9 Good Synonyms for “Support” on a Resume

Everyone appreciates a bit of support in the workplace. The more support you can offer your peers, the more valuable you become as an employee.

Therefore, it’s good to show how supportive you are on your resume.

However, is “support” the only option? This article will explore some alternatives to help you.

• Assist
• Aid
• Help
• Back
• Encourage
• Serve
• Accommodate
• Advise
• Succor

Read on to find out what to say instead of “support” on your resume. We’ve also provided some examples for each heading.

1. Assist

“Assist” is a great resume word for “support.” It’s often overlooked initially, but it shouldn’t be.

The more assistance you give in the workplace, the more helpful and diligent you are. It’s good to have these qualities, regardless of the job you apply for.

Therefore, we recommend including “assist” as a formal synonym. It works well in CVs, so you should write it once or twice to show you’re willing to help.

Also, it works when helping colleagues, clients, or customers. There is more than one way to help those around you in the workplace. “Assist” is a great way to talk about this.

You can also review the following resume samples:

• I like to assist my peers when they need me. It’s what sets me apart from other candidates applying for this role.
• I assist in the backend system whenever possible. I know my boss needs more help than she’s willing to admit.

2. Aid

You may also use “aid” as another way to say “support” on your resume. It’s very effective as a more formal synonym.

Generally, “aid” and “assist” work very similarly.

You can use either (or both) in your writing to keep things interesting. You might even find that “aid” helps your resume to stand out more than most because it’s not as common a choice.

Saying that you give “aid” shows you help around the workplace. Helpful employees tend to make the best employees.

Therefore, it’s worth showing how helpful you are to demonstrate what you’re willing to put into a new company.

Perhaps the following examples will also help you:

• I aid with the team meetings regularly. I help to establish talking points to ensure things run smoothly for the speaker.
• Generally, I aid in multiple projects in the workplace. After all, I have plenty of ideas that people like to learn from.

3. Help

There’s nothing wrong with keeping things simple. We always talk about keeping things simple and avoiding any overcomplicated language in your writing.

The same rule applies here.

Just use “help.” It’s simple yet effective. It’s a formal alternative to “support” that will help to keep your job application more streamlined and easier to read.

Generally, this word is overused in formal writing. However, as long as you only use it once in your cover letter or CV, you’ll have a lot of success with it.

After all, everyone knows what “help” means. It’s a simplistic choice, but it’s professional and to the point.

These resume examples will also help you:

• I help those around me, whether they’re clients, customers, or colleagues. It’s important to offer them your services frequently.
• I like to help because I’m good at it. Therefore, I’m sure I’m the right fit for this role, and I would like to prove it during the interview.

4. Back

“Back” is another word for “support” in a resume. It’s one of those words that are commonly used in formal writing to show you’re happy to provide support to people or projects.

Generally, if you “back” something, it means you get behind it. It also shows you incentivize projects to succeed (i.e., by providing funds or skills to help them progress).

These ideas are great to include in a job application. It will impress an employer and let them know you mean business when applying for a job.

You can also refer to these examples if you’re unsure:

• I back projects created by my coworkers. That way, I can learn from them, and they can trust my input.
• I back my boss with every decision. It’s why I’m certain that I’m the right person for this promotion.

5. Encourage

You may also use “encourage” for a more friendly alternative to “support.” It shows you’re willing to offer advice to those around you.

Generally, “encourage” is a great way to show how well you work with a team. After all, if you’re an encouraging teammate, it’s likely that people rely on you to help them when they need you.

So, use “encourage” when applying for a more team-dependent role. It might help you to accelerate yourself to a supervisory position.

Feel free to review these examples as well:

• I encourage my peers to be the best versions of themselves. That means I’m willing to help them with their projects to impress our superiors.
• I like to encourage the people around me, regardless of the question they need an answer to.

6. Serve

“Serve” is another word for “support” that works well in formal cases. However, you should be careful with it.

Naturally, “serve” is a more submissive word than other synonyms. It still works well, but it works best to show respect and formality toward clients or employers.

Generally, this is a great way to show that you’re a diligent and eager employee. Employers will remember your use of “serve” in a resume and may ask you to “serve” them in the workplace.

You may review these examples if you’re still unsure:

• I serve my clients whenever they have questions. I’m the first point of contact because they trust me to have answers.
• I serve my customers equally. Each of them deserves to be treated with respect, and I value that about myself.

7. Accommodate

When you “accommodate” something, it means you help when necessary. It suggests you do what you can to assist someone or something when asked.

Therefore, we recommend using “accommodate” as a formal alternative to “support.”

It’s a great way to show you work around others. This is effective in the workplace because it implies putting others’ needs before yours.

You can also review these CV examples:

• I accommodate my boss when he needs me. I’m more than willing to stop what I’m doing to ensure everybody knows their role.
• I accommodate team meetings to help out. I know the team depends on my skills, and I don’t want to waste them.

8. Advise

We could all do with some advice when we’re struggling at work. That’s why we rely on people to advise us when necessary.

So, you can use “advise” as a formal alternative to “support.” It’s a great way to show your willingness to assist your peers.

For instance, you can “advise” colleagues or clients when they need your help. This shows you’re happy to put the time in with them and help them understand their next steps.

Perhaps these examples will also help you with it:

• I advise my colleagues on what the next steps of their projects should be. They come to me for help frequently.
• I always advise my students to get the best results out of their work. That’s why I know I’m the best teacher for this job.

9. Succor

You may not have heard this word before. However, it’s worth using if you’re looking to spice up your writing and keep things interesting.

“Succor” is another word for “support” on a resume. Don’t worry; it’s not as complicated as it looks.

In fact, it’s a direct synonym for “support.” Therefore, you can substitute “support” for “succor” to appear more formal and respectful.

For instance:

• I support my peers.
• I succor my peers.

The above phrases are the same. The only change is your use of verbs from “support” to “succor.”

You can also review the following cover letter samples:

• I succor my boss when she needs my assistance. Setting up a strong relationship with your boss is essential to show them your importance.
• I succor with meetings frequently. I generally provide the talking points to help keep things streamlined.