Resume wording

Another word for “strive” on a resume

"Strive" describes effort, not result, and on a resume that is close to fatal: it quietly admits the goal may not have been reached. Recruiters read "strived to improve" as "did not measurably improve".

5 stronger alternatives, and what each one claims

These are not interchangeable. Picking the wrong one is how a bullet ends up claiming something you did not do, so the second column matters more than the first.

Delivered

You reached the thing. Say so.

Pursued

The work was genuinely ongoing when you left, and you want to be accurate.

Set out to

You are describing a mandate you were given, before the result.

Worked toward

Honest framing for a multi-year goal with interim milestones.

Committed to

A standard you upheld rather than a target you hit.

Before and after

The verb is the smaller half of that change. What actually makes the second version work is the number, and no synonym can supply one for you.

When “strive” is the right word

Almost never keep it. If the result did not land, describe what you learned or shipped along the way instead, which is a stronger claim than striving.

Other words worth replacing

• another word for “promote”
• another word for “prioritize”
• another word for “strengthen”
• another word for “cultivate”
• another word for “extensive”
• another word for “committed”
• another word for “motivated”
• another word for “knowledgeable”

See all resume words