Recruiters think of 'handling,' the present participle of the word handle, as a verb that shows you can take on a problem and solve it—whether that means handling the situation or people. It's a word that demonstrates your ability to think on your feet, work through a problem, and come up with solutions.

It also shows that you have strong communication skills, which go hand-in-hand with the ability to manage situations and people. But, using 'handling' in your resume is a problem—it's vague and unspecific. This leaves the recruiter unable to see how you add value to a role.

For example, if you say that you're 'handling' something in your job, it might be unclear whether you were in charge of the project or just responsible for a small part of it. Additionally, the verb's past tense is more appropriate in writing your experience unless it's an ongoing role. If you say that you 'maneuvered' or 'resolved,' however, it's clear that you were responsible for the whole thing.

Power verbs are action-oriented words that describe what someone does, in contrast to describing their role or responsibilities. They're also more precise than generic verbs like 'handling,' which leaves room for interpretation.

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

Resume Synonyms for Handling:

Administered
Orchestrated
Instituted
Managed
Spearheaded
Negotiated
Analyzed
Liaised
Generated
Mapped
Overhauled
Coordinated
Cultivated
Implemented
Resolved
Maneuvered
Compiled
Controlled
Processed
Equipped
Targeted
Pursued
Acted
Diverted
Commenced
Resolved
Regulated
Stewarded
Guided
Headed
Monitored
Shepherded
Coached
Counseled
Taught

How to replace Handling with a stronger action verb:

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

Before: Weak example using Handling

• Handling all training processes and onboarding material

⤸

After: Using a stronger synonym• Developed training process manuals, guidelines, or course materials, such as handouts and visuals; increased participant engagement by 30%. .

Replacing Handling with Administered ▾

Before: Handling

• Handling general office duties and administrative tasks

⤸

After: Administered• Administered general office duties that streamlined weekly procedures, reducing paper use by 40% and saving 10 hours a week.

Moving away from the vague 'handling', I chose 'administered' to underscore your active role in managing tasks. By adding numerical impact, I made your efficiency abundantly 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 Handling with Orchestrated ▾

Before: Handling

• Handling customer complaints.

⤸

After: Orchestrated• Orchestrated resolution of customer complaints, improving customer satisfaction rate by 35% within 3 months.

Instead of 'handling', I used 'orchestrated' which showcases your authority and deftness in solving problems. To highlight the impact of your role, I incorporated a clear metric.

Replacing Handling with Instituted ▾

Before: Handling

• Handling improvization and streamlining of process.

⤸

After: Instituted• Instituted improved systems that streamlined business processes, reducing wastage by 30% over six months.

I replaced 'handling' with 'instituted' to convey your role in initiating improvements. Adding a tangible metric shows the scale of your accomplishment.

Replacing Handling with Managed ▾

Before: Handling

• Handling team project deliverables.

⤸

After: Managed• Managed team to meet project deliverables, resulting in a 15% increase in project completion rate.

The use of 'managed' instead of 'handling' places you as an effective team leader. I also included specific metrics to demonstrate the value you bring to the team.

Replacing Handling with Spearheaded ▾

Before: Handling

• Handling new product launches.

⤸

After: Spearheaded• Spearheaded successful launches of 5 new products, resulting in $1M addition to annual revenue.

The active verb 'spearheaded' emphasizes your leadership skills much better than 'handling'. I also quantified the business impact you made, making your role significant.

Replacing Handling with Negotiated ▾

Before: Handling

• Handling vendor contracts.

⤸

After: Negotiated• Negotiated vendor contracts that resulted in 20% cost savings annually.

'Negotiated' portrays you as an influential decision maker. Adding a cost savings metric explicitly communicates the positive effects of your negotiating skills.

Replacing Handling with Analyzed ▾

Before: Handling

• Handling data from customer surveys.

⤸

After: Analyzed• Analyzed data from customer surveys, influencing a 25% increase in customer retention rate.

By replacing 'handling' with 'analyzed', I highlighted your analytical skills and specifically showed how your work improved customer retention.

Replacing Handling with Liaised ▾

Before: Handling

• Handling communications with external stakeholders.

⤸

After: Liaised• Liaised with external stakeholders, which led to 15 new partnerships in the fiscal year.

Using 'liaised' instead of 'handling' emphasizes your communication and relationship-building skills. Including the metric of new partnerships adds concrete proof of your success.

Replacing Handling with Generated ▾

Before: Handling

• Handling lead generation activities.

⤸

After: Generated• Generated high quality leads resulting in a 30% increase in sales conversions within the first quarter.

The term 'generated' in place of 'handling' more directly associates you with productive outcomes. I inserted a precise metric to underscore the results of your activities.

Replacing Handling with Mapped ▾

Before: Handling

• Handling creation of process flows.

⤸

After: Mapped• Mapped new process flows, leading to an efficiency increase of 40% within the team operations.

'Mapped' enhances your reputation as someone who strategizes, unlike 'handling'. I included a direct outcome of your contributions with quantitative achievement.

Replacing Handling with Overhauled ▾

Before: Handling

• Handling website redesign.

⤸

After: Overhauled• Overhauled the company website leading to a 50% increase in site traffic within two months.

Here, 'overhauled' mentions more direct responsibility than 'handling', with a clear demonstration of your impact on web traffic improvement.

Replacing Handling with Coordinated ▾

Before: Handling

• Handling event logistics.

⤸

After: Coordinated• Coordinated event logistics, executing 10 successful marketing events with over 500 attendees each.

The term 'coordinated' connotes proactive organization skills over 'handling'. I inserted specific achievement to demonstrate your capability in managing high-stakes projects successfully.

Replacing Handling with Cultivated ▾

Before: Handling

• Handling the formation of client relationships.

⤸

After: Cultivated• Cultivated client relationships resulting in a 30% surge in the client renewal rate.

'Cultivation' suggests an ongoing, careful fostering of relationships, unlike basic 'handling'. I included a key metric to convey the direct profit impact due to your efforts.

Replacing Handling with Implemented ▾

Before: Handling

• Handling new software integration.

⤸

After: Implemented• Implemented new software and trained staff on its use, reducing processing time by 25%.

The verb 'implemented' indicates active leadership, more so than the original 'handled'. A clear metric shows the specific impact of your work on productivity.

Replacing Handling with Resolved ▾

Before: Handling

• Handling technical issues.

⤸

After: Resolved• Resolved technical issues, reducing system downtime by 45%, thereby increasing productivity.

The term 'resolved' highlights your problem-solving skills more than 'handling'. Adding a metric communicates the direct benefit to the company due to those skills.

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 Handling.

More resume bullet point samples that use strong synonyms

How to use Managed on a resume:

• Managed a cross-functional team of 10 in 3 locations (London, Mumbai and New York), ranging from entry-level to Ph.D. analysts, and closely collaborated with business development, data analysis, operations and marketing teams.

How to use Coached on a resume:

• Coached 30 summer interns and launched a mentorship program for new joiners in the Berlin office.

How to use Pitched on a resume:

• Pitched 25+ stocks to the investment team and portfolio managers, resulting in the addition of 6 stocks to the firm's portfolio with investment returns of more than 15% in 12 months.

How to use Developed on a resume:

• Developed a prototype to identify key influencers on Twitter using clustering techniques over 100,000 data points in Python.

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).

How to use Designed, on a resume:

• Designed, executed, and optimized digital marketing campaign on Google's AdWords for $20B CPG company, yielding 20% ROI improvements.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for Handling on a resume?

Generic language like Handling are considered to be buzzwords because they're used so often. Consider using synonyms like Acted, Shepherded, Commenced, Controlled, Equipped or Pursued.

What can I use instead of Handling on a resume?

Words like Handling are overused on resumes. Instead, you should use other phrases like Maneuvered, Processed, Shepherded, Monitored, Commenced or Headed.

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

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