Meghan PinkhamThe Best Words to Use on Your Resume
December 3rd, 2019
Author: Meghan Pinkham
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.
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