Stronger verbs, picked by a resume writer
Increased on a Resume: Meaning & Strong Examples
"Increased" means you grew a number that mattered — users, revenue, efficiency. It is direct, measurable, and hard to…
"Increased" means you grew a number that mattered — users, revenue, efficiency. It is direct, measurable, and hard to argue with.
When to use it
Use it for users, revenue, or efficiency you lifted. The verb is simple; the percentage is the hook.
What it replaces
A direct swap for "helped grow" and "contributed to the rise", which water down your role.
ATS note
ATS-friendly. The percentage is what makes it work: "increased conversion 22%" is a result, "increased stuff" is noise.
More sample bullets
- "Increased average deal size from $18k to $26k by moving to value-based selling."
- "Increased team velocity 18% by clearing two recurring blockers from the sprint."
- "Increased self-serve resolution from 41% to 55% by expanding the help center."
- "Increased repeat purchase rate from 18% to 27% over two quarters."
Example bullet point
"Increased monthly active users by 22% over two quarters by tightening the onboarding flow and referral loop.
How to write it in a bullet
Increased + the metric + the amount + the period or lever. Percentages and timeframes make this plain verb concrete.
How to pair it
Pair "increased" with the metric and the gain: increased + the number + the amount or percentage + the period. Baselines make it verifiable.
Common mistake to avoid
Increased needs a baseline and a gain. "Increased sales" is weak; "increased sales 22% in two quarters" is evidence. Also avoid "increased" without saying over what period.
How to choose the right verb
How to choose: "increased" is direct and safe; use "boosted" for punch and "scaled" when the operation grew. Increase bullets belong in growth, sales, and finance sections. Baselines and percentages make the plain verb strong.
Frequently Asked Questions
Increased vs scaled?
Increased = grew the number; scaled = grew the operation to handle more. Pick by what changed.
Pair with?
A baseline and the gain, e.g. "from 40k to 49k users (+22%)".
For cost lines?
Yes — "increased gross margin" is a common and strong use.
Too plain?
Plain is fine when the number is strong. Fancy verbs with weak numbers are worse.
Increased vs grew?
Grew is fine; increased is the plainer, safer business choice.
For margin?
Yes — "increased gross margin by 3 points" is a strong finance line.
What if my increase is small?
Small with an honest base is fine: "increased activation from 18% to 21%". Rounding it up destroys credibility.
How is "Increased" different from similar verbs?
Each resume verb names a different kind of action. "Increased" is the right choice when the work matches its meaning, and the close cousins — Boosted, Scaled, Expanded — fit slightly different situations. The quick test: if the sentence reads true with "Increased", keep it; if a cousin sounds more accurate, use that one instead. Consistency across the resume matters more than any single word.