Just 7.4 seconds: That’s how much time you have to grab a recruiter’s attention when they read your resumé for the first time.1 That’s it! So, if you’re looking for a new job, I have a helpful hint: To grab a hiring manager’s attention, make your resumé stand out using powerful resumé words. Hear me out on this—the chances of landing your dream job get a whole lot higher when you communicate your work experience with descriptive and confident resumé words because they help you stand out from the competition.
Resumé power words are strong, actionable and confident verbs and adjectives that describe your abilities and accomplishments. And they can make you stand out in a pool of other job seekers (without any changes to your actual work experience).
Words to Use in a Resumé
Words matter! And with the right word choice, you can give your resumé a big boost of style and confidence. Here are the top 200 resumé power words that will communicate your skills, abilities and talents and help you stand out to a hiring manager.
Resumé Power Words for Leadership
- Authorized
- Chaired
- Conducted
- Controlled
- Delegated
- Directed
- Drove
- Empowered
- Enabled
- Enforced
- Executed
- Facilitated
- Fostered
- Founded
- Guided
- Headed
- Instructed
- Mentored
- Moderated
- Motivated
- Orchestrated
- Overhauled
- Presided
- Spearheaded
- Steered
- Supervised
- Trained
Resumé Power Words for Collaborate
- Aligned
- Associated
- Combined
- Contributed
- Cooperated
- Joined
- Integrated
- Linked
- Merged
- Pooled
- Synchronized
- United
Resumé Power Words for Responsible For
- Achieved
- Accomplished
- Assembled
- Concluded
- Contributed
- Coordinated
- Devised
- Effected
- Fulfilled
- Gathered
- Handled
- Produced
- Prompted
- Solved
Resumé Power Words for Communication
- Advertised
- Authored
- Broadcast
- Circulated
- Distributed
- Championed
- Clarified
- Consulted
- Conveyed
- Defined
- Diagramed
- Documented
- Drafted
- Endorsed
- Illustrated
- Influenced
- Informed
- Liaison
- Moderated
- Negotiated
- Networked
- Notated
- Persuaded
- Presented
- Promoted
- Publicized
- Published
- Recommended
- Recorded
- Storyboarded
- Translated
Resumé Power Words for Achieved
- Accomplished
- Administered
- Arranged
- Attained
- Captured
- Completed
- Converted
- Delivered
- Earned
- Enacted
- Established
- Lifted
- Performed
- Predicted
- Procured
- Proved
- Secured
- Strategized
- Trailblazed
- Won
- Yielded
Resumé Power Words for Worked On
- Applied
- Attended
- Completed
- Dedicated
- Endeavored
- Forecasted
- Formulated
- Implemented
- Masterminded
- Operated
- Performed
- Pursued
- Processed
- Rendered
- Strove
- Troubleshot
- Undertook
- Visualized
- Volunteered
Resumé Power Words for Improved
- Accelerated
- Advanced
- Boosted
- Discerned
- Enhanced
- Expanded
- Familiarized
- Increased
- Maximized
- Outpaced
- Perfected
- Redesigned
- Refined
- Reformed
- Renovated
- Resolved
- Restructured
- Revamped
- Revitalized
- Simplified
- Skyrocketed
- Streamlined
- Strengthened
- Transformed
- Upgraded
Resumé Power Words for Researched
- Analyzed
- Assessed
- Audited
- Confirmed
- Diagnosed
- Discovered
- Examined
- Explored
- Identified
- Inquired
- Inspected
- Investigated
- Mapped
- Measured
- Mined
- Quantified
- Surveyed
- Tested
- Tracked
- Verified
Resumé Power Words for Created
- Adapted
- Built
- Coded
- Constructed
- Designed
- Developed
- Engineered
- Established
- Fashioned
- Formulated
- Generated
- Initiated
- Inspired
- Instituted
- Introduced
- Kick-started
- Launched
- Sketched
- Wrote
Resumé Power Words for Managed
- Controlled
- Designated
- Directed
- Employed
- Governed
- Led
- Mastered
- Organized
- Oversaw
- Planned
- Programmed
- Ruled
What Words NOT to Use in a Resumé
When you’re updating your resumé (or creating a brand-new one), it’s best to stay away from general office buzzwords and confusing phrases. These are words that you might hear people say all the time, but nobody really knows what they mean. Here are a few examples of words to avoid using on your resumé:
- Deep dive
- Drill down
- Flesh out
- Game plan
- Hard worker
- Loop in
- Moving parts
- Move the needle
- Synergize
- Team player
- Think outside the box
- Wheelhouse
Instead, you’ll want to focus on using specific power words that show (not tell) your skills, experiences and successes on the job.
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Here’s an example: Let’s say one of your job responsibilities is to provide customer service over the phone. Look at the difference between an average answer and one using resumé power words:
- Answered customer questions on the phone in a timely manner
- Established trust with customers over the phone by researching and implementing advanced listening skills and reducing call wait times
Do you see the difference? The job responsibility is the same, but the impact of using resumé power words makes this job seeker stand out from the competition.
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