What counts as a weak opener?

Phrases that describe a responsibility rather than an outcome: "responsible for", "worked on", "helped with", "duties included", and similar. They tell a reader what you were assigned, not what happened.

Can I reuse the same strong verb for every bullet?

You can, but variety helps a reader notice the differences between your roles. Reserve "led" for genuine ownership rather than using it for every line.

Are past tense and present tense both fine?

Use past tense for roles you have left and present tense consistently for your current role. This tool does not check tense, only the verb itself.

Resume action verb finder

The first word of a bullet does most of the work of telling a reader what you actually did. This checks each line you paste against a list of forty strong verbs grouped by what they claim, and flags lines that open with a weak phrase instead.

It only looks at the opening word or phrase of each line. A bullet can start strong and still be vague by the end of the sentence - that part is still on you to fix.

Strong openers

Paste your bullets to check them.

Everything above is worked out in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to us or saved anywhere.

How this is worked out

Each line is trimmed of a leading bullet character, then its first word is checked against a list of forty action verbs grouped into five categories: leading, building, improving, analyzing and communicating.
A line is flagged weak if it opens with a phrase like "responsible for", "worked on" or "helped with", which describe a duty rather than an action.
A line that matches neither list is left unmarked rather than guessed at - not every valid opener is on a fixed list of forty words.

What this does not cover

This checks only the opening of each line. A bullet that starts with a strong verb and then says nothing measurable is still weak overall.
The verb list is not exhaustive. A good, specific verb that is not on this list will show as "not in the list either way", not as wrong.
It cannot verify that the verb matches what you actually did - only that the wording is active rather than passive.

Questions people ask

What counts as a weak opener?: Phrases that describe a responsibility rather than an outcome: "responsible for", "worked on", "helped with", "duties included", and similar. They tell a reader what you were assigned, not what happened.
Can I reuse the same strong verb for every bullet?: You can, but variety helps a reader notice the differences between your roles. Reserve "led" for genuine ownership rather than using it for every line.
Are past tense and present tense both fine?: Use past tense for roles you have left and present tense consistently for your current role. This tool does not check tense, only the verb itself.

Where these figures come from

Rates and rules on this page were last checked against the source on 31 August 2026. Tax law changes; check the source before you rely on a number for a decision.

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