To land an interview, highlight the skills that'll help you succeed at a job. The power verb advised is excellent for your resume because it shows a high level of responsibility and management ability. Advisors take on a leadership role and advise others on the best course of action. This skill can be instrumental in the workplace, as many managers have to advise their employees on projects, goals, and issues.
It also shows that you understand how to communicate information clearly and effectively, which is essential for anyone working closely with others. You should use the word 'advised,' but not excessively so. Otherwise, it might look like you're trying too hard.
To avoid this problem, you can use synonyms for 'advised,' such as explained, arbitrated, motivated, or recommended. These words convey the same meaning as 'advised,' but they're also more interesting and descriptive.
Consider using synonyms for 'advised' to emphasise specific skills that aren't always easy to demonstrate on a resume. For example, if you have strong communication skills but don't have any particular examples of those skills in action at previous jobs, using synonyms for 'advised' could help demonstrate those skills without being repetitive or boring.
I've compiled some synonyms you can use instead of Advised on your resume, followed by real examples I've written for clients (feel free to use them!).
Resume Synonyms for Advised:
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Directed
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Guided
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Coached
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Mentored
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Instructed
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Educated
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Orchestrated
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Encouraged
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Commanded
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Strategized
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Revamped
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Spearheaded
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Outlined
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Engineered
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Led
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Arbitrated
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Addressed
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Bargained
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Explained
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Influenced
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Interpreted
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Moderated
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Lectured
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Mediated
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Motivated
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Proposed
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Spoke
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Translated
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Conferred
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Consulted
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Recommended
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Suggested
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Commended
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Enlightened
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Informed
How to replace Advised with a stronger action verb:
Let's look at examples of how you can remove and replace the overused phrase, Advised, with a stronger synonym and alternative that is more effective at highlighting your achievements.
Before: Weak example using Advised• Advised a large company on their go-to-market B2B strategy
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After: Using a stronger synonym• Developed go-to-market strategy for ~$100 million B2B market segment; led cross-functional team of 15+ internal stakeholders to prepare new product offering.
Before: Advised• Advised the team on making our software user-friendly
⤸After: Directed• Directed a 10-member team in redesigning our software, striking a 35% increase in user-friendly interface and customer satisfaction
The 'after' statement is stronger because it mentions a specific leadership role, includes a measurable outcome and defines the scope of the project team. The verb 'Directed' is also more powerful and initiative-taking than 'Advised'.
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.
Before: Advised• Advised on improving the company's sales process
⤸After: Guided• Guided cross-functional teams in revamping the sales process, resulting in a 15% increase in revenue within the first quarter
I replaced 'Advised' with 'Guided' to reflect a more active role. I also included specifics such as the team involved, the result, and the timeframe to give a more compelling account of the achievement.
Before: Advised• Advised employees on communication skills
⤸After: Coached• Coached a team of 50+ employees on effective communication strategies, improving overall productivity by 25%
Instead of just 'advising', the choice of 'Coached' emphasises a coaching role in improving communication skills. A measurable outcome is also provided for more impact.
Before: Advised• Advised junior team members on career progression
⤸After: Mentored• Mentored 20+ junior team members, helping them secure promotions 30% faster than their peers company-wide
A simple change from 'Advised' to 'Mentored' implies a deeper involvement on the career progression of the junior team. Including the metric gives a quantifiable outcome of the efforts.
Before: Advised• Advised on safety procedures
⤸After: Instructed• Instructed teams on industry-standard safety procedures, reducing on-the-job accidents by 40%
The 'after' statement replaces 'Advised' with a more actionable verb 'Instructed', and further illustrates the impact of the safety training with a significant reduction metric.
Before: Advised• Advised customers on product usage
⤸After: Educated• Educated over 500 customers on product usage, increasing product engagement by 20% and customer's positive reviews by 18%
'Educated' is a more impactful verb than 'Advised'. The 'after' statement includes specific numbers to measure the results of the education - customer engagement and reviews - to quantify the success.
Before: Advised• Advised on new product launch
⤸After: Orchestrated• Orchestrated a successful new product launch that resulted in a 30% year-over-year increase in sales
The verb 'Orchestrated' suggests a leading role in the product launch rather than simply advising. I added a significant result, the increase in sales, to show a clear positive outcome.
Before: Advised• Advised team members on increasing sales
⤸After: Encouraged• Encouraged team members to incorporate upselling techniques, eventually boosting sales by 25% over a single quarter
The 'after' statement changes 'Advised' to 'Encouraged', shifting the focus to the personal role in driving the team's motivation. Including a metric shows the effectiveness of the approach.
Before: Advised• Advised the team on a project
⤸After: Commanded• Commanded a high-stakes project that brought in $5 Million in revenue over a fiscal year
By changing 'Advised' to 'Commanded', the candidate shows a more hands-on, leadership role in the project. Including the financial impact further underlines the significance of the project.
Before: Advised• Advised management on business strategy
⤸After: Strategized• Strategized a business plan that led to a 18% increase in annual revenue
The verb 'Strategized' replaces 'Advised' to initiate proactive involvement in handling the strategy. Adding a specific result provides a measurable impact.
Before: Advised• Advised on website modifications
⤸After: Revamped• Revamped the company website, resulting in a 40% increase in web traffic within six months
The verb 'Revamped' gives the reader a more dynamic picture than 'Advised'. The metric quantifies the improvement, showing that the candidate's performance had a significant, measurable outcome.
Before: Advised• Advised on marketing campaigns
⤸After: Spearheaded• Spearheaded digital marketing campaigns that increased social media following by 60% within five months
Spearheaded' implies a greater, more significant role than 'Advised'. Including specific results of the marketing campaigns gives hiring managers a clear picture of the campaign's success.
Before: Advised• Advised on crisis management
⤸After: Outlined• Outlined crisis management strategies that reduced damage by 50% during a major company crisis
The verb 'Outlined' implies the candidate initiated and shaped the crisis management approach. The specific outcome in damage reduction provides evidence of their significant contribution.
Before: Advised• Advised team on improving efficiency
⤸After: Engineered• Engineered process improvements that saved the team 15 hours per week
Improving efficiency is highlighted by 'Engineered', showing a more proactive role than just advising. Adding a time-based metric helps to quantify the candidate's achievements.
Before: Advised• Advised on company acquisitions
⤸After: Led• Led strategic acquisition of a competitor company which increased market share by 20%
The change from 'Advised' to 'Led' makes the candidate appear more assertive and effective. Including specific results like the increase in market share demonstrates the direct outcomes of the candidate's actions.
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 Advised.
More resume bullet point samples that use strong synonyms
How to use Delivered on a resume:
• Delivered product solutions to institutional and corporate clients; grew customer base by +25% in Europe.
How to use Assessed on a resume:
• Assessed the product portfolio and created a brand turnaround strategy for a global fashion company; conducted qualitative interviews with industry experts and quantitative analysis to determine barriers to purchasing and distribution.
How to use Performed on a resume:
• Performed financial analysis to evaluate public and private financing alternatives to strengthen client's balance sheet.
How to use Led on a resume:
• Led five developers to establish client's ERP system; identified $1.5MM in cost savings, and secured $1MM+ in additional work for Accenture.
How to use Analyzed on a resume:
• Analyzed private equity firm's historical track record, evaluated performance against public indexes, and validated claims with investors and CEOs, resulting in commitments in excess of $300MM.
How to use Created on a resume:
• Created economic model to assess financial feasibility and operational synergies throughout the supply chain; identified >$50M in savings.
Frequently Asked Questions
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