Recruiters love to see the word 'develop' in a resume as it indicates that you have an ability to innovate and have high growth potential. It shows that you're not just looking for a job—you're looking to make a real contribution.

Develop is indeed a powerful word to use on your resume. The problem is that when used repeatedly at the beginning of every bullet point in your resume, it can make your resume less engaging for a recruiter trying to get through hundreds of resumes daily. Also, it's important to use action verbs in the past tense to emphasize your accomplishments; in this case, you should use the past tense of develop, which is 'developed,' unless you're discussing an ongoing achievement or role.

To make your resume stand out, try to mix up your language a little bit—that way, it'll seem like each bullet point is saying something new, but you'll still get the point across. For example, instead of saying 'Developed,' try using synonyms like 'Originated' or 'Yielded.'

This way, you'll still be able to communicate that you were responsible for the development of something without being repetitive.

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

Resume Synonyms for Develop:

Established
Engineered
Devised
Formulated
Constructed
Generated
Streamlined
Pioneered
Revitalized
Conceptualized
Harnessed
Elevated
Spearheaded
Orchestrated
Accelerated
Augmented
Crafted
Commissioned
Composed
Concocted
Elaborated
Evolved
Embraced
Framed
Obtained
Reached
Manufactured
Originated
Strategized
Tailored
Yielded

How to replace Develop with a stronger action verb:

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

Before: Weak example using Develop

• Develop market forecast models to inform new strategy for US luxury brand

⤸

After: Using a stronger synonym• Overhauled U.K. strategy for a top U.S. luxury brand by building a market forecast model for 20+ cities based on multi-variable regression.

Replacing Develop with Established ▾

Before: Develop

• Develop CRM strategies to improve customer retention rates

⤸

After: Established• Established data-driven CRM strategies that improved customer retention rates by 30% in 6 months

To make this bullet point clearer, I replaced 'develop' with 'established' to highlight the act of starting or introducing a new strategy. Adding metrics like '30% in 6 months' quantifies the impact of the contribution.

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 Develop with Engineered ▾

Before: Develop

• Develop software to improve company productivity

⤸

After: Engineered• Engineered an automated software solution, reducing task processing times by 40% and saving 20 hours of manual work weekly

I replaced the generic 'develop software' with 'engineered' to better capture the creativity and problem-solving associated with software creation. Including specific metrics helps to provide tangible evidence of this candidate's impact.

Replacing Develop with Devised ▾

Before: Develop

• Develop sales plans to increase revenue

⤸

After: Devised• Devised a comprehensive sales plan that led to a revenue increase of $120K in the first quarter

By choosing 'devised' instead of 'develop', we highlight the candidate's strategic thinking abilities. The addition of the specific dollar amount shows the measurable impact the candidate made on the company's revenue.

Replacing Develop with Formulated ▾

Before: Develop

• Develop marketing campaigns to boost product sales

⤸

After: Formulated• Formulated a multi-channel marketing campaign, driving a 25% boost in product sales within the first month

I replaced 'develop' with 'formulated' to emphasize the candidate's careful thought and planning processes. Including a quantifiable metric provides a more concrete evaluation of their effectiveness.

Replacing Develop with Constructed ▾

Before: Develop

• Develop a new training program to enhance team skill sets

⤸

After: Constructed• Constructed a new training program, leading to a 35% increase in team productivity and efficiency over 3 months

The word 'constructed' gives a stronger sense of the candidate's effort and creativity in creating the training program. Adding specific percentage increases shows the tangible benefits to team productivity.

Replacing Develop with Generated ▾

Before: Develop

• Develop strategies to grow online community engagement

⤸

After: Generated• Generated innovative strategies that led to a 50% surge in engagement within our online community over 2 months

'Generated' implies creation and innovation, replacing an overused verb. The specifics of the 50% surge over two months demonstrate the successful implementation of these strategies.

Replacing Develop with Streamlined ▾

Before: Develop

• Develop processes to improve workflow efficiency

⤸

After: Streamlined• Streamlined crucial back-office processes that reduced time-to-market by 2 weeks and saved $15K per month

Replacing 'develop' with 'streamlined' highlights the improvement made, whereas 'develop' could mean creating from scratch. Performance is quantified clearly, making the bullet point’s claimed achievement more credible.

Replacing Develop with Pioneered ▾

Before: Develop

• Develop a new product line to expand the customer base

⤸

After: Pioneered• Pioneered a multi-product line which attracted 2000+ new customers within the first quarter

'Pioneered' sets the candidate apart as an innovator, while concrete numbers provide a measurable indicator of the new product line's success.

Replacing Develop with Revitalized ▾

Before: Develop

• Develop a plan to increase social media presence

⤸

After: Revitalized• Revitalized the social media strategy, yielding a 60% increase in brand awareness across major platforms

'Revitalized' implies a refresh or energizing effort that amplified impact, a change from 'develop'. Measurable results, like the specific increase in brand awareness, demonstrate this impact.

Replacing Develop with Conceptualized ▾

Before: Develop

• Develop a plan for a new mobile app

⤸

After: Conceptualized• Conceptualized and launched a mobile app that garnered 10,000 downloads in its first month.

'Conceptualized' showcases a higher level of creativity than 'develop'. And by showing the quantifiable result of the download count, we emphasize the candidate's positive contribution.

Replacing Develop with Harnessed ▾

Before: Develop

• Develop an approach to better analyze customer data

⤸

After: Harnessed• Harnessed a data-driven approach that led to a 400% improvement in customer data analysis accuracy

Swapping 'develop' with 'harnessed' shows intentionality and focus. The huge improvement in data accuracy presents a strong reason to hire this candidate.

Replacing Develop with Elevated ▾

Before: Develop

• Develop a plan to enhance the sales growth

⤸

After: Elevated• Elevated sales growth plan which resulted in a 30% increase in quarterly sales, hitting record-breaking figures

'Elevated' implies a significant increase above the ordinary level, stronger than 'develop'. Adding a quantifiable impact provides concrete evidence of the candidate's performance.

Replacing Develop with Spearheaded ▾

Before: Develop

• Develop initiatives to improve employee morale

⤸

After: Spearheaded• Spearheaded team-building initiatives, resulting in a 50% decrease in staff turnover within 12 months

'Spearheaded' portrays the candidate as a leader and change-agent. Also, using a measurable number like the decrease in staff turnover tells a clear, impact-driven story.

Replacing Develop with Orchestrated ▾

Before: Develop

• Develop a new supply chain management system

⤸

After: Orchestrated• Orchestrated a new supply chain system, reducing costs by $100K annually while increasing delivery speed by 20%

'Orchestrated' conveys a sense of direction and control more so than the generic 'develop'. The addition of specific cost and efficiency numbers further improves the bullet point.

Replacing Develop with Accelerated ▾

Before: Develop

• Develop a plan to improve project timelines

⤸

After: Accelerated• Accelerated project timelines by implementing a new management tool, cutting down project delivery times by 25%

'Accelerated' replaced 'develop' to more accurately reflect the action taken. The specific decrease in project timelines adds evidence of the candidate's productivity and efficiency.

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 Develop.

More resume bullet point samples that use strong synonyms

How to use Led on a resume:

• Led training and peer-mentoring programs for the incoming class of 25 analysts in 2012; developed and maintained training program to reduce onboarding time for new hires by 50%.

How to use Developed on a resume:

• Developed and implemented heavily parallelized algorithms to resize and watermark 5MM+ images of different sizes using Amazon EC2.

How to use Conducted on a resume:

• Conducted competitor benchmarking analysis, competitor/distributor interviews and data analysis to determine that the existing sustained decline in a luxury skincare product business was reversible, building the case for a successful $150MM acquisition.

How to use Promoted on a resume:

• Promoted within 12 months due to strong performance and organizational impact - ahead of schedule by 12 months.

How to use Created on a resume:

• Created a performance reporting template, achieving an 80% reduction in the preparation time of standard client materials.

How to use Generated on a resume:

• Generated 12,000 unique users, 30,000 page views, and 2000+ newsletter signups in 3 weeks by successfully leveraging social media advertising (Facebook and Instagram).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for Develop on a resume?

Generic language like Develop are considered to be buzzwords because they're used so often. Consider using synonyms like Composed, Crafted, Obtained, Tailored, Concocted or Manufactured.

What is a better word for Develop on a resume?

Synonyms you can use instead of the overused phrase Develop include:

Composed
Crafted
Reached
Tailored
Framed
Augmented

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

If you have a version of your resume ready, remember to get it checked using our free resume scanner below. It will make sure all your action verbs are strong enough, and give you feedback on any mistakes you might have overlooked, so you can fix them before a recruiter sees them.

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