It's common to use the verb 'used' in resumes to indicate that you have experience with a particular skill set. This can be especially helpful to recruiters because it demonstrates the mastery of a skill or ability which determines whether or not they should consider hiring you.

However, when describing skills or experience, you want to use power verbs that clearly depict what you did and what kind of impact it had on your team and company. Weak action verbs fail to give an accurate picture of your experience, making recruiters assume what type of work you've done based on their biases. This can lead to them overlooking qualified candidates or rejecting them without giving them a chance to prove themselves.

To fix this problem and make your resume more effective, you should use power verbs like 'incorporated,' 'deployed,' or 'upgraded' instead of 'used.' These words paint a better picture of how you contributed to the project and give the recruiter more insight into what exactly you were doing.

Power verbs give the recruiter more information about what you did with that skill set. They are specific and show more details about your experience than weak verbs do.

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

Resume Synonyms for Used:

Developed
Reworked
Formulated
Instituted
Initiated
Revitalized
Innovated
Optimized
Transformed
Redesigned
Modernized
Implemented
Revamped
Orchestrated
Drove
Reengineered
Overhauled
Pioneered
Standardized
Maximized
Simplified
Streamlined
Upgraded
Strengthened

How to replace Used with a stronger action verb:

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

Before: Weak example using Used

• Used A/B testing to increase conversions and sales for the company

⤸

After: Using a stronger synonym• Led the first major effort to A/B test the company's sales page and optimize it for customer acquisition; resulted in a 7.5% increase in conversions.

Replacing Used with Developed ▾

Before: Used

• Used a new email system to improve internal communication

⤸

After: Developed• Developed a new email protocol that improved team communication by 15% and decreased response times by 20%

The original bullet point was not specific and lacked measurements. The new one utilizes 'developed' to emphasize the candidate's active role and includes two concrete metrics to show the results.

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 Used with Reworked ▾

Before: Used

• Used old reports for the preparation of new sales presentation

⤸

After: Reworked• Reworked five years of historical data and insights to present a compelling sales pitch, driving up client base by 12%

'Reworked' was chosen to be more specific about the action. Two concrete, measurable impacts were added to make the accomplishment clear and specific.

Replacing Used with Formulated ▾

Before: Used

• Used a new strategy for client retention

⤸

After: Formulated• Formulated a new customer retention strategy, resulting in a 20% reduction in customer churn within six months

With 'Formulated', I accurately portrayed what was done and included a time-frame and a precise, measurable reduction in churn rate to demonstrate significant results.

Replacing Used with Instituted ▾

Before: Used

• Used CRM software to manage customer data

⤸

After: Instituted• Instituted Salesforce as a tool to manage customer data; this improved the efficiency of data analysis by 30%

The verb 'instituted' captures a leadership role in decision making. An exact metric was added to describe the tangible benefits.

Replacing Used with Initiated ▾

Before: Used

• Used new project management tools

⤸

After: Initiated• Initiated the use of Jira, resulting in a 15% increase in project completion speed and a 25% decrease in blocking issues

'Initiated' suggests a proactive nature, and exact metrics were added to provide details about the change's impact.

Replacing Used with Revitalized ▾

Before: Used

• Used online marketing strategies

⤸

After: Revitalized• Revitalized the company's digital marketing efforts, leading to a 30% increase in web traffic and a 20% increase in conversions

'Revitalized' shows a strong action and outcome. By adding specific metrics, I showed the extent of the improvement.

Replacing Used with Innovated ▾

Before: Used

• Used various ways of training the team

⤸

After: Innovated• Innovated the onboarding process by incorporating interactive activities, decreasing the training time by 40%

Changing 'used' to 'innovated' highlights creativity and leadership. The changes made the bullet descriptive and result-oriented.

Replacing Used with Optimized ▾

Before: Used

• Used data analysis to understand customer behavior

⤸

After: Optimized• Optimized our marketing strategy through data analysis which increased customer engagement by 25%

'Optimized' demonstrates an improvement - upgrading 'used' makes it more effective. The result shows the cause-effect relationship.

Replacing Used with Transformed ▾

Before: Used

• Used design software to create a new user interface

⤸

After: Transformed• Transformed the user interface by using Adobe XD, enhancing user satisfaction levels by 30%

'Transformed' implies a drastic improvement. The percentage provides a clear metric of the user satisfaction improvement.

Replacing Used with Redesigned ▾

Before: Used

• Used feedback to improve the product

⤸

After: Redesigned• Redesigned the product based on customer feedback, resulting in a ratings boost on our app store page from 3.5 to 4.7 out of 5

'Redesigned' provides an action that is more specific than 'used'. Also, the effect of the redesigning was quantified.

Replacing Used with Modernized ▾

Before: Used

• Used new technologies to improve processes

⤸

After: Modernized• Modernized the manufacturing process by leveraging IoT technology, increasing production speed by 20%

'Modernized' gives a sense of progression and improvement and the metrics show the effectiveness of the implementation.

Replacing Used with Implemented ▾

Before: Used

• Used different teaching tools to increase student engagement

⤸

After: Implemented• Implemented multimedia tools in the classroom, raising student engagement by 35% and standardized test scores by 10%

'Implemented' shows a more specific action was taken. Concrete and quantifiable results speak to the effectiveness of the action.

Replacing Used with Revamped ▾

Before: Used

• Used old ideas to create new content

⤸

After: Revamped• Revamped our blog by infusing old posts with fresh insights, driving a spike in subscribers by 25%

'Revamped' not only shows a definitive action but also makes it clear the role the candidate played. The metrics demonstrate the significance of his actions.

Replacing Used with Orchestrated ▾

Before: Used

• Used different methods for project management

⤸

After: Orchestrated• Orchestrated a shift to Agile project management techniques resulting in the on-time delivery of projects by 90%

'Orchestrated' frames this change as a deliberate, planned act, and the metrics clearly highlight the improvement.

Replacing Used with Drove ▾

Before: Used

• Used skills to increase sales

⤸

After: Drove• Drove a sales increase by 40% within a year through skilled execution of lead generation strategies

'Drove' conveys a sense of intent and responsibility, making it stronger than 'used'. The metrics add measurability.

Replacing Used with Reengineered ▾

Before: Used

• Used software for data analysis

⤸

After: Reengineered• Reengineered the use of data analytics software, reducing processing time by 20% and improving data accuracy by 15%

'Reengineered' implies an innovative and fundamental transformation. The specific measurable metrics demonstrate the tangible impact.

Replacing Used with Overhauled ▾

Before: Used

• Used templates to simplify document creation

⤸

After: Overhauled• Overhauled the document creation process with the use of templates, speeding up the process by 25% and reducing errors by 30%

'Overhauled' suggests a major improvement, not just use. The metrics make the impact more visual and real.

Replacing Used with Pioneered ▾

Before: Used

• Used social media channels for promoting business

⤸

After: Pioneered• Pioneered the integration of social media marketing that increased followers by 10K and boosted online sales by 15%

'Pioneered' suggests a forward-thinking attitude. A precise follower count and a robust sales increase quantifies the benefit.

Replacing Used with Standardized ▾

Before: Used

• Used checklists to ensure proper procedure

⤸

After: Standardized• Standardized operational procedures with checklists, leading to a 20% decrease in errors and process time reduction by 15%

I chose 'Standardized' to emphasize the candidate's ability to implement structure. Metrics were added to quantify the benefits.

Replacing Used with Maximized ▾

Before: Used

• Used the company's resources to benefit projects

⤸

After: Maximized• Maximized use of company resources to boost project efficiency, triggering a 30% increase in project completion rate

'Maximized' signifies the optimal use of resources. The new completion rate offers a tangible gauge of success.

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 Used.

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 Enabled on a resume:

• Enabled integration with existing systems by creating tool that extracts metadata from images and provides metadata to a system-wide search database..

How to use Coordinated on a resume:

• Coordinated a team of four developers and two designers to implement and launch online marketplace that connects students with tutors, within 6 months.

How to use Promoted on a resume:

• Promoted to Associate Consultant in 2 years (1 year in advance); the only member in a cohort of 45 Analysts to be fast-tracked.

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.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for Used on a resume?

You can say Upgraded, Simplified or Strengthened instead of Used.

What is another way of saying Used on a resume?

Words like Used are overused on resumes. Instead, you should use other phrases like Upgraded, Simplified, Streamlined or Strengthened.

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

To figure out if you're using the right verbs on your resume, you should upload it to the tool below. It'll analyze at each of your resume's bullet points and verbs, as well as 20+ key criteria hiring managers look for, and tell you if you have any big mistakes that need fixing.

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