Your CV or resume only has a matter of seconds to grab an airline recruiter’s attention before they decide whether to keep reading, or to move on to the next candidate, and end your chances of moving on in the recruitment process. Once you’ve settled on the design of your resume and made it fully ATS-proof, you need to focus on the content.

With so little to make an impression on the recruiter and only a limited amount of space on the page, every word you use needs to earn its place. A “Key Skills” section near the top of your resume is a great start, but what about the rest of your resume?

This is where action verbs come in.

A verb is a word that describes an action, normally the key word in a sentence that gives the reader a sense of what’s happening. Run, make, do, and jump are all examples. That’s enough of a grammar refresher: the key point is that every bullet point in your work experience section should start with a verb.

So what’s an “action verb”? It’s a pumped-up verb. Forget bland, boring verbs that do an okay job describing what you did and little else. An action verb packs a punch and draws the recruiter in to want to know more about you. Action verbs give a genuinely strong sense of your achievements and help you cut the unnecessary words that bloat out a resume.

How Should They Be Used?

Having a list of action verbs doesn’t mean you need to use every single one. Choose the ones that work in the context you’re using them.

If an action verb doesn’t fit a sentence, leave it out. A recruiter will be far more impressed by a resume that’s easy to read than one baffled by an inappropriate verb crowbarred in to tick a box. Wherever possible, use the action verb as the very first word in each bullet point.

Is It Worth the Effort?

Action verbs help your resume stand out in the right way. They’re powerful, descriptive words that present your achievements at their best.

One of the best reasons to use them is that they force you to focus on the key qualities airline recruiters are actually looking for. There’s a lot more detail on this in Flight Attendant Resume Keywords: The Qualities Recruiters Actually Look For, but in brief, you’ll want to focus on qualities like:

• Customer Service
• Team Work
• Problem Solving
• Communication Skills
• Integrity
• Resilience
• Open-Mindedness

By starting each bullet point with an action verb, you stay laser-focused on demonstrating these qualities rather than just claiming them. Here are action verbs for each:

Customer Service Skills: Advocated, Aided, Assisted, Displayed, Enabled, Enhanced, Explained, Handled, Helped, Listened, Resolved, Mediated, Presented

Team Work: Coached, Collaborated, Coordinated, Discussed, Encouraged, Guided, Helped, Inspired, Involved, Joined, Motivated, Suggested, Participated, Trained, Volunteered

Problem Solving: Acted, Adapted, Arranged, Clarified, Created, Devised, Formulated, Organised, Planned

Communication Skills: Consulted, Contacted, Coordinated, Developed, Discussed, Explained, Involved, Listened, Organised, Promoted, Participated, Responded

Achievements: Achieved, Attained, Completed, Created, Developed, Exceeded, Established, Increased, Improved, Surpassed, Won, Produced, Reached

Action verbs are also a great way to showcase your accomplishments and clearly show you’re an achiever, not just a doer. For more on that distinction, see How to Write a Winning Resume: Describe Achievements, Don’t Bore With Responsibilities.

Integrity, Resilience, and Open-Mindedness

These three qualities are increasingly named directly by major carriers. For example, Delta Air Lines names Integrity and Resilience among its core values, British Airways names Open-mindedness, but they’ve historically had no dedicated word bank. Here’s one for each:

Integrity: Disclosed, Corrected, Owned, Flagged, Reported, Verified, Upheld, Safeguarded

Resilience: Recovered, Steadied, Persisted, Sustained, Adapted, Endured, Overcame, Maintained

Open-Mindedness: Embraced, Welcomed, Adjusted, Reconsidered, Bridged, Included, Learned, Broadened