The Best Words to Use on Your Resume

December 3rd, 2019

Author: Meghan Pinkham

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Recruiters and hiring manager tend to only skim through resumes due to the high volume they receive. Using power words jump off the page and help demonstrate your skills and qualifications needed for the job. Additionally, a lot of resume language is repetitive and boring. If your resume uses the same language as everyone else's, it will be hard for you to stand out amongst the other candidates.

Lastly, power words are extremely useful when the company you are applying to utilizes an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Applicant Tracking System's help screen applicants resume so that employers only need to focus on the top candidates. One way, ATS do so is by eliminating resumes that are missing certain keywords.

By including these words in your resumes, you increase your chances of making it through the ATS and having your resume seen by the recruiter or hiring manager. These power words can include; action verbs, company values, popular skills, and industry key words.

Action Words

Action words are power words that show your ability to succeed. These words demonstrate the skills you have used in previous jobs to achieve success.

Company Values

These power words are used to demonstrate that you are a great fix for the company. Use key words that the company uses to describe itself. You can oftentimes find this language on the company's "About Us" web page, in the job listing, or in their mission, vision, and values.

Popular Skill Words

There are certain qualities that every employer is looking for in a candidate such as someone who is responsible, passionate, and has leadership abilities. Try using this kind of language in your resume to demonstrate that you have the essential skills and qualities.

Keywords

Each job has certain skills and qualification that are needed in order for it to be carried out successfully. When an employer is looking for the right candidate for the job, they will look for the skills and qualification needed in the candidates resume.

Industry Buzzwords

Each industry has certain keywords that are important. Being able to incorporate those words into your resume with show that you have the necessary hard skills. Sprinkle the appropriate industry buzzwords into your resume to demonstrate that you are a part of the industry.

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155 Examples of Power Words to Use in Your Resume

Accelerated

Accomplished

Achieved

Administered

Advanced

Advised

Aligned

Amplified

Analyzed

Arranged

Assembled

Audited

Augmented

Automated

Built

Boosted

Capitalized

Captured

Centralized

Championed

Chaired

Clarified

Classified

Coded

Collaborated

Collected

Conserved

Consolidated

Constructed

Controlled

Converted

Conveyed

Coordinated

Created

Customized

Deciphered

Decreased

Deducted

Delivered

Deployed

Designed

Detected

Developed

Devised

Diagnosed

Differentiated

Directed

Discerned

Discovered

Drove

Earned

Empowered

Enabled

Enacted

Endeavored

Endorsed

Enforced

Engineered

Enhanced

Enlivened

Ensured

Equalized

Established

Executed

Exceeded

Expanded

Expedited

Facilitated

Finalized

Forecasted

Formalized

Formed

Formulated

Fostered

Founded

Furthered

Gained

Generated

Guided

Halted

Handled

Headed

Identified

Illustrated

Implemented

Improved

Incorporated

Increased

Influenced

Initiated

Instituted

Instructed

Intensified

Integrated

Introduced

Launched

Lessened

Leveraged

Lifted

Lowered

Maintained

Maximized

Mentored

Merged

Minimized

Modeled

Modified

Negotiated

Network

Operated

Optimized

Orchestrated

Organized

Outpaced

Oversaw

Performed

Pioneered

Planned

Predicted

Presented

Produced

Programmed

Reached

Reconciled

Recognized

Redesigned

Reduced

Refined

Refocused

Rehabilitated

Remodeled

Reorganized

Replaced

Resolved

Restructured

Revamped

Revitalized

Secured

Simplified

Spearheaded

Spoke

Standardized

Stimulated

Streamlined

Strengthened

Supervised

Sustained

Tested

Trained

Transformed

Troubleshoot

Updated

Upgraded

Volunteered

Yielded