Have you ever been described as a go-getter — someone with initiative and drive, someone who’s ambitious, someone who’d rather take the reins themselves than wait around for things to get done? If so, you have a lot of transferable skills most recruiters would love to see in their next hire.
Go-getters are:
- Ambitious
- Proactive
- Determined
- Confident
- Driven
- Independent
- Hard working
- Goal-oriented
These are all fantastic qualities … that don’t belong anywhere on your resume. Hiring managers aren’t looking for subjective self-assessments or meaningless buzzwords — they want to know what you’ve accomplished so they can make up their own minds.
Here’s everything you need to know to prove that you have the qualities hiring managers want, including synonyms for being a go getter that you can actually put on your resume.
How to say you’re a go-getter on a resume
- Start by brainstorming exactly what makes you a go-getter. Are you proactive? Do you anticipate future needs and fill them in advance? Are you willing to go the extra mile if that’s what it takes to get things done?
- Now think of times when you’ve demonstrated those soft skills — for example, solving a company-wide issue before anyone else noticed it, or working overtime to get a major product launched with a few extra features.
- Transform your examples into resume-worthy bullet points by starting with a strong action verb — these are the synonyms that will tell hiring managers you’re a go-getter without you having to say it directly.
- Finish your bullet points off with a few numbers or metrics. Think about how quickly you finished a project, how many tasks you completed, or how much money your actions saved.
- Scan your resume for buzzwords like “go-getter.” Now remove them! Remember, we’re showing, not telling.
- Get a second opinion on what you need to add to — or remove from — your resume with a free resume scanner. This will make sure you haven’t left out any essential keywords (or left in any soft skills where they don’t belong, like your skills section).
Synonyms for being a go getter on a resume
Not entirely sure how to say you’re a go-getter on a resume without using those exact words? Here are some resume synonyms that will highlight different aspects of being a go-getter.
Resume synonyms for being ambitious
Do you have high standards for yourself — and live up to them? Showcase your ambition and drive with resume synonyms like:
- Improved
- Increased
- Doubled
- Accelerated
- Led
- Spearheaded
- Achieved
- Mastered
- Overcame
- Won
- Awarded
- Promoted
Resume synonyms for seeking out new opportunities
Part of being a go getter is not waiting around for things to be handed to you. If you’re proactive in the workplace, emphasize that with synonyms like:
- Initiated
- Launched
- Founded
- Devised
- Sourced
- Generated
- Invented
- Created
- Pioneered
- Innovated
- Established
- Started
- Introduced
Resume synonyms for going above and beyond
Go-getters never stop at the bare minimum. If you’re willing to go to great lengths to make sure that you — and your company — succeed, use synonyms like:
- Exceeded
- Surpassed
- Outpaced
- Campaigned
- Upgraded
- Expedited
- Overhauled
- Revitalized
- Transformed
- Eliminated
- Volunteered
- Enlisted
Synonyms for learning new things on a resume
Are you not content to rest on your laurels? If you’re always seeking out a new challenge or learning a new skill, pepper your resume with synonyms like:
- Discovered
- Investigated
- Researched
- Solved
- Modeled
- Simulated
- Tested
- Devised
- Engineered
- Formulated
- Analyzed
- Adapted
Go-getter resume bullet point examples
The right action verb synonym will help you start your resume bullet points. Here’s how to end them — these sample bullet points can be copied or adapted to show that you’re a go getter on your resume.
Delivered a fully operational web service in under 7 weeks after inception; it currently generates $979K per quarter, and 23K clients use it.
Proving that you get results — and quickly — is key to showing a hiring manager that you’re a go getter. Include metrics that describe the scale of your projects, how quickly you were able to complete them, and the end result for the company.
Championed bug fixing efforts that led to $83K savings in labor cost per quarter, a 57% improvement from previous years.
True go getters don’t wait to be assigned new tasks — they see problems that need to be fixed and solve them. If you championed or developed a new initiative or problem-solving feature, that’s good evidence of being a go getter on your resume.
Developed a mixture of pre-call and proactive calling efforts and large deal closure techniques to exceed sales goals by 15%, which led to a $3 million profit in 9 months.
The watchword for go getters is “proactive.” Don’t just include it as an empty synonym for being a go getter on your resume — back it up with examples and results.
Managed business operations with minimal supervision, earned employee of the month 5 times in 2 years.
If you’re still in the early stages of your career, it may feel like you don’t have many meaningful achievements up your sleeve — but that probably isn’t the case. Prove that you’re a go getter on your resume by emphasizing how your performance was different from someone with less ambition, for example, being able to work independently in a junior role or being recognized with a company-wide award.
