Collaborations are an integral part of most businesses. It’s important to know of good ways to talk about how you can “collaborate” with your peers and coworkers. This article will explore some alternative words that might also apply to these situations.
The preferred version is “cooperate.” It works well because it shows that you can work on a team. While it typically refers to two people or two entities, we can use it to refer to any number of people within a team. Being a team player is a great quality to possess.
Cooperate
“Cooperate” is a great alternative to “collaborate.” It shows that you are capable of working closely with another person or company.
Cooperation usually implies that two things are working to better each other, which shows that you are able to create new efficiencies in places too.
The definition of “cooperate,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “to act or work together for a particular purpose, or to be helpful by doing what someone asks you to do.”
- I always make sure to cooperate with my colleagues. It’s the best way to build strong bonds while still working hard.
- I always cooperate when I can. I’m a team player, and I want the people around me to know that I’m here to help.
- You will learn that I’m keen to cooperate with everyone around me. I believe that teamwork is the key to success.
Team Up
“Team up” is a simple phrasal verb. However, we still think it’s one of the best choices to replace “collaborate.” It works well because it includes the trigger word “team,” which a lot of employers look for when they’re reading things like CVs or resumés about future employees.
The definition of “team up,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “to join another person, or form a group with other people, in order to do something together.”
- I like to team up with my coworkers. I think it’s the best way to learn, especially when I’m in a new role and have some things to cover.
- I want to team up with as many people as possible. I’d appreciate the chance to be put forward for some new projects.
- Teaming up is where things really get going. I like the freedom to explore the people I have in my team and how they work.
Associate
“Associate” is a great business term. You should use this one in a resumé whenever you think it makes the most sense. It means that you are keen to work on a team, and you usually find ways to ally yourself with your colleagues to create positive environments.
The definition of “associate,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “to connect someone or something in your mind with someone or something else.”
- It’s good to associate yourself with those around you. It definitely helps me to learn more about the people I employ.
- I pride myself on my ability to associate with my coworkers. It makes projects much more efficient if we can get them done as a team.
- I want to associate myself with my coworkers. I think a healthy and balanced relationship between friendship and work is good.
Work Together
“Work together” is a simple phrasal verb. You’re more than likely familiar with how “work” and “together” can be combined. It shows that you like to work as part of a team and that you usually have examples related to times when you’ve done this before.
- I like to work together wherever I can. Put me on a team, and I’ll show you what I’m capable of.
- Working together helps businesses to grow. I like to find out more about the people I work with by doing this.
- My biggest strength is my ability to bring everyone together when working together. I like to think of myself as a motivator.
Participate
“Participate” shows that you work as a team. The only problem is that it doesn’t always make it sound like you’re eager. Instead, “participate” can sound like you were forced to be part of a team. You should be careful how you use this one.
The definition of “participate,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “to take part in or become involved in an activity.”
- I always participate in team exercises. It helps me to learn about the people I’m surrounded with, which works well for future projects.
- I want to participate in more team excursions. I think it’s good to build a team relationship early when starting a new job.
- Participating as part of a team is important to me. I always make sure to inspire those around me who might not be as keen.
Unite
“Unite” is an interesting one. You won’t come across this one often in resumés, but it works nonetheless. It shows that you like to work as part of a team. Often, it relates to the fact that you thrive under a team situation or environment.
If you know your new job might be heavily focused on team commitments, using a word like “unite” could be a great choice.
The definition of “unite,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “to join together as a group, or to make people join together as a group; to combine.”
- It’s important to unite with your colleagues. The closer you can make the relationship, the easier it is to get work done.
- I want to unite with as many groups as I can. This allows us all to streamline our efficiency a bit more.
- It’s good to unite with your friends, but it’s better to unite with your colleagues.
Combine
“Combine” is another good one. This one tends to work best when you’re talking about merging or combining companies rather than people. It shows that you have the know-how and experience related to making sure two different companies work together.
If you can provide a case study or example of how you do well with “combining” things, you’ll be setting yourself up for great success.
The definition of “combine,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “a group of people or organizations acting together in business.”
- I will create a combine with those around me. I always find it’s better when you can find a strong group to unload on.
- It’s good to combine your skills with others. I never assume that I know everything, and I’m always happy to learn from others.
- I want to combine my efforts with someone of equal abilities. I think that would really impress some of the bosses here.
Merge
“Merge” is another strong word when referring to companies. It doesn’t work as well with people, and you should use it more for teams or other businesses. It shows how two or more things combine with each other (even when you least expect them to).
The definition of “merge,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “to combine or join together, or to cause things to do this.”
- I’ve managed to merge the two companies where I used to work successfully. This shows that I’m more than capable of the job.
- I will merge with the other project teams at the earliest possible opportunity. This will help me to learn more about what goes on around here.
- It’s important to merge when you can. That way, you’ll learn all you need to know as early as possible.
Pool
“Pool” is a great verb we use when two or more things combine. We mainly use it for a specific situation or commodity (i.e. “pool money” or “pool resources”). However, it works well in a resumé when showing that you like to work closely with people.
The definition of “pool,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “to collect something such as money in order for it to be used by several different people or groups.”
- I like to pool my knowledge together with others. It’s great to bounce ideas off someone you can trust in the workplace.
- It’s important to pool resources to help understand what’s going on in the business.
- I pride myself on my ability to pool with those around me. It’s good to learn from them to understand the finer workings of a business.
Ally
“Ally” is a strong contender when you’re talking about working with other people. Creating an “alliance” with a colleague is a really good way to show a potential employer that you’re a keen team player. This is a great character trait to have when moving to a new business.
The definition of “ally,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “someone who helps and supports someone else.”
- I am a good ally for the people I work with. I like to include myself in teams when I know they are worth something.
- I make sure to ally myself with the boss to show that I’m a keen employee. It always helps to be on the inside.
- We allied for this project, and I think it helped us both to come up with a good way to get this done.
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Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
