Action Verbs by Function: Engineering, Sales, Ops

Introduction

I've reviewed over 50,000 resumes. Want to know the fastest way I spot a weak candidate?

They all use the same 5 verbs.

"Managed a team."
"Achieved targets."
"Responsible for..."
"Worked on..."
"Helped with..."

These verbs are Resume Killers. They say nothing about your function, your seniority, or your actual contribution.

Here's the problem: Generic verbs signal generic work.

If you're an engineer, you shouldn't "manage projects"—you should architect systems. If you're in sales, you shouldn't "achieve targets"—you should close deals. If you're in operations, you shouldn't "handle logistics"—you should orchestrate workflows.

The verb you choose is the first signal of your expertise. Get it wrong, and your resume reads like every other candidate. Get it right, and you immediately position yourself as a specialist.

This guide gives you the exact action verbs to use based on your function—Engineering, Sales, Operations, and more. For deeper examples organized by role, see our Professional Impact Dictionary.

Why Generic Verbs Kill Your Resume

Let's start with what NOT to do.

The Resume Killer Verbs

Why These Fail:

1. No functional specificity — "Managed" applies to every role. It tells me nothing about your domain.
2. No seniority signal — "Helped" = junior. "Architected" = senior. The verb defines your level.
3. No technical depth — Engineering resumes that say "worked on backend" vs "engineered microservices architecture" are worlds apart.

The Fix: Use function-specific verbs that immediately signal your expertise area.

The Function-Specific Verb Framework

Here's how to choose the right verb:

Step 1: Identify your core function (Engineering, Sales, Ops, etc.)
Step 2: Match your bullet to the type of work within that function
Step 3: Use the verb that signals technical depth + ownership

Let me break this down by function.

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Engineering Action Verbs

Engineers build, optimize, and scale systems. Your verbs should reflect technical execution and architectural thinking.

Core Engineering Verbs

When to Use Each Verb

Verb	Use Case	Example
Architected	System design, foundational infrastructure	Architected microservices backend serving 10M+ requests/day
Engineered	Feature development, technical implementation	Engineered real-time notification system with 99.9% delivery rate
Deployed	Shipping to production	Deployed CI/CD pipeline reducing deployment time from 4hrs to 15min
Optimized	Performance improvement	Optimized database queries, reducing page load time by 60%
Refactored	Code quality improvement	Refactored legacy codebase, improving test coverage from 40% to 85%
Migrated	Platform or tech stack transitions	Migrated monolith to microservices, reducing downtime by 80%
Automated	Process automation	Automated regression testing suite, saving 20hrs/week in manual QA
Scaled	Capacity or growth	Scaled infrastructure to support 5x user growth with zero downtime

Weak vs Strong (Engineering Examples)

Weak (Generic):

- Worked on backend services for e-commerce platform
- Managed database performance issues
- Responsible for deployment pipeline

Strong (Function-Specific):

- Engineered backend API serving 500K+ daily transactions with <200ms latency
- Optimized PostgreSQL queries, reducing DB load by 40% and eliminating timeout errors
- Deployed automated CI/CD pipeline, cutting release cycle from 2 weeks to 2 days

What Changed: Verb specificity + measurable outcomes.

Leadership beyond management: Leadership verbs prove different types of influence. For coordination and communication proof, check our guide on stakeholder management.

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Sales Action Verbs

Sales professionals acquire, negotiate, and retain revenue. Your verbs should reflect deal execution and pipeline management.

Core Sales Verbs

When to Use Each Verb

Verb	Use Case	Example
Closed	Deal finalization	Closed 30 enterprise deals worth $2.5M in ARR
Negotiated	Contract terms, pricing	Negotiated multi-year contracts averaging $150K ACV with 85% win rate
Sourced	Lead generation	Sourced 200+ qualified leads through LinkedIn outreach and events
Converted	Pipeline progression	Converted 40% of demo requests to paid customers (2x team avg)
Landed	High-value or strategic wins	Landed Fortune 500 account generating $500K annual revenue
Cultivated	Relationship management	Cultivated C-suite relationships across 25+ enterprise accounts
Prospected	Outbound sales activity	Prospected 150+ cold leads weekly, achieving 15% response rate
Upsold	Account expansion	Upsold existing clients to premium tier, driving $300K in expansion MRR

Weak vs Strong (Sales Examples)

Weak (Generic):

- Achieved sales targets consistently
- Managed client relationships across multiple accounts
- Responsible for new business development

Strong (Function-Specific):

- Closed $2M in new business annually, exceeding quota by 120% for 3 consecutive years
- Cultivated relationships with 30+ enterprise clients, achieving 95% renewal rate
- Sourced and converted 50+ qualified leads through cold outreach, generating $800K pipeline

What Changed: Deal-focused verbs + revenue metrics.

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Operations Action Verbs

Operations professionals coordinate, streamline, and optimize workflows. Your verbs should reflect process management and efficiency.

Core Operations Verbs

When to Use Each Verb

Verb	Use Case	Example
Orchestrated	Multi-team coordination	Orchestrated product launches across engineering, marketing, and sales
Streamlined	Process improvement	Streamlined order fulfillment process, reducing cycle time by 35%
Coordinated	Cross-functional alignment	Coordinated logistics across 4 warehouses, improving on-time delivery to 98%
Standardized	Process uniformity	Standardized onboarding procedures across 3 regional offices
Optimized	Efficiency improvement	Optimized inventory management, reducing carrying costs by $200K/year
Implemented	System rollout	Implemented new ERP system, migrating 10K+ SKUs with zero downtime
Automated	Manual-to-automated conversion	Automated invoice processing, saving 15 hours/week in manual data entry
Monitored	Performance tracking	Monitored supply chain KPIs, identifying and resolving 20+ bottlenecks

Weak vs Strong (Operations Examples)

Weak (Generic):

- Managed warehouse operations and logistics
- Improved efficiency across multiple processes
- Handled vendor relationships

Strong (Function-Specific):

- Orchestrated end-to-end warehouse operations for 50K+ SKUs, achieving 99% inventory accuracy
- Streamlined fulfillment workflow, cutting average order processing time from 48hrs to 12hrs
- Negotiated vendor contracts worth $1.2M annually, reducing procurement costs by 18%

What Changed: Process-focused verbs + measurable efficiency gains.

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Additional Function-Specific Verbs

Here's a quick reference for other major functions:

Product Management

Connecting verbs to outcomes: Product management verbs prove ownership, but the real impact comes from pairing these verbs with outcome metrics—adoption rate, engagement lift, revenue impact, or efficiency gains. For comprehensive guidance on quantifying PM work with the four outcome categories (adoption, engagement, revenue, efficiency), see our Product Manager Resume Metrics guide.

Marketing

Finance & Analytics

Finance and analytics professionals prove value through model accuracy, cost identification, and decision impact—not just reports generated.

HR / People Ops

Quantifying HR impact: HR verbs prove activity, but the real value comes from pairing them with outcome metrics—time to hire, retention rate, eNPS improvement, or training efficacy. For comprehensive guidance on quantifying HR work with hiring speed, retention, and employee engagement metrics, see our HR & People Metrics guide.

Design / UX

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How to Apply This to Your Resume

Here's the step-by-step:

Step 1: Identify your function

• What's your core role? Engineering? Sales? Operations?

Step 2: Review your current bullets

• Which verbs are you using now?
• Are they generic ("managed," "worked on") or function-specific?

Step 3: Replace weak verbs with strong ones

• Use the lists above to find the verb that matches your actual work
• Make sure the verb signals technical depth and ownership

Step 4: Add context + metrics

• The verb is just the start. Add:
  • Context: What did you act on? (system, team, campaign, process)
  • Metric: What was the measurable outcome?

Formula: [Strong Verb] + [Context] + [Metric]

Example:

• ❌ Managed team projects
• ✅ Orchestrated product launch across 4 teams, delivering on time with 95% stakeholder satisfaction

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best action verbs for engineering resumes?

Engineering resumes need technical precision: architected, engineered, optimized, deployed, debugged, refactored, migrated, automated, scaled, instrumented. These verbs signal technical execution, not just generic project work.

How do I choose the right action verb for my resume?

Match verbs to your role's core function. Engineers build and optimize systems. Sales professionals acquire and negotiate. Operations managers coordinate and streamline. Use verbs that reflect the decision-making level and technical depth of your work.

Are generic action verbs like "managed" bad for resumes?

They're not bad—they're just weak. "Managed" applies to every role and signals nothing specific. Replace it with function-specific verbs: "orchestrated" (ops), "closed" (sales), "architected" (engineering). Specificity = credibility.

What action verbs should sales professionals use?

Sales resumes need acquisition and relationship verbs: closed, negotiated, sourced, converted, landed, cultivated, prospected, qualified, upsold, retained. These prove revenue generation and deal execution, not just activity.

Should I start every resume bullet with an action verb?

Yes. Action verbs signal ownership and agency. Starting with nouns ("Responsible for...") or passive language ("Was tasked with...") weakens your positioning. Lead with what you DID, not what you were assigned.

Can I use the same action verb multiple times in my resume?

Avoid repetition within the same role. If you use "optimized" twice in one job, vary it: "streamlined," "enhanced," "improved." However, it's fine to repeat core verbs across different roles if they accurately describe your work.

Final Thoughts

Your resume verb is the first signal of your expertise.

Generic verbs = generic positioning.
Function-specific verbs = specialist credibility.

If you're an engineer, architect and optimize.
If you're in sales, close and negotiate.
If you're in ops, orchestrate and streamline.

The verb you choose tells me:

• What you do (your function)
• How senior you are (your decision-making level)
• How technical you are (your depth of expertise)

Stop "managing projects" and "achieving goals."

Start engineering systems, closing deals, and orchestrating operations.

The right verb is the difference between a resume that gets skimmed and one that gets remembered.