In a resume, 'communicate' (a present form of the resume verb communicated) can be used to indicate that you can convey your thoughts and ideas clearly to others. Your ability to communicate clearly will help you be more effective at your job and make it easier for others to work with you—a highly valuable skill for most positions.

The term 'communicate' effectively indicates that you have strong communication skills but overuse it, and the phrase will lose its impact. And generally, you should write your resume in the past tense unless you are discussing an ongoing role or achievement.

If you find yourself repeating 'communicate' too often in your resume, the best way to fix this is to replace it with action verbs that show how you can contribute similarly to a new employer. You can use synonyms such as 'disseminated,' 'propagated,' or 'transfused.'

Thinking through the most suitable action verbs for your job search is helpful for your resume—it's also an essential part of tailoring resumes that require highlighting past achievements and skills. Choosing your verbs carefully can make every word you write more compelling.

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

Resume Synonyms for Communicate:

Clarified
Enlightened
Mobilized
Informed
Briefed
Guided
Negotiated
Corresponded
Synchronized
Presented
Pitched
Delegated
Conveyed
Expounded
Dissolved
Alerted
Reported
Orchestrated
Asserted
Interpreted
Conducted
Imparted
Transfused
Propagated
Disseminated
Advised
Coached
Critiqued
Encouraged
Enabled
Evaluated
Instructed
Motivated
Persuaded
Simulated
Stimulated
Taught

How to replace Communicate with a stronger action verb:

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

Before: Weak example using Communicate

• Communicate with marketing to drive email and social media advertising efforts from data science work

⤸

After: Using a stronger synonym• Liaised with marketing to drive email and social media advertising efforts, using predictive modeling and clustering, resulting in a 35% increase in revenue.

Replacing Communicate with Clarified ▾

Before: Communicate

• Communicate with clients about their project expectations and deliverables

⤸

After: Clarified• Clarified client project expectations and deliverables, resulting in a 15% reduction in revisions required and faster project turnover

By simply specifying the verb 'communicate' to 'clarified', I have made it clear that the candidate is proficient at understanding and addressing client objectives. This change demonstrates the candidate's skills at effective understanding and implementing client's needs, and the use of metrics also emphasize the candidate's impact towards overall project performance.

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 Communicate with Enlightened ▾

Before: Communicate

• Communicate with team members about project tasks and timelines

⤸

After: Enlightened• Enlightened team members about project tasks achieving 30% reduction in delays and improved project timeline efficiencies

Here, 'Enlightened' denotes the candidate's ability not only to convey task details but also to impart understanding that facilitated team efficiency. Quantifying improvement underscores the positive outcome of this communication; the delay reduction.

Replacing Communicate with Mobilized ▾

Before: Communicate

• Communicate with other departments on cross-departmental initiatives

⤸

After: Mobilized• Mobilized cross-departmental initiatives, which increased inter-departmental collaborations by 40%

Switching 'communicate' to 'mobilized' centers not just on the passing of information, but inspiring action. The measurable improvement in collaborations illustrates the candidate's influence and importance.

Replacing Communicate with Informed ▾

Before: Communicate

• Communicate company policies to employees

⤸

After: Informed• Informed employees about company policies, reducing policy infractions by 25%

The swap of 'communicated' with 'informed', not only provides clarity but pinpoints the purpose of the communication. The metric included also gives a clear result of the candidate's efforts in reducing policy infractions.

Replacing Communicate with Briefed ▾

Before: Communicate

• Communicate project plans to senior management

⤸

After: Briefed• Briefed senior management on project plans, contributing to a 20% increase in senior management engagement

I replaced 'communicate' with 'briefed' to show that the candidate is comfortable in having focused, high-level discussions with upper management. The rise in engagement shows the tangible impact of their presentations and communication skills.

Replacing Communicate with Guided ▾

Before: Communicate

• Communicate with customers regarding their problems

⤸

After: Guided• Guided customers through troubleshooting, decreasing support ticket resolution time by 30%

'Guided' was chosen to show the candidate's structured, helping and solution-oriented approach to customer communication. Including a metric illustrates the value of this method in improving efficiency.

Replacing Communicate with Negotiated ▾

Before: Communicate

• Communicate with suppliers about pricing and delivery timelines

⤸

After: Negotiated• Negotiated with suppliers on pricing and delivery timelines, saving the company $50k annually

'Negotiated' was selected to better portray the candidate's proactive and strategic communication skills with suppliers. The added metric highlights the financial impact of the candidate's negotiation.

Replacing Communicate with Corresponded ▾

Before: Communicate

• Communicate with clients on an ongoing basis

⤸

After: Corresponded• Corresponded with clients regularly, leading to a 10% improvement in client satisfaction ratings

'Corresponded' suggests a two-way, long-term communication, implying strong relationship management. The client satisfaction rate numerically demonstrates the candidate's effectiveness.

Replacing Communicate with Synchronized ▾

Before: Communicate

• Communicate with project stakeholders regarding project status

⤸

After: Synchronized• Synchronized project status with stakeholders leading to faster decision making and a more streamlined project lifecycle

'Synchronized' conveys a more cyclical and inclusive form of communication. It implies that the candidate proactively keeps stakeholders up-to-date and involved significantly improving project efficiency.

Replacing Communicate with Presented ▾

Before: Communicate

• Communicate findings from research to the team

⤸

After: Presented• Presented research findings to the team, driving the initiation of 3 new projects in Q2

Swapping 'communicate' with 'presented' portrays the action more professionally and actively. The result specifies the number of new projects initiated due to the candidate's research findings, which strengthens the claim of his or her contribution.

Replacing Communicate with Pitched ▾

Before: Communicate

• Communicate business proposals to potential investors

⤸

After: Pitched• Pitched business proposals to potential investors, securing $500k in investments

Replacing 'communicate' with 'pitched' suggests a persuasive and strategic communication style, well-suited to acquisition of resources. Providing the amount of investment secured further demonstrates candidate’s efficacy.

Replacing Communicate with Delegated ▾

Before: Communicate

• Communicate tasks to team members

⤸

After: Delegated• Delegated tasks to team members enhancing the team’s overall productivity by 35%

The substitution of 'communicate' with 'delegated' lends to a more leadership-oriented connotation, implying proper assignment and management of tasks. The productivity increase illustrates the candidate’s aptitude for effective task management.

Replacing Communicate with Conveyed ▾

Before: Communicate

• Communicate project changes to the team

⤸

After: Conveyed• Conveyed project changes swiftly to the team, resulting in seamless shifts in project direction with no time lost

I used 'Conveyed' to emphasize the candidate's care in communicating to their team necessary changes promptly. This ensured no loss of time, hence showcasing efficiency.

Replacing Communicate with Expounded ▾

Before: Communicate

• Communicate product specifications to marketing team

⤸

After: Expounded• Expounded product specifications to marketing team, leading to 25% increase in sales

By replacing 'communicate' with 'expounded', I aimed to accentuate the respondent's ability to elaborate complex concepts. The boosted sales metric quantifies the impact of this skill.

Replacing Communicate with Dissolved ▾

Before: Communicate

• Communicate solutions to internal conflicts

⤸

After: Dissolved• Dissolved internal conflicts with effective solution communication which restored team harmony and increased productivity by 20%

'Dissolved' was chosen to imply the candidate's skill of resolving issues using effective communication. The increased productivity offers measurable evidence of this ability.

Replacing Communicate with Alerted ▾

Before: Communicate

• Communicate performance updates to leadership

⤸

After: Alerted• Alerted leadership to performance updates, paving the way for informed decision-making and a smoother execution

'Alerted’ conveys a sense of urgency and importance that lifts the weight of this responsibility. By demonstrating a proactive approach to information sharing, it shows the candidate as an enabler of business efficiency.

Replacing Communicate with Reported ▾

Before: Communicate

• Communicate metrics to senior management

⤸

After: Reported• Reported key metrics to senior management, enabling data-driven actions that improved operational efficiency by 30%

I opted for 'Reported' to denote the candidate's responsibility and effectiveness in providing relevant information. The metric emphasizes the critical role the candidate played in improving efficiency using data-focused communication.

Replacing Communicate with Orchestrated ▾

Before: Communicate

• Communicate company goals to employees

⤸

After: Orchestrated• Orchestrated company-wide sessions to communicate goals, invigorating team morale and increasing goal achievement by 40%

'Orchestrated' was used to depict the active role of the candidate in aligning the team towards company goals. Including the metric of increased goal achievement quantifies the impact of these efforts.

Replacing Communicate with Asserted ▾

Before: Communicate

• Communicate project issues to stakeholder

⤸

After: Asserted• Asserted critical project issues to stakeholders, expediting resolution and minimizing project delays by 15%

'Asserted' makes the communication sound proactive and impactful. The addition of quantifiable impact demonstrates the candidate’s problem-solving skills and effectiveness.

Replacing Communicate with Interpreted ▾

Before: Communicate

• Communicate technical data to non-technical staff

⤸

After: Interpreted• Interpreted and communicated technical data to non-technical staff, significantly improving cross-functional collaboration and project completion rates by 20%

'Interpreted' implies that the candidate not only communicated but also translated the complexities into simplified laymen's terms which improved cross-functional collaboration. The metric acknowledges this impact.

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 Communicate.

More resume bullet point samples that use strong synonyms

How to use Created on a resume:

• Created method to compute similarity of all methods in a code base; reduced time complexity from O(n²) to O(n log n).

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 Led on a resume:

• Led a 10-week engagement in a four-member team for a solar energy provider; assessed 30+ locations and provided a recommendation for the most suitable location of their new headquarters.

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 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 Delivered on a resume:

• Delivered product solutions to institutional and corporate clients; grew customer base by +25% in Europe.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for Communicate on a resume?

Instead of passive phrases like Communicate, use other words like Persuaded, Imparted, Propagated, Encouraged, Conducted or Transfused. Using these verbs will help your accomplishments and bullet points stand out on your resume.

What is a better word for Communicate on a resume?

Words like Communicate are overused on resumes. Instead, you should use other phrases like Critiqued, Simulated, Instructed, Transfused, Imparted or Propagated.

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

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Q: What is another word for Communicate on a resume?

Instead of passive phrases like Communicate , use other words like Persuaded, Imparted, Propagated, Encouraged, Conducted or Transfused. Using these verbs will help your accomplishments and bullet points stand out on your resume.

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