Writing that you 'acted as' a particular role in your resume can be a great way to show leadership skills. You can use this phrasing on your resume to highlight the leadership roles you've held in past positions, such as acting as a project manager or team lead.

But, the phrase 'acted as' is weak and not specific enough. A hiring manager wants to see what you've done and how you've done it, but this term doesn't provide enough information to make that determination. It also reinforces the idea that you aren't confident in your abilities or competent enough for the role at their company.

Instead, try using better words for 'acted as,' like 'liaised,' 'reconciled,' or 'revitalized' to describe your work experience—these are action verbs that tell recruiters what you actually did instead of just saying that you were in charge. These will help you sell yourself as someone who can get things done!

Power verbs show employers that you know how to describe your achievements clearly and concisely. If it's not apparent from the first sentence of your resume what kind of work you've done, they'll probably pass over your application before they get further into it.

I've compiled some synonyms you can use instead of Acted as on your resume, followed by real examples I've written for clients (feel free to use them!).

Resume Synonyms for Acted as:

Managed
Conducted
Spearheaded
Orchestrated
Pioneered
Constructed
Directed
Negotiated
Championed
Expedited
Revamped
Implemented
Optimized
Refined
Elevated
Co-authored
Drafted
Mediated
Publicized
Enlisted
Lectured
Influenced
Taught
Interpreted
Promoted
Reconciled
Liaised
Proposed
Translated
Revitalized
Represented

How to replace Acted as with a stronger action verb:

Let's look at examples of how you can remove and replace the overused phrase, Acted as, with a stronger synonym and alternative that is more effective at highlighting your achievements.

Before: Weak example using Acted as

• Acted as Scrum Master for the project

⤸

After: Using a stronger synonym• Enforced Kanban principles as a scrum master that reduced cycle time by 25% and increased the team's throughput in less than 9 weeks. .

Replacing Acted as with Managed ▾

Before: Acted as

• Acted as a project manager for company's important projects

⤸

After: Managed• Managed 3 million-dollar projects, completing all of them on time and under budget, which led to a 15% increase in company profits in 2020.

As a hiring manager, I replaced 'Acted as' with 'Managed' to make the bullet point stronger and more specific. I also gave clear metrics ('3 million-dollar projects', 'completed on time and under budget', '15% increase in company profits') to quantify the candidate's achievements and make the impact of their role clear.

Tip: I've prepared a ton of additional examples for you to give you inspiration. Please click on any of the following to expand and see real examples of how I've rewritten client bullet points.

Replacing Acted as with Conducted ▾

Before: Acted as

• Acted as a researcher for various projects

⤸

After: Conducted• Conducted innovative research in renewable energy, resulting in 5 published papers and securing $2 million in grant funding.

Moving from 'Acted as a researcher' to 'Conducted innovative research', makes the candidate more active in their duties. By providing measurable achievements like published research papers and secured grant funding, the candidate shows the direct impact of their work.

Replacing Acted as with Spearheaded ▾

Before: Acted as

• Acted as the head of marketing team

⤸

After: Spearheaded• Spearheaded a marketing campaign that increased online sales by 30% and grew our social media followers by 50% within 6 months.

What I like about this change is that while 'Acted as the head' seems like a more passive role, 'Spearheaded' implies initiative and leadership. Specific metrics (e.g. '30% increase in online sales', '50% growth in followers') help hiring managers envision the level of impact the candidate could bring to their company.

Replacing Acted as with Orchestrated ▾

Before: Acted as

• Acted as the event planner for fundraisers

⤸

After: Orchestrated• Orchestrated 10 successful charity events over two years, raising over $500,000 for local nonprofits.

In this revision, 'Acted as' was switched out for 'Orchestrated' to highlight the candidate's leadership in planning these events. Including specific details ('10 successful charity events', 'raised over $500,000') reinforces the candidate's effectiveness in this role.

Replacing Acted as with Pioneered ▾

Before: Acted as

• Acted as a software engineer creating new platforms

⤸

After: Pioneered• Pioneered a cloud-based storage solution that increased data retrieval speeds by 60%, enhancing productivity across the company.

Using 'Pioneered' instead of 'Acted as', emphasizes the innovative nature of the candidate's work. A concrete metric ('increased data retrieval speeds by 60%') also illustrates the direct impact of their work.

Replacing Acted as with Constructed ▾

Before: Acted as

• Acted as a project lead for construction projects

⤸

After: Constructed• Constructed a commercial building valued at $4.7M, successfully delivering the project 2 weeks ahead of schedule.

Precise language such as 'Constructed' makes the candidate's role clear, and specific details ('commercial building valued at $4.7M', '2 weeks ahead of schedule') quantify their achievements in a meaningful way.

Replacing Acted as with Directed ▾

Before: Acted as

• Acted as a direct supervisor for staff team

⤸

After: Directed• Directed a team of 15 staff in a busy retail store, decreasing staff turnover by 40% in one year through implementing a new training program.

Moving from 'Acted as a direct supervisor' to 'Directed' emphasizes the candidate's leadership. Providing specified outcomes like decreasing staff turnover by a particular percentage allows hiring managers to better understand the impacts of their leadership.

Replacing Acted as with Negotiated ▾

Before: Acted as

• Acted as a sales associate for potential clients

⤸

After: Negotiated• Negotiated and secured 10 high-paying contracts within a single quarter, totaling in an extra $500K annual revenue for the company.

By swapping out 'Acted as' with 'Negotiated and secured', this slight wording change paints a more dynamic picture of initiative and successful outcomes. The inclusion of metrics ('10 high-paying contracts', '$500K extra annual revenue') provides clear, measurable evidence of achievement.

Replacing Acted as with Championed ▾

Before: Acted as

• Acted as an advocate for company sustainability initiatives

⤸

After: Championed• Championed sustainability initiatives which reduced company carbon footprint by 25% in one year, earning a statewide Green Business certification.

The term 'Championed' shows strong commitment and persuasive ability. This, along with a quantifiable reduction of the company's carbon footprint, demonstrates the impact of the candidate's actions more effectively.

Replacing Acted as with Expedited ▾

Before: Acted as

• Acted as process lead for order fulfillment

⤸

After: Expedited• Expedited the order fulfillment process, reducing lead time from 30 days to 20 days, a 33% improvement that led to increased customer satisfaction.

To improve this bullet point, I changed the action verb from 'Acted as' to 'Expedited'. The measurable reduction in lead time and subsequent increase in customer satisfaction paint a vivid picture of efficiency and effective problem-solving.

Replacing Acted as with Revamped ▾

Before: Acted as

• Acted as a designer for the company's website

⤸

After: Revamped• Revamped the company website which boosted web traffic by 70% and improved user experience scores by 30%.

The action verb 'Revamped' is a powerful replacement for 'Acted as' which implies strong initiative. The specific metrics in '70% boost in web traffic' and 'improved user experience scores by 30%' provide clear evidence of the real-world impact of their work.

Replacing Acted as with Implemented ▾

Before: Acted as

• Acted as a data analyst in the company

⤸

After: Implemented• Implemented data-driven strategies that increased operational efficiency by 35% and saved the organization $200K annually.

As a recruiter, I noticed that the phrase 'Implemented data-driven strategies' is more precise and impressive than 'Acted as'. Plus, stating the improvement in efficiency and the financial savings provides hiring managers with a measurable assessment of the candidate's capabilities.

Replacing Acted as with Optimized ▾

Before: Acted as

• Acted as a systems engineer for company servers

⤸

After: Optimized• Optimized server capacity and performance, reducing downtime by 80% and increasing system speed by 45%.

Replacing 'Acted as' with 'Optimized' makes the candidate's role clearer and implies that their work had a problem-solving aspect. The specific metrics convey the positive impact of their efforts on the system performance and downtime.

Replacing Acted as with Refined ▾

Before: Acted as

• Acted as logistics coordinator for the shipping department

⤸

After: Refined• Refined the shipping process which reduced delivery time by 20% and increased on-time deliveries by 15%.

The term 'Refined' conveys the candidate's ability to improve processes. Using concrete percentages to quantify the improvements in delivery time and on-time delivery performances makes the candidate's accomplishments more tangible.

Replacing Acted as with Elevated ▾

Before: Acted as

• Acted as a PR lead for product launches

⤸

After: Elevated• Elevated brand perception through strategic PR, leading to a 50% increase in positive media coverage and a 35% boost in product launch sales.

In this revision, 'Elevated' is an effective replacement for 'Acted as', suggesting the candidate took the initiative to actively uplift the company's brand perception. Detailed statistics help paint a clear picture of the candidate's positive impact on the company.

How to use these synonyms in practice

We've put together an infographic to give you more examples of how to put this into practice. Note the use of strong action verbs instead of words like Acted as.

More resume bullet point samples that use strong synonyms

How to use Prepared on a resume:

• Prepared a 100 page pitch book summarizing findings and presented analysis to managing directors.

How to use Analyzed on a resume:

• Analyzed fundamental growth drivers via top-down (macro/sector trends, competition) and bottom-up (growth strategy, revenue forecast, cost allocation) approaches, and analysis of senior management and shareholding structure..

How to use Reduced on a resume:

• Reduced signup drop-offs from 65% to 15%, increased user-engagement by 40%, and boosted content generation by 15%, through a combination of user interviews and A/B-testing-driven product flow optimization.

How to use Earned on a resume:

• Earned expedited promotion to Senior Analyst after one year as Analyst (earned by less than 1% of cohort).

How to use Developed on a resume:

• Developed go-to-market strategy for ~$100 million B2B market segment; led cross-functional team of 15+ internal stakeholders to prepare new product offering.

How to use Conducted on a resume:

• Conducted the due diligence of three retailers for a private equity investor with potential EBITDA impact of $200MM+ by 2020; developed customer acquisition strategy across channels.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for Acted as on a resume?

Below are some alternative words and synonyms to add to your resume instead of Acted as:

Drafted
Translated
Co-authored
Reconciled
Publicized
Revitalized

What can I say instead of Acted as on a resume?

Words like Acted as are overused on resumes. Instead, you should use other phrases like Lectured, Co-authored, Reconciled, Taught, Influenced or Enlisted.

Get a free resume review: Find out if your action verbs are strong enough.

I'd recommend uploading your resume below to get a free resume review. You'll get a detailed analysis of your resume's action verbs and your experience, with instant suggestions on how to improve them based on recruiter insights.

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