Remember to be specific. You can’t be all things to all people, and neither can your resume. Management searches often require a tight industry fit, so junior and senior-level executives should be specific about their industry experience.
Avoid the temptation of “planting” management resume keywords that are not part of your experience just so that your resume will be found in an electronic search. Some sneaky job seekers have tried coloring keywords with white text so that the terms are found in computer searches but are not visible to the human eye.
The 114 best Management Resume Keywords
Abandoned
Example: Abandoned “preferred” products that yielded negligible returns in favor of innovative items that yielded three times the margin.
Abated
Example: Abated onerous regulatory fees by addressing situations before they escalated to injunctions and fines.
Accelerated
Example: Accelerated pilot study time, enabling company to bring new product to market before competitor.
Allayed
Example: Allayed employee concerns about pending merger.
Alleviated
Example: Alleviated pressures caused by temporary staffing shortages by implementing a comprehensive cross-training program.
Amassed
Example: Amassed a formidable team that represented some of the industry’s top talent.
Anticipated
Example: Anticipated industry trends through analysis of economic and business data.
Appraised
Example: Appraised situation, considering enterprise-wide impacts on operations and customer satisfaction.
Approached
Example: Approached by company to rectify underperforming operation.
Appropriated
Example: Appropriated resources for a much-needed employee-appreciation program.
Assembled
Example: Assembled a cohesive team of licensed professional staff and technicians.
Blocked
Example: Blocked an attempt by major competitor to court company’s key accounts.
Bundled
Example: Bundled services to gain greater returns.
Charged
Example: Charged with reversing downward spiral in sales.
Charted
Example: Charted new course for company.
Commanded
Example: Commanded highly skilled technical team of Ph.D. scientists engaged in biogenetic research.
Commended
Example: Commended team efforts and individual contributions in company newsletter.
Commissioned
Example: Commissioned with task of launching new digital PCS operation.
Complemented
Example: Complemented sales of ABC product with creation of unique add-on service.
Conceived
Example: Conceived idea for marketing partnership with popular radio station and regional shopping mall.
Conducted
Example: Conducted financial, legal, and business affairs of organization.
Conferred
Example: Conferred with industry analysts.
Considered
Example: Considered and encouraged input from all levels of the organization.
Consolidated
Example: Consolidated production lines from three locations.
Constructed
Example: Constructed new production facility, business offices, and showroom.
Consulted
Example: Consulted with purchasing managers and decision makers throughout sales cycle to ensure purchases would solve specific customer needs.
Contracted
Example: Contracted with raw materials suppliers at savings of 20 percent.
Converted
Example: Converted company from manual operation to paperless system.
Dealt
Example: Dealt with complex issues affecting sales and customer satisfaction.
Delivered
Example: Delivered above-average returns.
Designed
Example: Designed an innovative and well-received employee review system.
Determined
Example: Determined pricing structure based on market research and economic projections.
Developed
Example: Developed inexperienced employees into solid performers.
Devised
Example: Devised “boutique customer-service” program to counter megaretailer’s entry into market.
Directed
Example: Directed 17-member staff in finance, information systems, customer service, and sales functions.
Empowered
Example: Empowered employees through information access and shared decision-making protocol.
Ended
Example: Ended a four-year term of negative earnings.
Established
Example: Established infrastructure for new organization, developing human resources, accounting, information systems, and service departments in four weeks.
Evaluated
Example: Evaluated staff performance and provided development plans to promote employee career growth.
Exchanged
Example: Exchanged ideas, challenges, and encouragement in a group of select business leaders from various disciplines.
Expanded
Example: Expanded operation to maximum capacity.
Experienced
Example: Experienced in full range of project management, from concept through completion.
Experimented
Example: Experimented with alternative distribution sources, one of which enabled product to reach market two weeks faster than normal.
Found
Example: Found new vendors through Internet searches.
Framed
Example: Framed plans for spin-off subsidiary to stabilize sales in slow winter months.
Headed
Example: Headed task force that reengineered warehousing and distribution functions.
Included
Example: Included personnel in planning and decision-making process.
Influenced
Example: Influenced decision makers to fund pilot tests for experimental products.
Initiated
Example: Initiated company’s entry into the public-works sector, a volatile yet highly lucrative market.
Inspired
Example: Inspired employees by modeling leadership and responsibility in work and community commitments.
Instilled
Example: Instilled new sense of direction to old-line company with floundering sales.
Instituted
Example: Instituted program to reward employees for suggesting ideas that were accepted for companywide implementation.
Invited
Example: Invited employee participation in reengineering process.
Issued
Example: Issued corporate directives for aggressive business-development initiative.
Joined
Example: Joined forces with allied agencies for unique private-public sector partnership.
Knitted
Example: Knitted together a unique team representing broad government, media, business, and education segments of community.
Led
Example: Led small, private company through volatile period associated with competition from well-financed national rival.
Lessened
Example: Lessened impact of critical patent expiration by issuing competitive pricing initiative and exploring broader market imponent as focus for new business development.
Listened
Example: Listened to employee suggestions for improving systems; implemented several proposals that improved productivity and earned handsome bonuses for employees.
Looked
Example: Looked for new methods to boost productivity.
Managed
Example: Managed full scope of operations.
Mandated
Example: Mandated intensive employee development and advancement program.
Maneuvered
Example: Maneuvered organization through cumber-some regulatory changes.
Merged
Example: Merged disparate operational systems into cohesive program.
Merited
Example: Merited the attention of corporate headquarters for improvements in all performance areas.
Mobilized
Example: Mobilized cross-functional work teams to service new customer that virtually doubled revenue for company.
Modeled
Example: Modeled leadership through hands-on involvement in business operations and promotion of new open-door policy.
Motivated
Example: Motivated distributor network to promote company product line as priority product.
Mounted
Example: Mounted aggressive campaign to counter competition from megaretailer.
Narrowed
Example: Narrowed gap between dominant market-share leader.
Navigated
Example: Navigated course to enable company to comply with complex set of new environmental restrictions.
Overcame
Example: Overcame inherited problem associated with open order file approaching $8 million with 80 percent back orders—within nine weeks, reduced file to $2.5 million with 25 percent back orders.
Paced
Example: Paced implementation phases to sustain aggressive growth, projected to continue at an annual rate of 36 percent for the next five years.
Pepped
Example: Pepped up the production of an experienced workforce by providing innovative time-off-for-performance and pension-plan incentives.
Piloted
Example: Piloted program that enabled new products to clear research and development phase in nearly half the time.
Planned
Example: Planned six-month, one-year, and five-year goals for operation.
Pointed
Example: Pointed mailroom department in new direction, transitioning it from a process orientation to an internal customer-service focus.
Presided
Example: Presided over monthly unit meetings.
Profited
Example: Profited from new export program that generated a 40-percent return.
Pruned
Example: Pruned several middle-management layers from old-line company on verge of bankruptcy.
Pushed
Example: Pushed company toward Internet marketing while electronic commerce was in its infancy—early entry positioned company as a primary resource for information, as well as products and services.
Raised
Example: Raised expectations for all levels of employees and provided aggressive staff-development program that equipped employees with tools to excel.
Rallied
Example: Rallied employees after unexpected death of company’s respected founder and chief executive officer.
Recruited
Example: Recruited talented team of engineers, researchers, and technical staff.
Rectified
Example: Rectified organizational issues affecting order turnaround.
Redirected
Example: Redirected efforts of sales team to focus on high-net, repeat sales.
Reengineered
Example: Reengineered business units enterprise-wide.
Replaced
Example: Replaced disparate data systems with relational databases.
Retained
Example: Retained talented, committed employees who helped boost productivity more than 25 percent.
Returned
Example: Returned operation to profitable status in just six months.
Reversed
Example: Reversed downward spiral for sales and market share.
Revitalized
Example: Revitalized stagnant operation with total quality improvement program.
Rewarded
Example: Rewarded employee contributions with point system that applied toward salary bonus.
Seized
Example: Seized market opportunity available with growing Pacific Rim demand for California agricultural products.
Shaped
Example: Shaped new lending policy that reduced financial institution’s risk exposure.
Sponsored
Example: Sponsored nonprofit event to increase community name recognition.
Steered
Example: Steered management team through six months of negotiations, ultimately landing competitive contract with major manufacturer.
Stimulated
Example: Stimulated sales of XYZ line, a lucrative but difficult-to-sell product that had been virtually ignored in past years.
Supervised
Example: Supervised business managers in inventory, sales, and service units.
Tagged
Example: Tagged by president to cross disciplinary lines and tackle IT/IS issues that had been handicapping business-support systems.
Tied
Example: Tied employee compensation and advancement to definable performance standards.
Took
Example: Took reins of six-month-old company foundering for lack of management expertise and marketing savvy.
Transformed
Example: Transformed facility from production line operation to “cross-pollinated” work groups, boosting employee productivity, collaboration, and creativity.
Turned
Example: Turned negative newspaper article about the industry into an opportunity to communicate with customers; countered press report with “success stories” and offered discount coupon that boosted monthly sales, as well as customer goodwill.
Undertook
Example: Undertook an employee-driven cleanup program that dealt with a recurring graffiti problem.
Unified
Example: Unified employee commitment and loyalty to company through a comprehensive employee-assistance program.
United
Example: United newly acquired branches with divergent systems and cultures into a cohesive regional operation.
Upheld
Example: Upheld workplace values and promoted mission statement of benefiting both investors and customers.
Valued
Example: Valued input from all levels of organization.
Viewed
Example: Viewed challenges as opportunities.
Weathered
Example: Weathered challenging economic and industry conditions, earning company ranking among top three widget companies in the state for the past 15 years.
Withstood
Example: Withstood onslaught of competition by well-financed, multinational companies.
Wove
Example: Wove societal and environmental values into management philosophy.
Yoked
Example: Yoked with talented management team, collaborating on a variety of successful planning, technical, and operations projects.