If you're looking for a job, it's essential to ensure your resume includes specific verbs that show your skills and abilities. 'Increased' is one of those verbs because it shows growth or movement. Use this verb in your resume to show that you can increase a team's productivity or if you want to show that you've increased sales numbers or profits.

However, be mindful of how you incorporate the word 'increased' into your resume. While it is a great descriptor to include, overusing this action verb can cause employers to question whether or not you're adding enough value in other areas.

You can fix this by replacing 'increased' with synonyms like 'boosted,' 'heightened,' or 'raised.' These words all mean the same thing as increased, but they will give your resume a more varied tone and make it feel less repetitive.

Synonyms help diversify your resume—you're demonstrating that you have a broader range of skills than just one word could convey. Using synonyms for 'increased' in your resume will also give the recruiter a sense of what kind of improvement was made.

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

Resume Synonyms for Increased:

Amplified
Elevated
Magnified
Distended
Escalated
Surged
Supplemented
Excavated
Maximized
Sustained
Boosted
Outpaced
Skyrocketed
Transformed
Gained
Grew
Doubled
Tripled
Multiplied
Compounded
Enlarged
Heightened
Hiked
Raised
Elaborated
Intensified
Lengthened
Stretched
Widened
Broadened
Augmented

How to replace Increased with a stronger action verb:

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

Before: Weak example using Increased

• Increased revenue by launching new email marketing campaign

⤸

After: Using a stronger synonym• Initiated the company’s first email marketing campaign that generated $5M in revenue from 1K qualified leads. .

Replacing Increased with Amplified ▾

Before: Increased

• Increased customer engagement using social media strategies

⤸

After: Amplified• Amplified customer engagement by 40% by building a fresh and dynamic social media strategy.

As a hiring manager, I prefer to see solid metrics that emphasize the impact of your actions. Therefore, I specifically highlighted the 40% growth rate, as well as replaced the term 'Increased' with a more dynamic action verb, 'Amplified'.

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 Increased with Elevated ▾

Before: Increased

• Increased team productivity by introducing new software

⤸

After: Elevated• Elevated team productivity by 30% through the successful introduction of an innovative software solution.

To improve this bullet point, I made sure we mentioned the outcome of the initiative. I chose 'Elevated' which evokes a sense of lifting performance, and added quantifiable metrics for a stronger impact.

Replacing Increased with Magnified ▾

Before: Increased

• Increased the effectiveness of the marketing campaign

⤸

After: Magnified• Magnified the marketing campaign's effectiveness by redesigning brand aesthetics, leading to a 50% increase in leads.

As a recruiter, I find it vital to include specific actions taken. Therefore, instead of just mentioning 'Increased', I chose the term 'Magnified' and included details of how the campaign effectiveness was improved.

Replacing Increased with Distended ▾

Before: Increased

• Increased page views with SEO strategies

⤸

After: Distended• Distended monthly page views to over 10,000 through implementing effective SEO strategies.

What I like about this change is that 'Increased' was replaced by a more uncommon yet powerful synonym: 'Distended'. This helps you stand out, especially when quantifying the increase in page views.

Replacing Increased with Escalated ▾

Before: Increased

• Increased client base through an optimised customer service approach

⤸

After: Escalated• Escalated the client base by 45% by implementing an optimized customer service approach featuring live chat and instant responses.

As a recruiter, adding specific details about the steps you took to achieve an outcome - such as introducing live chat and instant responses - makes your accomplishments more substantial and persuasive. 'Escalated' also amplifies the action than simply stating 'Increased'.

Replacing Increased with Surged ▾

Before: Increased

• Increased employee satisfaction by organising team-building events

⤸

After: Surged• Surged employee satisfaction rates to an all-time high of 90% by organizing regular innovative team-building events and incentive programs.

In this revision, not only does the term 'Surged' present a more dramatic intervention, but I've also included the results to provide a clearer picture of the scope and success of the initiative.

Replacing Increased with Supplemented ▾

Before: Increased

• Increased social media followers through regular postings

⤸

After: Supplemented• Supplemented social media followers to reach 7K due to regular, engaging posts and effective online collaborations.

To improve this bullet point, I swapped out 'Increased' for 'Supplemented', coupled with specifics about your strategy and the direct outcome. This illustrates a direct cause-effect relationship.

Replacing Increased with Excavated ▾

Before: Increased

• Increased sales by developing new market territories

⤸

After: Excavated• Excavated new market territories that lead to a 30% sales increase over a span of 6 months.

Excavated' gives an image of unearthing opportunities, and thus works as a replacement for 'Increased'. Adding a timeline signifies your ability to deliver results within a set timeframe.

Replacing Increased with Maximized ▾

Before: Increased

• Increased productivity by streamlining processes

⤸

After: Maximized• Maximized team productivity by 25% by streamlining three key processes, eliminating redundant steps.

'Maximized' presents a sense of reaching the full potential, making it a more powerful word choice than 'Increased'. Detailing how the processes were streamlined sells your unique approach.

Replacing Increased with Sustained ▾

Before: Increased

• Increased customer retention

⤸

After: Sustained• Sustained a customer retention rate of 90% by initiating personalized marketing campaigns and fostering strong customer relationships.

As a recruiter, replacing 'Increased' with 'Sustained' emphasises your ability to maintain a high level of performance over time. Adding specifics about your approach and the result gives a much more impressive overview of your abilities.

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 Increased.

More resume bullet point samples that use strong synonyms

How to use Assessed on a resume:

• Assessed capacity risks and developed an operating cost model of a $100MM supplier for a private equity client, highlighting $4-6MM potential savings opportunities.

How to use Evaluated on a resume:

• Evaluated acquisition opportunities for a German reinsurer. Performed accretion and dilution analyses, conducted market research to gauge the viability and long term prospects of target's businesses.

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 Developed on a resume:

• Developed turnaround strategy for leading telecoms provider with annual losses of $50MM; resulted in 10% increase in revenue, or $5MM profit in first year.

How to use Coordinated on a resume:

• Coordinated execution of LBO in foodservice sector in South Africa, the PE fund's largest investment; led a team of four analysts; negotiated bank financing and developed hedging strategy.

How to use Analyzed on a resume:

• Analyzed impact and effectiveness of in-app UI changes on customer retention; identified features of customer behavior and recommended additional menu modifications [R, MySQL, Chart JS].

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for Increased on a resume?

Below are some alternative words and synonyms to add to your resume instead of Increased:

Grew
Lengthened
Skyrocketed
Enlarged
Gained
Heightened

What can I say instead of Increased on a resume?

If you're looking for another word to use in place of Increased, consider using one of these stronger alternatives:

Heightened
Skyrocketed
Compounded
Tripled
Intensified
Elaborated

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

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