The word "assisted" describes work done with the help of others. Using this word in your resume shows that you have worked with someone else to achieve a goal and can work as part of a team.
Assisted is not a bad thing to have on your resume—it's just not as good as other words. It is a generic term that won't give the recruiter a sense of what kind of work you did, what skills you gained from experience, and how much responsibility you had for the project. You're missing out on the chance to show off what you're capable of doing.
Instead of using the word assisted, use action verbs that show how you impacted the project. So, when writing a resume, consider using specific phrases to describe what you did at your previous jobs. You can write about it in your resume using other action verbs, such as initiated, formulated, or persuaded.
It's essential to use specific language when describing your past projects for the recruiter to know precisely what kind of skills and experience you have. This will make your resume more distinctive and compelling for potential employers.
I've compiled some synonyms you can use instead of Assisted on your resume, followed by real examples I've written for clients (feel free to use them!).
Resume Synonyms for Assisted:
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Orchestrated
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Personalized
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Championed
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Pioneered
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Revamped
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Spearheaded
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Transformed
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Optimized
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Elevated
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Revitalized
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Mobilized
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Fortified
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Diversified
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Galvanized
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Mentored
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Piloted
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Analyzed
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Refined
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Directed
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Increased
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Implemented
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Initiated
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Expedited
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Liaised
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Influenced
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Coordinated
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Trained
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Formulated
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Drafted
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Prepared
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Enabled
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Counseled
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Assessed
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Evaluated
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Persuaded
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Examined
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Organized
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Systemized
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Streamlined
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Recommended
How to replace Assisted with a stronger action verb:
Let's look at examples of how you can remove and replace the overused phrase, Assisted, with a stronger synonym and alternative that is more effective at highlighting your achievements.
Before: Weak example using Assisted• Assisted the customer support team and increased their efficiency
⤸
After: Using a stronger synonym• Designed online customer support center comprising of a self-service knowledge base and interactive chat; reduced customer support calls by 45%.
Before: Assisted• Assisted management with the planning and execution of corporate events
⤸After: Orchestrated• Orchestrated a series of 15+ corporate networking events with over 150 participants each; realized an estimated 20% increase in lead generation
The weak verb 'Assisted' was replaced with the stronger, more impactful verb 'Orchestrated' to showcase the candidate's proactiveness. Also, including a specific number shows the candidate's capacity to handle and successfully execute large scale events.
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: Assisted• Assisted in creating marketing strategies for clients
⤸After: Personalized• Personalized client-centric marketing strategies, tailored to unique needs, boosting clientele response rate by 30%
Replacing 'Assisted' with 'Personalized' highlights the exclusivity of the service provided. The addition of clear metrics gives an idea of the scale of impact the candidate had on the business.
Before: Assisted• Assisted with developing a new product line
⤸After: Championed• Championed the development of a successful new product line, stimulating a 10% revenue increase
Shifting from 'Assisted' to 'Championed' portrays the candidate as spearheading the task, rather than being merely supportive. Mentioning the distinct contribution to revenue growth gives it more substance.
Before: Assisted• Assisted in the launch of the company’s e-commerce platform
⤸After: Pioneered• Pioneered the successful launch of company-wide e-commerce platform, driving an increase in online sales by 40% within first 3 months
'Assisted' was swapped out with 'Pioneered' to convey strong leadership and initiative. The precise metric denotes the magnitude of the outcome, strengthening the candidate's narrative.
Before: Assisted• Assisted with improving the company’s website design
⤸After: Revamped• Revamped company’s website design leading to an 80% increase in site traffic and 65% increase in user engagement time
Changing 'Assisted' to 'Revamped' underlines the candidate's active participation. The inclusion of specific metrics allows hiring managers to appreciate the substantial impact of their actions.
Before: Assisted• Assisted in the negotiations for key contracts
⤸After: Spearheaded• Spearheaded negotiations of critical contracts resulting in $1M+ annual cost-savings and an additional 15% in margin
The transformation from 'Assisted' to 'Spearheaded' is impactful as it credits the candidate with leading the process. Adding the financial metrics outlines the tangible outcome of the negotiations.
Before: Assisted• Assisted with the company's digital outreach campaigns
⤸After: Transformed• Transformed digital outreach campaigns that attracted over 15,000 new website visitors a month
'Assisted' was replaced with 'Transformed' to denote significant contributions to the initiative, and specific numerical figures were introduced to emphasize the levels of success achieved.
Before: Assisted• Assisted with improving business processes
⤸After: Optimized• Optimized business processes and workflows, increasing overall team productivity by 25%
The word 'Assisted' was switched with 'Optimized' to represent active participation, while metric-based results were included to showcase the candidate's ability to improve productivity.
Before: Assisted• Assisted with customer service improvement activities
⤸After: Elevated• Elevated customer service levels by devising and implementing targeted service protocols, resulting in an enhanced satisfaction score of 85%
The change from 'Assisted' to 'Elevated' enacts a stronger verb, and the addition of measurable improvements offers hiring managers insight into the candidate's problem-solving prowess.
Before: Assisted• Assisted in revamping company branding
⤸After: Revitalized• Revitalized company branding, which resulted in a 40% increase in brand recognition and 30% increase in customer retention
Replacing 'Assisted' with 'Revitalized' gives more credit to the candidate's efforts. Concrete figures provide clear evidence of the project's impact and the candidate's success.
Before: Assisted• Assisted with team restructuring and management
⤸After: Mobilized• Mobilized the restructuring of a 20-member team, promoting a more efficient structure that boosted productivity by 35%
The transformation from 'Assisted' to 'Mobilized' credits the candidate with driving change, while providing specific numbers offers quantifiable proof of their leadership and results.
Before: Assisted• Assisted with efforts to enhance security protocols
⤸After: Fortified• Fortified the company's security protocols, culminating in a 50% decrease in security breaches
Swapping 'Assisted' with 'Fortified' underlines the candidate's initiative and strong contribution, and the specific metric provides a demonstrable impact of their actions.
Before: Assisted• Assisted with expanding company’s client base
⤸After: Diversified• Diversified company’s client base, yielding an influx of 100+ new clientele in a span of 6 months
'Assisted' was replaced with 'Diversified' to emphasize the role the candidate took on. The metric shows a measurable impact and provides scale to their achievement.
Before: Assisted• Assisted with raising team's performance
⤸After: Galvanized• Galvanized a team of 15 to improve their performance, leading to a 20% increase in sales over a quarter
'Galvanized' adds more substance than 'Assisted', as it highlights the candidate's leadership. The inclusion of specific numbers illustrates the significant result of their intervention.
Before: Assisted• Assisted new team members in onboarding and understanding company processes
⤸After: Mentored• Mentored 12 new associates in mastering company processes, leading to a 33% shorter learning curve than average
Substituting 'Assisted' with 'Mentored' demonstrates a proactive role, and the quantifiable results show both the candidate's direct impact and skills at transferring knowledge.
Before: Assisted• Assisted with testing and deployment of new software tools
⤸After: Piloted• Piloted the testing and deployment of two essential software tools, reducing process inefficiencies by 35%
The change from 'Assisted' to 'Piloted' associated the candidate with leadership. Providing a metric on process improvement paints a clearer picture of the candidate's effectiveness in execution.
Before: Assisted• Assisted in reviewing financial data and reports
⤸After: Analyzed• Analyzed financial data, uncovering inefficiencies that led to a cost reduction of $200K annually
Switching 'Assisted' with 'Analyzed' portrays the candidate as a proactive contributor rather than a passive helper. Quantifying the savings gives concrete proof of the candidate's analytical skills.
Before: Assisted• Assisted in improving sales and marketing strategies
⤸After: Refined• Refined sales and marketing strategies, generating an upturn in ROIs by 28% in one financial year
Replacing 'Assisted' with 'Refined' brings forth the candidate's active role in strategic roles while providing a specific metric demonstrates their work’s quantifiable impact.
Before: Assisted• Assisted with the coordination of team assignments and projects
⤸After: Directed• Directed the coordination of 10+ team projects, contributing to deliverables being completed 15% ahead of schedule
'Assisted' was replaced with 'Directed' to showcase the candidate's leadership. Providing concrete timelines demonstrates their capabilities to drive execution and manage time effectively.
Before: Assisted• Assisted with marketing campaign improvements
⤸After: Increased• Increased marketing campaign performance, leading to a 50% increase in customer conversions within two quarters
Switched 'Assisted' with 'Increased' to accentuate the candidate's influential role and, by providing a measure of the campaign's success, the result of their efforts is evident.
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 Assisted.
More resume bullet point samples that use strong synonyms
How to use Analyzed on a resume:
• Analyzed 1500+ responses to a consumer survey to evaluate brand perception and customers' willingness to pay.
How to use Led on a resume:
• Led interview campaign with existing customers (300+ person survey, 40+ face-to-face discussions) to formulate requirements of a new product to help couples manage their expenses; outputs directly impacted product roadmap.
How to use Managed on a resume:
• Managed international stakeholders in India, United Kingdom and Hong Kong by hosting daily standups and coordinating weekly status reports.
How to use Liaised on a resume:
• Liaised with marketing to drive email and social media advertising efforts, using predictive modeling and clustering, resulting in a 35% increase in revenue.
How to use Developed on a resume:
• Developed strategies to trade and manage risk on the trading book comprising 30+ indices; 2016 P&L: $8M.
How to use Doubled on a resume:
• Doubled new user acquisition from 10-15 users to 20-25 through the implementation of new marketing strategies focused on online advertising and improving the company's web presence, social media, and search engine optimization..
Frequently Asked Questions
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