Using the verb 'motivated' in your resume indicates that you are a high achiever. You are passionate about you're job and have a drive for improvement and making things happen. People want to work with someone motivated because they're eager to go above and beyond what's expected of them.

Motivated is the perfect word to show that you're excited about learning new things and taking on challenges. However, if possible, avoid repeating the same term throughout your resume and use a variety of action verbs for your bullet points. Using a word too often can make your resume hard to read, and recruiters will think you don't have many other skills.

Instead, use your resume to exhibit your accomplishments and emphasize what makes you the best candidate for the job! To do this, you can use other words for 'motivated,' like 'drove,' 'empowered,' or 'propelled.'

By using a diversity of power verbs to highlight your skills and accomplishments, you'll avoid the appearance of being repetitive while still showcasing all that you can do.

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

Resume Synonyms for Motivated:

Initiated
Orchestrated
Pioneered
Spearheaded
Established
Transformed
Chaired
Revamped
Engineered
Energized
Constructed
Catalyzed
Trailblazed
Directed
Executed
Appraised
Assigned
Supervised
Delegated
Groomed
Mentored
Empowered
Unified
Propelled
Impelled
Drove
Led
Stimulated
Boosted
Galvanized

How to replace Motivated with a stronger action verb:

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

Before: Weak example using Motivated

• Motivated and hardworking individual, with strong experience conducting interviews, collecting feedback and formulating requirements

⤸

After: Using a stronger synonym• Led interview campaign with existing customers (300+ person survey, 40+ face-to-face discussions) to formulate requirements of a new product to help couples manage their expenses; outputs directly impacted product roadmap.

Replacing Motivated with Initiated ▾

Before: Motivated

• Motivated sales team to achieve company objectives

⤸

After: Initiated• Initiated and led a weekly goal-setting workshop with the sales team that increased their quarterly targets achievement by 18%

This change is important because it shows a specific action the job seeker took, 'weekly goal-setting workshop', instead of a vague 'motivated'. By noting 'increased their quarterly targets achievement by 18%', it directly demonstrates the impact of the candidate's action.

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 Motivated with Orchestrated ▾

Before: Motivated

• Motivated team to finish project ahead of deadline

⤸

After: Orchestrated• Orchestrated a new agile project management strategy that helped the team deliver the project 3 weeks ahead of the deadline

I included 'orchestrated' to replace the imprecise 'motivated', as it indicated specific leadership actions. Noting 'delivered the project 3 weeks ahead of the deadline' shows tangible results of the candidate's efforts.

Replacing Motivated with Pioneered ▾

Before: Motivated

• Motivated to seek new opportunities in various markets

⤸

After: Pioneered• Pioneered the expansion into two new markets, resulting in $5M in revenue within the first year

I substituted 'motivated' with 'pioneered' which illustrates proactive action. Including 'resulting in $5M in revenue within the first year' provides a measurable outcome of this action, strengthening the entire bullet point.

Replacing Motivated with Spearheaded ▾

Before: Motivated

• Motivated to promote brand visibility

⤸

After: Spearheaded• Spearheaded a digital marketing campaign that increased brand visibility by 40% in six months

The replacement of 'motivated' with 'spearheaded' underscores the candidate's leadership role. Including the specific result 'increased brand visibility by 40% in six months' quantifies the impact the candidate had.

Replacing Motivated with Established ▾

Before: Motivated

• Motivated to ensure customer satisfaction

⤸

After: Established• Established a new customer feedback system that improved customer satisfaction rates by 25% over six months

Here, 'motivated' is replaced by 'established' to highlight an actionable initiative taken by the candidate. Furthermore, quantifying the improvement in 'customer satisfaction rates by 25% over six months' gives a tangible metric to the success story.

Replacing Motivated with Transformed ▾

Before: Motivated

• Motivated to streamline operational efficiency

⤸

After: Transformed• Transformed operational processes through Lean methods, which reduced waste by 30% and saved 15 hours weekly

Replacing 'motivated' with 'transformed' underscores significant change. By providing numbers 'reduced waste by 30% and saved 15 hours weekly', it gives a clear measure of that transformation's impact.

Replacing Motivated with Chaired ▾

Before: Motivated

• Motivated to improve team communication

⤸

After: Chaired• Chaired weekly team meetings that resulted in a 50% reduction in internal email communication and increased project speed by 30%

The word 'Chaired' is much stronger than 'Motivated', as it depicts that the candidate took the initiative. It also quantifies the successful improvement in team communication and the positive impact on project speed.

Replacing Motivated with Revamped ▾

Before: Motivated

• Motivated to modernize company website

⤸

After: Revamped• Revamped the company's outdated website, which increased traffic by 200% and user engagement by 65% over a 6-month period

Starting the sentence with 'Revamped' helps convey a transformative action. The specific metrics after the action show the real impact of the work done by the candidate.

Replacing Motivated with Engineered ▾

Before: Motivated

• Motivated to upgrade technology systems

⤸

After: Engineered• Engineered a comprehensive technology systems upgrade that reduced downtime by 60% and increased productivity by 30%

Switching 'motivated' for 'engineered' upscales the sense of active involvement and ownership. Providing specific metrics 'reduced downtime by 60% and increased productivity by 30%' clearly demonstrates the value brought by the candidate.

Replacing Motivated with Energized ▾

Before: Motivated

• Motivated to boost team morale

⤸

After: Energized• Energized the team by implementing weekly recognition awards, which led to a 20% increase in productivity within the first quarter

Replacing 'motivated' with 'energized' indicates active revitalization efforts. Including a specific result '20% increase in productivity within the first quarter' ties these efforts directly to a beneficial outcome.

Replacing Motivated with Constructed ▾

Before: Motivated

• Motivated to reduce production errors

⤸

After: Constructed• Constructed a new production quality-check system that slashed production errors by 75% in first six months

The term 'Constructed' was substituted for 'motivated' to illustrate active creation. Providing the significant quantifiable result 'slashed production errors by 75%' validates the candidate's contribution.

Replacing Motivated with Catalyzed ▾

Before: Motivated

• Motivated to increase sales record

⤸

After: Catalyzed• Catalyzed improved sales record by redefining sales strategy, achieving a 15% increase in quarterly sales

The word 'Catalyzed' replaces 'Motivated' to suggest an active role and growth. Adding 'achieving a 15% increase in quarterly sales' provides quantifiable proof of the candidate's effectiveness.

Replacing Motivated with Trailblazed ▾

Before: Motivated

• Motivated to implement innovative approaches

⤸

After: Trailblazed• Trailblazed with innovative marketing approaches, driving up conversion rates by 25% over a single quarter

Replacing 'Motivated' with 'Trailblazed' shows problem-solving and creativity. Metrics added 'conversion rates by 25% over a single quarter' shows the result of the candidate's efforts.

Replacing Motivated with Directed ▾

Before: Motivated

• Motivated to organize large-scale events

⤸

After: Directed• Directed the organization of a city-wide charity event, attracting 5000 participants and raising over $100,000

The verb 'Directed' changes the sentence to emphasize the candidate's managerial role instead of the ambiguous 'motivated'. Sharing the specific number of attendees '5000 participants' , and fund raised '$100,000' adds scale and impact to the statement.

Replacing Motivated with Executed ▾

Before: Motivated

• Motivated to strategize marketing campaigns

⤸

After: Executed• Executed an SEO marketing campaign that resulted in a 70% increase in organic website traffic within 4 months

Substituting 'motivated' with 'executed' underlines a more active and influential role of the candidate. The statement 'resulted in a 70% increase in organic website traffic within 4 months', provides a clear and measurable accomplishment.

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 Motivated.

More resume bullet point samples that use strong synonyms

How to use Created on a resume:

• Created content and copy for social media channels (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) and email newsletter; assessed customer response to create targeted messaging and inform future content; social media following grew 125%+ organically.

How to use Performed on a resume:

• Performed DCF analysis to evaluate offers for company's sell-side process; qualitative offer comparison and quantitative model outputs were shared directly with client's senior management team.

How to use Developed on a resume:

• Developed strategies to trade and manage risk on the trading book comprising 30+ indices; 2016 P&L: $8M.

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 Conducted on a resume:

• Conducted private equity due diligence in $400M portfolio. Performed strategic and analytical valuation of assets based on interviews with experts and created extensive models of the industries; persuaded client to move forward with acquisition.

How to use Analyzed on a resume:

• Analyzed company's 24-month sales results to develop five-year monthly projections by revenue and customer type.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for Motivated on a resume?

You should vary up your language on your resume, instead of using Motivated over and over again. Good synonyms to use instead include:

Stimulated
Groomed
Mentored
Delegated
Boosted
Led

What can I use instead of Motivated on a resume?

Instead of passive phrases like Motivated, use other words like Delegated, Boosted, Assigned, Unified, Galvanized or Empowered. Using these verbs will help your accomplishments and bullet points stand out on your resume.

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

Hiring managers are unnecessarily picky when it comes to resumes, and it's hard to know what they want to see. That's why you should upload your resume to the free resume checker below. It'll check your bullet points and identify any mistakes on your resume that recruiters specifically look out for.

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Q: What can I use instead of Motivated on a resume?

Instead of passive phrases like Motivated , use other words like Delegated, Boosted, Assigned, Unified, Galvanized or Empowered. Using these verbs will help your accomplishments and bullet points stand out on your resume.

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