50 Synonyms for “Developed” to Add to Your Resume

The word “developed” generally means to bring something into existence, improve it over time, or cause it to grow — that something can be an idea, a product, or a process. On a resume, developed is often used to describe contributions to projects, systems, strategies, or tools. 

“Developed” is a good word to use on a resume — it’s strong, action-oriented, and immediately understandable to any reader. At the same time, a seventh instance of “developed” on your resume is likely overkill.

To keep your resume impactful and specific, it helps to swap in targeted synonyms that reflect how you contributed, not just what you, well, developed. 

Let’s dig into the most popular “developed” synonyms and when to use them. This guide will cover: 

• Other words for “developed” to add to your resume. 
• How to replace “developed” with popular synonyms. 
• The best ways to include alternative verbs to make an impact.

Not sure which words will make your resume stand out? Our free AI Resume Builder will help you find the right ones in minutes, tailored to your experience and goals. 

50 Resume Synonyms for Developed

Recruiters move fast, sometimes spending just seconds on each resume. You don’t always know what they’ll notice first, so make every word count. Choosing the right verbs lets you control the narrative and helps you be more specific about your contributions.

Below is a list of powerful alternatives to “developed” for your resume: 

Here’s how to add these alternative words to your resume:

How to Replace “Developed” With Synonyms on Your Resume

So, you’ve proofread your resume and realized you’ve gone overboard with “developed”. But don’t just paste in random replacements and call it a day. This is your chance to be intentional and show off your range. Using the right words can show your expertise and give your resume some much-needed flair. 

Here’s how to upgrade “developed” with smarter alternatives:

Spearheaded vs. Developed

“Spearheaded” implies leadership and initiative. It shows you can make a plan and lead the charge. Saying you spearheaded a project gives a strong sense of ownership and impact.

“Developed a marketing strategy for a new product launch.”

“Spearheaded a marketing strategy that boosted product launch engagement by 40%.”

Engineered vs. Developed

“Engineered” suggests technical skills and precision. It elevates the task from simply building an app to creating something with deliberate, expert design.

“Developed a mobile app for customer feedback.”

“Engineered a cross-platform mobile app that improved customer feedback collection.”

Authored vs. Developed

“Authored” emphasizes communication skills and content creation. It positions you as the original creator, not just someone who helped piece something together.

“Developed training materials for new employees.”

“Authored comprehensive onboarding materials that helped reduce new hire ramp-up time.”

Built vs. Developed

“Built” is more tangible — it emphasizes that you created something from the ground up, which feels more hands-on and results-oriented.

“Developed a budgeting tool for internal teams.”

“Built an AI-based budgeting tool that improved departmental forecasting accuracy.”

Created vs. Developed

“Created” feels more original and imaginative. When tied to growth metrics, your creative work sounds more results-driven.

“Developed social media content for brand promotion.”

“Created social media campaigns that increased follower growth by 40% in three months.”

Programmed vs. Developed

“Programmed” is more specific and technical; perfect when applying for IT or coding jobs. It suggests you were the one pulling the strings behind the scenes.

“Developed code for an inventory management system.”

“Programmed backend modules for an inventory system to reduce stock discrepancies by 30%.”

Customized vs. Developed

“Customized” emphasizes client focus and adaptability. It shows you took the time and effort to tailor your work to specific needs. 

“Developed solutions for client-specific needs.”

“Customized solutions tailored to client requirements, leading to a 95% client retention rate.”

Designed vs. Developed

“Designed” conveys creativity, structure, and usability, especially useful for UI/UX or analytics work. It also implies visual and functional thinking.

“Developed an analytics dashboard.”

Designed an executive-level analytics dashboard, enabling faster decision-making.”

Established vs. Developed

“Established” sounds stronger than “developed a relationship.” It says you laid the foundation and turned something informal into a professional asset.

“Developed partnerships with local businesses.”

“Established strategic partnerships with 10+ local vendors to expand service reach.” 

Innovated vs. Developed

“Innovated” stands out because it implies you created something original. It’s great for automation, tech, or any process improvement. 

“Developed internal software tools for workflow automation.”

“Innovated internal automation tools that eliminated manual processes.”

Discover the top strengths to emphasize in your job search: The Best Skills to Put on a Resume

Best “Developed” Synonym Examples 

Did you lead a project, build something new, or play a key role in making something better? If you’re unsure which verb captures that best, I’ve put together 10 of the strongest “developed” synonyms to fit different roles, experience levels, and types of work. 

Here’s how and when to use them, with real examples to guide you:

1. Created

“Created” is one of the most versatile and popular synonyms for “developed.” It implies that you didn’t just follow a process, you made something from nothing. It’s great when you want to show initiative, creativity, or innovation. Plus, it works across any industry, particularly creative fields, startups, marketing, and product development.

Examples:

• Created engaging social media content that increased followers by 45% in six months.
• Created a volunteer onboarding process that improved retention by 30%.
• Created a new club in college focused on environmental entrepreneurship.

2. Led

“Led” communicates ownership and responsibility. It implies you were in charge of guiding a team or a project. It’s more powerful than “developed” when you want to highlight leadership, such as formal management or informal team direction. “Led” works great in consulting, operations, and team-based environments.

Examples:

• Led my team to launch a new B2B product, resulting in $500K in new revenue.
• Led redesign efforts for internal HR processes, reducing administration time.
• Led fundraising efforts for a student organization, raising over $10,000.

Learn how to show off your leadership qualities: Leadership Skills for a Resume 

3. Built

“Built” is hands-on and concrete, telling people you constructed something with skill and intention. It’s especially effective for engineering, product, software, and startup roles. Compared to “developed,” it adds a layer of craft and ownership.

Examples:

• Built a CRM tool that automated lead tracking and improved sales efficiency by 35%.
• Built 20+ content systems and templates to support a growing marketing team.
• Built a custom database as part of a class project to analyze environmental data.

4. Worked on

“Worked on” is honest and collaborative. It’s a good fit when you were part of a larger project but not the sole owner. It doesn’t oversell your contribution, which makes it authentic. This phrase works well early in your career, during internships, or on large teams.

Examples:

• Worked on a cross-functional team to improve onboarding workflows using Notion.
• Worked on UI components for a mobile app using React Native.
• Worked on organizing campus TED events, helping with speaker curation and logistics.

5. Managed

“Managed” signals responsibility, oversight, and your leadership style. It works for people, budgets, timelines, and projects. Compared to “developed,” it’s more powerful when emphasizing ownership of an ongoing process or operation. Great for mid-to-senior roles, but also appropriate for student organizations in your resume education section.

Examples:

• Managed a $75K marketing budget across three product lines.
• Managed intern onboarding and training processes for the summer cohort.
• Managed logistics and volunteers for a nonprofit conference with 500 attendees.

6. Implemented

“Implemented” is all about execution and results, showing that you took something from idea to reality. It’s powerful in operations, tech, HR, and process-driven roles where the ability to deliver successful outcomes is key. 

Examples:

• Implemented a new ticketing system that cut response time by 50%.
• Implemented employee feedback loops through monthly surveys and follow-ups.
• Implemented sustainable recycling practices as part of a student initiative.

7. Designed

“Designed” conveys thought, planning, and creativity. It’s ideal for roles involving visuals, user experience, workflows, systems, or educational content. It signals that you created something purposefully, not just technically, but with usability and structure in mind.

Examples:

• Designed user-friendly dashboards to track marketing KPIs for executives.
• Designed onboarding flows that improved product activation rates by 25%.
• Designed a curriculum for peer-led coding workshops on campus.

8. Organized

“Organized” shows you brought structure to chaos. It’s great for roles involving event planning, logistics, project coordination, or anything with timelines, people, or resources. It shows leadership, attention to detail, and the ability to get things done.

Examples:

• Organized a company-wide hackathon with 200+ participants across three departments.
• Organized client onboarding materials to streamline the account setup process.
• Organized campus blood drives by coordinating with hospitals and student volunteers.

9. Produced

“Produced” is ideal when there’s a tangible output, such as a report, campaign, video, product, or result. It shows you brought something into the world and saw it through. It’s strong in media, marketing, publishing, creative fields, and client services.

Examples:

• Produced monthly client reports and presented insights to leadership.
• Produced digital ads that led to a 3x increase in click-through rates.
• Produced a podcast series highlighting student entrepreneurship.

10. Improved

“Improved” focuses on impact, showing you took the initiative to make something better. This is a great action verb when tying your work directly to results. It can be used in process improvement, customer service, product design, and operations.

Examples:

• Improved customer service response time by 40% by restructuring support processes.
• Improved onboarding content, resulting in a 20% increase in completion rate.
• Improved campus dining experience by collaborating with students and food vendors.

Not all action verbs pack a punch. Learn which ones to avoid: The Top 30 Weakest Action Verbs

When You Should Still Use Developed in Your Resume

While variety matters, that doesn’t mean “developed” is off-limits. When used well, it’s still a strong, flexible word that reveals your potential. But you have to know when to use it and when a stronger synonym will tell your story better. 

Here are a few tips to help you decide:

• Create a concrete picture of your impact. If you built a process, system, or program from the ground up, “developed” is a solid choice. It shows you can follow instructions and take initiative to create something new that didn’t exist before.
• Show your contributions. “Developed” works well when you helped something grow, like a strategy, a relationship, or a long-term project. It suggests ongoing involvement and thought, not just a quick fix. It’s especially useful to show consistent improvement.

• Match the word to the work. If you want to switch it up, don’t use any random synonym. Use “built” if your job was hands-on, “designed” for creative roles, or “led” when you took initiative. The verb should reflect what you did and what the company requires.

• Add these action verbs to your experience section. Adding “developed” and its synonyms is most effective in your resume work experience section. This is the place to show off what you did, made, or improved. Using verbs like “created” and “implemented” makes things sound concrete and results-driven.

• Include synonyms in your summary. If you’re using verbs in your resume summary or objective, words like “developed”, “led”, “managed”, or “innovated” suggest overall qualities rather than one-time actions. Your goal is to give a strong first impression of your expertise and what you can bring to the company.

• Think beyond job titles. Your title might’ve been “intern,” but your resume bullet point says “Implemented a new tagging system to organize content workflows.” Even with entry-level positions, you can still emphasize your resume achievements with strong verbs. 

• Don’t use “developed” for small or vague tasks. If you just contributed to something, “developed” might overstate it. Use “assisted”, “supported”, or “worked on” to keep it honest, and then back it up with specifics to show your role still mattered.

FAQ

What is a synonym for develop or create?

A solid synonym for develop or create depends on the context, but “build” is a solid alternative. It works in technical and non-technical settings and implies you constructed something intentionally and hands-on. Other options include design, generate, formulate, or construct.

What is the other meaning of developed?

Besides meaning you created or built something, developed can also refer to growth, progress, or maturity (often used in economic or geographic contexts). For example, a developed country has a strong infrastructure, economy, and standard of living. It can also describe people (e.g., “He developed as a leader”) or skills (“She developed strong communication abilities”). 

What is the adjective of develop?

The adjective form depends on how you use “develop,” but the most common is “developed.” For example, “a developed system” or “a developed strategy” refers to something that’s already been created or refined. There's also “developing” if something is still in progress, like a developing idea or a developing market. 

What is a stronger word for made?

If you want to upgrade “made” on a resume or in writing, go with “produced”, “created”, or “built”, depending on what you’re describing. “Constructed” or “engineered” are also impactful options, especially for technical or hands-on projects.

What can you say instead of developing?

Instead of “developing,” try words like “building,” “designing,” “planning,” or “working on”. “Designing” fits well when you’re shaping something intentionally; “building” is better when there’s a hands-on, functional element; and “working on” is a solid option if you’re part of a team or still mid-project.