To exhibit that you have a high level of competency as an employee, the verb 'maintained' is a great way to show your skills. It indicates that you can sustain something for a long period of time, which means that employers will likely be able to rely on your performance and consistency over time.

The word 'maintained' shows that you can keep things running smoothly, demonstrating your commitment to whatever you do. Yet, using this verb too often in your resume can make you sound like you are lacking in creativity. A great way to fix this problem is by using synonyms.

In particular, instead of 'maintained,' try using other words like 'conserved' or 'regulated,' which has a similar meaning. This will allow you to tell the hiring manager how you achieved results in your previous roles without appearing dull.

Embracing synonyms are helpful in making your resume sound more natural and conversational, which makes the recruiter feel engaged with what you're saying.

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

Resume Synonyms for Maintained:

Managed
Restored
Revamped
Streamlined
Coordinated
Enhanced
Upgraded
Fortified
Conserved
Preserved
Serviced
Rebuilt
Reconstructed
Rehabilitated
Advocated
Operated
Sustained
Regulated
Refined
Standardized
Remodelled
Administered
Saved
Reviewed
Allocated
Balanced
Automated
Strengthened

How to replace Maintained with a stronger action verb:

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

Before: Weak example using Maintained

• Maintained the development, production and launch of a range of projects

⤸

After: Using a stronger synonym• Supervised the production of 22 projects for print, digital, video, and experiential campaigns, from concept through completion, including budgeting, scheduling, management, and selecting 25 vendors. .

Replacing Maintained with Managed ▾

Before: Maintained

• Maintained a team of sales professionals

⤸

After: Managed• Managed a team of 15 sales professionals, increasing sales revenue by 25% over a year and exceeded quarterly targets by up to 15%.

The initial verb 'Maintained' is vague and does not highlight the candidate's achievements. By substituting it with 'Managed' and incorporating specific metrics, the rewritten sentence provides insight into the candidate’s managerial capabilities and their impact on revenue growth.

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 Maintained with Restored ▾

Before: Maintained

• Maintained old databases

⤸

After: Restored• Restored and optimized three archival databases, improving retrieval times by 35% and increasing user satisfaction by 20%.

Using 'Restored' illustrates the work done more precisely than 'Maintain'. It helps to underline the candidate's tech abilities. Including concrete metrics not only quantifies the candidate's accomplishments but also showcases their contribution to efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Replacing Maintained with Revamped ▾

Before: Maintained

• Maintained customer service policies

⤸

After: Revamped• Revamped and enforced nine customer service policies, reducing customer complaints by 40% and improving overall customer satisfaction rating by 15% in the first quarter.

The word 'Revamped' suggests active responsibility for improvement, whereas 'Maintained' indicates merely overseeing. Specific numbers and results provide proof of the candidate’s initiative and the positive outcomes of their efforts.

Replacing Maintained with Streamlined ▾

Before: Maintained

• Maintained inventory control

⤸

After: Streamlined• Streamlined processes in inventory control, cutting waste by 10% and speeding up delivery times by 5 days.

By replacing 'Maintained' with 'Streamlined', it depicts not just a role of supervising, but a role of actively improving processes. The added metrics convey positive and impactful results.

Replacing Maintained with Coordinated ▾

Before: Maintained

• Maintained the company's annual event

⤸

After: Coordinated• Coordinated the company's annual gala, attracting 500+ attendees and raising over $1M in donations.

Shifting from 'Maintained' to 'Coordinated' emphasizes the role the individual played in actioning results, not just overseeing. The clear results in attendee count and funds raised highlight the success of their coordination.

Replacing Maintained with Enhanced ▾

Before: Maintained

• Maintained software products

⤸

After: Enhanced• Enhanced two main software products, resulting in a 30% reduction in time for task completion and a 25% improvement in user experience scores.

'Enhanced' indicates specific improvement efforts over 'Maintained'. Including concrete metrics of how these enhancements impacted efficiency and user ratings better demonstrates the candidate’s direct contribution to improving the products.

Replacing Maintained with Upgraded ▾

Before: Maintained

• Maintained company's website

⤸

After: Upgraded• Upgraded the company's website, leading to an increase in traffic by 45% and subsequently 20% growth in business leads.

'Upgraded' provides a clearer vision of proactive change compared to 'Maintained'. Offering data on an increase in traffic and leads provides measurable evidence of the candidate's positive contribution.

Replacing Maintained with Fortified ▾

Before: Maintained

• Maintained network security

⤸

After: Fortified• Fortified the network security infrastructure, which led to a 60% decrease in breach attempts and a 100% success rate in prevention.

Using 'Fortified' from simply 'Maintained', signifies proactive action in strengthening the network, rather than just keeping it. Including the measurable change in breaches and prevention rates vividly communicates the candidate's achievement.

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 Maintained.

More resume bullet point samples that use strong synonyms

How to use Managed on a resume:

• Managed a 10-member cross-functional (engineering, product, sales, support) team and coordinated with five business partners towards the successful launch of an e-commerce website.

How to use Analyzed on a resume:

• Analyzed $800K of monthly marketing spend data to optimize audience, creative and copy of campaigns; increased conversion by 12% MoM and decreased cost per acquisition by 35%.

How to use Built on a resume:

• Built complete investment pitch books for 4 deals at advanced stages and liaised with 12 prospective international co-investors.

How to use Developed on a resume:

• Developed pricing strategy for a digital subscription service by segmenting potential users by behavioral and psychographic attributes from survey data.

How to use Generated on a resume:

• Generated insights on customer churn and renewal rates from data tables with 100M rows in SQL.

How to use Raised on a resume:

• Raised awareness by regularly organizing and hosting collection and charity drives throughout local schools; increased donations by 50% since 2016.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for Maintained on a resume?

Here are some synonyms for commonly repeated words, like Maintained, I see on resumes:

Advocated
Conserved
Balanced
Preserved
Reconstructed
Strengthened

What is a better word for Maintained on a resume?

You can say Serviced, Automated or Conserved instead of Maintained.

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

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