Résumé words · Communicating and working with others
Another word for “Presented”
What it is trying to claim: That you delivered information to an audience.
Why it underperforms
It is accurate and usually incomplete. A presentation is an input, and the reader wants the output: what the audience decided, approved, or did afterwards. Without that, it records that a meeting happened. Audience size and seniority are also almost always omitted, and they are what separate a team demo from a board pitch.
Stronger than "Presented"
Not ranked. Each is right for one situation, and the situation is the column that matters.
| Word | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Pitched | You were asking for something: money, approval, or the business. |
| Briefed | Senior audience, short format, decision expected. |
| Demoed | You showed a working thing. |
| Taught | The audience was there to learn and did. |
| Defended | It was scrutinized and you held it up. |
| Won | Skip the presenting and lead with the outcome. |
A real bullet, fixed
Before
Presented quarterly results to senior management.
After
Pitched the case for a second support shift to the exec team and won $180k in headcount, taking weekend response from 14 hours to under 2.
The presentation is now a means to a funded outcome, which is what a hiring manager is trying to work out anyway.
When “Presented” is the right word
Frequently, when the audience and the result are attached. It is a precise verb that survives scrutiny.
Common questions
- What can I say instead of "Presented" on a résumé?
- Pitched, Briefed, Demoed, Taught. Pick the one that matches what you actually did, then follow it with a number. The presentation is now a means to a funded outcome, which is what a hiring manager is trying to work out anyway.
- Is "Presented" bad on a résumé?
- It is accurate and usually incomplete. A presentation is an input, and the reader wants the output: what the audience decided, approved, or did afterwards. Without that, it records that a meeting happened. Audience size and seniority are also almost always omitted, and they are what separate a team demo from a board pitch.
- When is it fine to use "Presented"?
- Frequently, when the audience and the result are attached. It is a precise verb that survives scrutiny.
Fix these next
- CommunicatedThat you conveyed information effectively.
- ChampionedThat you advocated for something until it happened.
- CollaboratedThat you worked jointly with others.
- AdvisedThat someone made a decision using your judgement.
- AuthoredThat a document exists and you wrote it.
- Excellent communicatorThat you write and speak well.
- InfluencedThat an outcome went differently because of you, without your having authority.
All 72 words are on the résumé words index. For the verbs grouped by what they claim, read résumé power verbs.
After the résumé
Fixing the words is the easy half. The applying is the slow half.
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