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.
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.
