, pipelines)
• Created (frameworks, content, assets)
• Implemented (tools, controls, new ways of working)
• Streamlined (workflows, handovers, reporting)
• Analysed (data, root causes, performance)
• Negotiated (rates, contracts, stakeholder agreement)
• Resolved (issues, escalations, bottlenecks)
• Optimised (conversion, spend, schedules, inventory)

One “before/after” bullet (use this pattern)

• Before: Responsible for reporting and supporting stakeholders.
• After: Delivered weekly KPI reporting for 12 stakeholders, improving decision turnaround by 30% through clearer dashboards and tighter reporting cadence.

Why they work

Power words don’t “trick” anyone; they make meaning obvious. Recruiters and hiring managers often skim first, then read properly if you look relevant. Eye-tracking research suggests those initial looks can be very brief (so clarity matters early). Source (optional background reading): https://www.theladders.com/static/images/basicSite/pdfs/TheLadders-EyeTracking-StudyC2.pdf

Here’s what strong action verbs do on a UK CV:

• They signal ownership. “Led / delivered/implemented” tells the reader you didn’t just participate, you drove it.
• They create momentum. Verbs at the start of bullets make your experience faster to process.
• They make results easier to attach. A good verb sets up the “so what?” (metrics, impact, outcomes).
• They help you match the job advert language. If the advert says “optimise”, “stakeholder management”, “process improvement”, your bullets should echo those themes naturally.

If you’re also tightening the overall UK CV structure (length, sections, formatting), use this hub alongside the verb list: https://brendanhope.com/blog/how-to-write-uk-cv-2025/

Power words vs buzzwords

Power words are specific actions. Buzzwords are vague claims.
Compare:

• Power word: “Reduced customer response time by 22% by…”
• Buzzword: “Results-driven team player with excellent communication…”

Buzzwords often sound impressive but don’t prove anything, especially in your personal profile. If you want your opening summary to feel confident without being fluffy, this guide helps: https://brendanhope.com/blog/cv-personal-profile-writing-tips-2025/

Quick “buzzwords to avoid” mini-list (swap for proof)

Try not to lead with these unless you back them up immediately with evidence:

• Results-driven
• Hard-working
• Team player
• Self-starter
• Dynamic
• Passionate
• Works well under pressure
• Excellent communication skills
• Strategic thinker (without examples)
• Detail-oriented (without outcomes)

Better approach: use an action verb, scope and outcome.
Example: “Led a 6-person customer care team and reduced backlog by 35% in 8 weeks.”

Where to use power words on a UK CV

Use power words where you need clarity and proof, not everywhere. Think: Profile, Experience, Achievements, Projects, and even Skills, as long as you keep it readable.

For UK CV layout and section order, you can cross-check the structure here: How to Write a UK CV
And for a quick careers-service perspective on using action verbs, see: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/careers/students/applications/cvs/action-verbs.aspx

Best placements (with mini-examples)

1) Personal profile (2–4 lines)

• “Delivered multi-site process improvements across operations and finance, reducing month-end close time by 2 days.”
  Keep it credible: seniority, scope and outcomes.

2) Experience bullets (your main “proof zone”)
Start most bullets with a verb that matches the role:

• “Implemented a new onboarding workflow, cutting time-to-productivity from 6 weeks to 4.”
• “Negotiated supplier terms, saving £48k annually while maintaining service levels.”

3) Achievements / Highlights (especially useful for busy recruiters)
Use 3–6 bullets under each role or a mini “Key achievements” subheading:

• “Improved conversion from enquiry to booked consultation by 18% through refreshed email sequences.”

4) Projects (great for graduates and career-changers)
Projects let you use strong verbs even if your job title was junior:

• “Built a competitor analysis dashboard and presented findings to a senior panel.”

5) Skills section (optional; but make it evidence-led)
Instead of a long keyword dump, anchor skills to actions:

• “Stakeholder management: aligned 9 stakeholders across product, ops and sales to deliver X.”

Do / Don’t (to keep it readable)

Do

• Use 1 strong verb per bullet and add a result where possible.
• Keep verbs aligned to the job advert (same “family” of words).
• Use UK-friendly language (CV, job advert, line manager, stakeholders).

Don’t

• Stack verbs: “Led, managed, drove, delivered, oversaw…” (pick one).
• Overuse the same verb (“managed” 14 times).
• Use buzzwords as stand-ins for evidence.

Copy/paste: 150 CV power words (UK word bank)

Use these CV power words at the start of your bullets to show clear action and ownership. Best practice: 1 verb, what you did, how, and the result.

Quick formula (copy/paste):
[Verb] | [what] | [how / with what] | [impact / metric]
Example: Streamlined onboarding by rebuilding checklists and training notes, cutting ramp-up time by 2 weeks.

A–Z list (150 action verbs)

“Best picks” by skill type (use these when tailoring to the job advert)

These are shortlists pulled from the A–Z bank above, handy when you’re rewriting quickly.

Leadership & ownership
Led, Directed, Headed, Owned, Governed, Spearheaded, Mobilised, Guided

Delivery & execution
Delivered, Executed, Deployed, Implemented, Rolled out, Finalised, Turned around, Launched

Process & operations improvement
Streamlined, Simplified, Standardised, Overhauled, Tightened, Improved, Optimised, Modernised

Commercial v growth
Grew, Generated, Boosted, Outperformed, Converted, Promoted, Partnered, Widened

Analysis & problem-solving
Analysed, Diagnosed, Identified, Measured, Queried, Validated, Verified, Troubleshot

Stakeholders & communication
Briefed, Liaised, Presented, Clarified, Influenced, Collaborated, Coached, Workshopped

Cost & risk
Reduced, Cut, Eliminated, Mitigated, Protected, Vetted, Reconciled, Budgeted

People & capability
Hired, Mentored, Trained, Upskilled, Onboarded, Nurtured, Harmonised, Unified

Replace weak phrases (quick swaps table)

If your CV is full of vague wording, your impact gets buried. The goal is specific action and proof, and the wording should still align to ATS-friendly keywords (use this alongside the UK ATS guide when tailoring): https://brendanhope.com/blog/ats-cv-optimisation-uk-guide/

Tiny upgrade that makes a big difference: add one of these after your verb:

• Scope: team size, budget, region, volume (“£120k budget”, “3 sites”, “500+ users”)
• Time: “in 6 weeks”, “within Q3”
• Impact: cost saved, time reduced, revenue gained, quality improved, risk reduced

CV sentence starters (UK): copy/paste & examples

Use these to rewrite bullets fast while keeping a UK recruiter-friendly tone. Aim for short, specific sentences. Add numbers where you can.

30 sentence starters (copy/paste)

Achievements & outcomes

1. Delivered [result] by [action], improving [metric] by [X].
2. Achieved [goal] within [timeframe] by [approach].
3. Improved [process/metric] from [A] to [B] by [change].
4. Reduced [cost/time/errors] by [X] through [method].
5. Increased [revenue/CSAT/efficiency] by [X] by [initiative].
6. Exceeded [target/SLA] by [X] over [timeframe].
7. Resolved [issue] by [root cause fix], preventing [risk].
8. Optimised [system/workflow] to achieve [impact].

Leadership & ownership
9. Led a team of [X] to deliver [outcome] across [scope].
10. Spearheaded [initiative] from [start] to [finish], delivering [result].
11. Directed [workstream/project] with [budget/scope], achieving [impact].
12. Owned [area/process] end-to-end, improving [metric].
13. Coached [people] to improve [capability], resulting in [impact].
14. Mobilised stakeholders across [teams] to align on [goal].

Projects & change
15. Implemented [tool/process] to [benefit], reducing [problem] by [X].
16. Rolled out [change] to [users/sites], improving [metric].
17. Transformed [function/process] by [what you changed], delivering [result].
18. Standardised [process] across [scope], reducing [variation/errors].
19. Streamlined [workflow] by [how], cutting [time] by [X].
20. Overhauled [system/process] to address [issue], achieving [impact].

Stakeholders & communication
21. Partnered with [team] to deliver [outcome] within [constraints].
22. Liaised with [stakeholders] to agree [scope/priorities], enabling [result].
23. Influenced [decision] by presenting [evidence], leading to [impact].
24. Negotiated [terms/contract] to achieve [saving/benefit].
25. Presented [insight/recommendations] to [audience], securing [approval].

Analysis & problem-solving
26. Analysed [data] to identify [insight], driving [action].
27. Diagnosed [problem] and implemented [fix], reducing [impact] by [X].
28. Forecast [demand/costs] to support [decision], improving [accuracy].
29. Validated [approach/result] using [method], confirming [outcome].
30. Identified [risk/opportunity] and delivered [response], protecting [result].

6 examples (UK-style, realistic)

• Delivered a new rota plan across 2 sites, reducing overtime spend by £9k/month while maintaining coverage.
• Implemented a simple QA checklist and rework loop, cutting errors by 28% in 6 weeks.
• Partnered with Sales and Ops to agree handover SLAs, improving lead response time from 48h to 12h.
• Analysed weekly performance data to identify bottlenecks, unblocking delivery and raising throughput by 15%.
• Negotiated supplier rates during renewal, saving £22k annually with no reduction in service.
• Coached 4 new starters through onboarding, reducing time-to-independence from 8 to 5 weeks.

Soft CTA (placed exactly after this section)

Want an outside pair of eyes on your wording, impact, and ATS match? Get a free CV review here: /free-cv-review/

How to choose the right verbs (so you don’t sound generic)

The best CV power words UK readers can use are the ones that match the job advert and reflect what you genuinely did. If you’re tailoring for ATS and keyword alignment, keep the ATS guide open while you do this: https://brendanhope.com/blog/ats-cv-optimisation-uk-guide/
And if you want a broader list and examples, Indeed UK also covers strong action verbs: https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/cvs-cover-letters/action-verbs-to-make-your-cv-stand-out

5-step method (fast & practical)

1. Highlight the advert’s “doing words”.
   Look for verbs like deliver, manage, improve, implement, analyse, optimise, build, influence.
2. Group the role’s priorities into 3–5 themes.
   Example themes: delivery, stakeholder management, process improvement, commercial results, risk & compliance.
3. Build a mini verb bank per theme (8–12 verbs).
   Use the A–Z and skill-type lists above. Avoid repeating the same verb in every bullet.
4. Write bullets using the “verb & proof” pattern.
   Verb, what, how and impact.
   Add scope (team size/budget/users) and result (time/cost/quality).
5. Run a “human scan” check.
   If the bullet reads like jargon or a task list, simplify the wording and lead with the outcome.

Before/after examples (graduate, professional & executive)

Below are realistic UK-style rewrites. Notice how the “after” versions use powerful words for CV bullets, keep the sentence clean, and add proof.

Graduate example (placements, part-time work, projects)

Before: Helped with social media and marketing tasks.
After: Created a 4-week content plan and scheduled posts across Instagram and LinkedIn, increasing engagement by 22% during a campaign period.

If you’re early-career and want your experience shaped into a stronger CV structure, see the Graduate CV writing service: https://brendanhope.com/cv-services/cv-writing-service/graduate/

Professional example (experienced hire, delivery & stakeholders)

Before: Responsible for managing reporting and working with stakeholders.
After: Delivered weekly KPI dashboards for 15 stakeholders and aligned priorities through a short monthly review cadence, reducing ad-hoc reporting requests by 35%.

For hands-on, role-targeted rewrites at this level, see Professional CV support: https://brendanhope.com/cv-services/cv-writing-service/professional/

Executive example (senior scope, strategy & outcomes)

Before: Led transformation initiatives across the business.
After: Spearheaded a cross-functional transformation programme across 5 functions, standardising governance and improving delivery confidence from “at risk” to “on track” across Q2–Q3, while reducing duplicated effort through clearer ownership.

If you need senior positioning, tone, and achievement-led storytelling, see Executive CV support: /cv-services/cv-writing-service/executive/
(Optional deeper guidance for senior UK tone): https://brendanhope.com/blog/executive-cv-writing-guide/

Common mistakes (that make power words backfire)

• Verb stacking: “Led, managed, drove, delivered…” Pick one strong verb, then add proof.
• Buzzword padding: “Results-driven, dynamic…” Replace with evidence-led outcomes.
• Overclaiming seniority: Use verbs that match your level (e.g., “supported / coordinated” is fine when accurate).
• No outcomes: A verb without a result can still read like a task list, add scope, time, or impact.
• Copy/paste tone mismatch: The verb should match the job advert and your function (e.g., “optimised” vs “overhauled”).

If you’re unsure whether your wording feels credible and role-aligned, the free CV review is a quick way to sanity-check it: https://brendanhope.com/free-cv-review/

Want to know which words your CV is missing?

• ATS and human check (keywords & clarity)
• Rewrite guidance (stronger bullets, less fluff)
• Role-targeted wording (aligned to your job advert)

https://brendanhope.com/free-cv-review/

By level:

• Graduate CV support: https://brendanhope.com/cv-services/cv-writing-service/graduate/
• Professional CV support: https://brendanhope.com/cv-services/cv-writing-service/professional/
• Executive CV support: https://brendanhope.com/cv-services/cv-writing-service/executive/

FAQs

1) What are CV power words (and do they help with ATS)?

They’re action verbs that make your bullets clearer and more outcome-led. They can also help with ATS because they often align with job-advert language, but ATS success is mainly about relevant keywords and clean structure, not “magic words”. If you want the UK-specific ATS checklist, use: https://brendanhope.com/blog/ats-cv-optimisation-uk-guide/

2) How many action verbs should I use on my CV?

Enough to keep bullets clear. Typically, most bullets start with a verb, but don’t force it. Variety matters: if every line starts with “Managed”, it becomes noise.

3) Should I use power words in my personal profile?

Yes, but sparingly. The profile should read like a credible summary of what you deliver. One or two strong verbs plus scope/outcomes beats a paragraph of buzzwords. (Helpful guide): https://brendanhope.com/blog/cv-personal-profile-writing-tips-2025/

4) What are good sentence starters for CV achievements?

Use starters that set up proof: Delivered, Improved, Reduced, Increased, Implemented, Optimised. Then add what, how and outcome. (See the sentence starter bank above.)

5) What’s a good alternative to “responsible for” on a UK CV?

Try: Owned, Led, Delivered, Managed, Coordinated, then add scope and results. Example: “Owned onboarding for 40+ starters per quarter, reducing admin time by 25%.”

6) Can power words make my CV sound robotic?

They can if you stack verbs, copy generic lines, or use jargon. Keep sentences human: one verb and one clear action and one result.

7) Which power words work best for leadership roles?

Words like Led, Spearheaded, Directed, Governed, Mobilised, Transformed work well, if you back them with scope (team, budget, sites) and outcomes.

8) Can I reuse the same action verb more than once?

Yes, but avoid repetition. If you’ve used “Delivered” three times in one role, swap in Implemented, Launched, Rolled out, Executed where accurate.

Conclusion

Use CV power words to make your experience easier to scan and harder to ignore: verb, action and proof. If you want to know which verbs (and keywords) fit your target roles, and which bullets need rewrites, start here: https://brendanhope.com/free-cv-review/