power words for resumes and cover letters

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75 Power Words For Resumes and Cover Letters

If you’re applying for a job, you need a resume and cover letter. Take the time to write both a resume and cover letter that will knock the socks off of a recruiter. It’s not as hard as you might think.

Most people write boring, unimpressive resumes and cover letters. Use power words that help paint a picture of your accomplishments and bring your resume and cover letter to life. You may have heard of power words described as action verbs or buzz words. It doesn’t matter what you call them. Just use power words for resumes and cover letters. It’ll pay off.

The job of your resume and cover letter is to brag about yourself. Show yourself off. Use power words to bring your accomplishments to life and impress that recruiter. Just be sure it’s truthful!

Whether you’re a leader, saved your company time and money, increased efficiency, developed a software program, improved a campaign, supervised a team, hosted meetings, focused on researched, or organized events – the right power words can help shine the spotlight on what you achieved.

Choosing the right power words for resumes and cover letters can be tricky. Not anymore. Now you can bookmark this list of power words for resumes and cover letters and use it as a reference for your job search:

• Accomplished
• Collaborated
• Consolidated
• Demonstrated
• Established
• Experimented
• Investigated
• Orchestrated
• Revolutionized
• Spearheaded
• Streamlined
• Strengthened
• Transformed
• Troubleshot

Use the above power words for resumes and cover letters to help generate job search results. If you don’t see the perfect power word in the above list, check out this cool list of action verbs . Combine these power words with this resume checklist and you’ll be good to go. Now all you need to do is apply for jobs.

Why not start your job search on the JobMonkey Job Board today?

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Resume Power Words: 120 Words That Will Get You Hired

• December 13, 2022
• In Resumes & Cover Letters

Resume power words are strong action verbs and descriptive adjectives that can enhance your resume and make it more impactful and compelling to potential employers. These words help to demonstrate your skills, accomplishments, and experiences in a dynamic and engaging way. Using resume power words can help you stand out from other candidates and create a positive impression.

Table of Contents:

•   What are resume power words?
•   Strategies for using powerful words in your resume
•   What types of power words are best for your resume?
•   How to choose job-related power words?
•   List of resume power words

What are resume power words?

Resume power words are action verbs or descriptive phrases that are used in resumes to highlight achievements, skills, and experiences. These words are chosen to make a strong impact on the reader and convey a sense of accomplishment and capability. Resume power words help to grab the attention of hiring managers and recruiters, making the resume more engaging and memorable. They can be used to describe various aspects of a candidate’s professional background, such as leadership, problem-solving, communication, organization, and more.

Strategies for using powerful words in your resume

To effectively use powerful words in your resume, consider the following strategies:

• Tailor your words to the job description: Analyze the job posting and identify the key skills and qualifications required. Use powerful words that align with those specific requirements to demonstrate your suitability for the role.
• Start bullet points with action verbs: Begin each bullet point in your work experience section with a strong action verb. This not only grabs the reader’s attention but also conveys a sense of accomplishment and proactivity. For example, instead of saying “Assisted with project management,” use “Coordinated and executed project management tasks.”
• Quantify your achievements: Whenever possible, provide specific details and quantify your accomplishments. This adds credibility and demonstrates the impact of your work. For instance, instead of saying “Contributed to sales growth,” say “Achieved a 30% increase in sales within six months.”
• Use industry-specific buzzwords: Incorporate relevant industry-specific buzzwords and terminology to showcase your familiarity with the field. This helps to establish your expertise and understanding of the industry.
• Highlight transferable skills: If you are transitioning to a new industry or role, emphasize transferable skills that are applicable to the position. Use powerful words to showcase how your skills can be effectively utilized in the new context.
• Be concise and impactful: Use powerful words to convey your achievements and responsibilities concisely. Avoid using generic or overused words and focus on specific, impactful language that sets you apart from other candidates.

What types of power words are best for your resume?

When it comes to choosing power words for your resume, it’s important to select words that effectively highlight your skills, achievements, and qualifications. Here are some types of power words that are commonly used in resumes:

• Action verbs:  Action verbs are dynamic words that convey a sense of action and accomplishment. They help to demonstrate your proactive approach and showcase your achievements. Examples of action verbs include “achieved,” “implemented,” “led,” “managed,” “developed,” and “resolved.”
• Results-Oriented Words : These words emphasize the outcomes and results of your actions. They showcase your ability to deliver tangible results and make an impact. Examples include “increased,” “improved,” “generated,” “optimized,” “maximized,” and “accelerated.”
• Leadership Words : Leadership words highlight your ability to lead and manage teams, projects, or initiatives. They demonstrate your leadership skills and ability to take charge. Examples include “mentored,” “guided,” “supervised,” “orchestrated,” “influenced,” and “delegated.”
• Communication Words : These words showcase your strong communication skills, both written and verbal. They highlight your ability to effectively convey information, collaborate, and build relationships. Examples include “presented,” “negotiated,” “persuaded,” “collaborated,” “facilitated,” and “corresponded.”
• Problem-Solving Words : These words demonstrate your ability to identify and solve problems. They showcase your critical thinking and analytical skills. Examples include “analyzed,” “diagnosed,” “resolved,” “innovated,” “troubleshooted,” and “optimized.”

How to choose job-related power words? 

When putting your resume together, focus on relevant experience first. Also, only include power words that relate to the position you are applying to. For example, including your experience with gardening will hardly help you land a sales position.

To identify relevant power words, read through the job description a few times. Focus on the requirements and company values and pay attention to how they are worded. Then, use similar language to describe your experience or skills. For example, the job description may include: “Develop and track performance and compile reports.” On your resume, you should then tweak that and relate it to your specific skills. You may describe your experience as “Monitored and compiled staff performance and sales reports.” By including job-specific power words, you will prove your field knowledge and make your resume stand out.

List of resume power words

Power words for administrative

Best power words for leadership

• Consolidate
• Orchestrate
• Recommended

Power words for teamwork

• Acknowledge
• Collaborate
• Demonstrate
• Participate

30 Power words for customer service

• Accommodate
• Communicate
• Comfortable

Using power words can improve the first impression your resume makes. Choose from the list above to make your resume come alive and become more attractive. Remember to replace most repetitive or generic words with strong action verbs. This can make the difference between getting lost in a pile of other applicants and getting invited for an interview.

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340+ Resume Action Verbs & Power Words [For 2024]

Language matters in a resume.

Imagine this:

You’re a busy HR manager, and you read hundreds, even thousands, of resumes every day.

And every single one of them sounds the same.

“Responsible for”

“Critical Thinker”

“Team Player”

You’re bound to see these words on just about every single resume.

And guess what? They’re boring.

That’s where power words come in. They make your responsibilities and achievements really pop!

So, do you want your resume to really stand out? Use some of these 340+ action words:

• Why Power Words Matter

How to use Resume Action Words [+Examples & Tips]

340+ resume action verbs and power words [w/ examples].

• Resume Power Adjectives
• Resume Buzzwords to Avoid

Why Power Words Matter 

Power words help show off your top achievements in the best way possible.

Don’t believe us? Let’s compare an example with and without power words.

• Spearheaded company X’s content marketing operations.
• Responsible for content marketing at company X.

See the difference?

Both of these examples say exactly the same thing .

The main difference is that the second wording makes you seem a LOT more competent.

Something to keep in mind - power words, action words, action verbs, and so on are synonyms. So, don’t be surprised to see that we use them interchangeably in this article!

Other than allowing you to stand out, action words can also be used to say one thing in different ways. We’ve seen way too many resumes that have “Responsible for” all over the place!

So, instead of:

• Responsible for managing company X’s Instagram account.
• Responsible for connecting with influencers in the niche.

You could say:

• Managed company X’s Instagram account.
• Connected with popular influencers in the niche.

In this article, we have conveniently grouped 340+ action words to help you upgrade your resume descriptions:

• Resume Power Words for Team Work and Communication
• Resume Action Words Management and Leadership Achievements
• Resume Power Words to Showcase your Creativity

Resume Power Words for Problem Solving Accomplishments

Resume action verbs for research, analysis, and planning.

• Resume Power Verbs for “Support”
• Resume Power Words to Use Instead of “Improved”
• Resume Power Words to Use Instead of “Responsible For”

Resume Action Words to Use Instead of “Worked On”

• Resume Action Verbs that Mean “Use”

Action words can really spice up your resume if done right.

Now, we’re going to explain all the do's and don’t of using power verbs...

Which power words should you use? 

The type of power words you use will depend on the position you are applying for. 

Do a detailed scan of the job posting and single out the key responsibilities and requirements. 

Determine which of your abilities and experiences apply to those job requirements. 

Then, look for power words in our list that describe those achievements. 

Pretty straightforward, right?

Although the power words will be specific to the position you are applying for, there are some general rules to follow: 

• Choose resume power words that can be measured . This way you can follow the power word with a tangible achievement, for example: “ enhanced customer base by 35%.”
• Don’t use subjective words . “I’m amazing at” , “I’m incredible at” aren’t as pleasing to hear as you might think. These statements make you appear self-involved, which recruiters find appalling. Don’t tell them you’re amazing, show them with a measurable power word!

How often should you use power words? 

Sadly, just like with anything good in life, action words will lose their value if you overdo it. Instead of power words, they’ll just look like sprinkled mambo-jumbo that doesn’t mean anything.

Also, your resume is swamped with power words, your hiring manager might get turned off and think you’re trying too hard. 

A good rule to follow is to not add more than one or two action verbs in a sentence.  

Use them appropriately and moderately. 

Resume Power Words for Teamwork and Communication

If your job was to give guidance or communicate information to a team, you:

• 2. Advocated
• 3. Clarified
• 4. Corresponded
• 6. Gathered
• 8. Informed
• 9. Interpreted
• 10. Persuaded
• 11. Publicized
• Gathered external data for the project-planning personnel and advised on the implementation of capital projects. 

When you were part of a team:

• 13. Enabled
• 14. Encouraged
• 15. Facilitated
• 16. Fostered
• 17. Inspired
• 18. Supported
• 19. Collaborated
• Made a $6M merger through collaboration with an international team.

When you supervised a team: 

• 21. Evaluated
• 22. Instructed
• 23. Mentored
• 24. Motivated
• 25. Regulated
• Mentored 5 startup founders in the last 2 years. 

Resume Action Words for Management and Leadership Achievements

When you reach a goal:

• 27. Achieved
• 28. Attained
• 29. Strengthened
• 30. Initiated
• 31. Coordinated
• 32. Developed
• 33. Managed
• 34. Orchestrated
• Coordinated data integrity within the company’s applicant tracking system. 
• Strengthened the sales and service culture through coaching and guidance. 

When you gave a different approach to solving a problem:

• 35. Implemented
• 36. Recommended
• 37. Overhauled
• 38. Improved
• 39. Streamlined 
• 40. Prioritized
• Improved and tuned networking equipment and overall computer network. 

When you worked with other people:

• 41. Motivated
• 42. Supervised
• 43. Delegated
• 44. Chaired
• Supervised and motivated a team of 5+ sales associates. 

Resume Action Words to Showcase your Creativity 

When you helped the company innovate or launch something new:

• 45. Conceptualized
• 46. Designed
• 47. Devised
• 48. Determined
• 49. Drafted
• 50. Formulated
• 51. Introduced
• 52. Initiated
• 53. Launched
• 54. Originated
• 55. Spearheaded
• Designed a new feature on a mobile equation solving app. 

When you worked on an established idea:

• 56. Adapted
• 57. Applied
• 59. Condensed
• 60. Customized
• 61. Fashioned
• 62. Integrated
• 63. Modified
• 64. Patched
• 65. Piloted
• 67. Revitalized
• Built the company sales processes ground-up.

When you introduced a finished project:

• 68. Displayed
• 69. Modeled
• 70. Launched
• 71. Performed
• 72. Pioneered
• Launched an e-commerce website to take the company business online. 

When you worked with data, statistics or numbers: 

• 73. Audited
• 74. Budgeted 
• 75. Calculated
• 76. Converted
• 77. Crafted
• 78. Documented
• 79. Estimated
• 80. Inventoried
• 81. Programmed 
• 82. Projected 
• 83. Recorded
• 84. Verified
• Calculated monthly and quarterly investment forecasts.

When you corrected mistakes and errors:

• 85. Debugged
• 86. Diagnosed
• 87. Established
• 89. Rectified
• 90. Lessened
• 91. Reconciled
• 92. Remodeled
• 93. Rebuilt
• 94. Upgraded
• 95. Corrected
• Debugged internal operating system issues, reducing company cost by 15%

When you kept company processes flowing seamlessly: 

• 96. Conserved
• 97. Maintained
• 98. Operated
• 99. Regulated
• 100. Refined
• 101. Simplified
• 102. Standardized
• Maintained design production under an extremely tight budget. 

When you prepared or helped prepare an event:

• 103. Assembled
• 104. Conducted
• 105. Organized
• Organized meetings and handled all correspondence for the Scranton branch.

When you analyzed a new idea:

• 106. Experimented
• 107. Detected
• 108. Discovered
• 109. Measured
• 110. Mapped
• 111. Probed
• 112. Searched
• 113. Surveyed
• 114. Studied
• Surveyed and documented weekly performance reports on a new marketing strategy.

When you analyzed existing practices and ideas:

• 115. Analyzed
• 116. Assessed
• 117. Clarified
• 118. Checked
• 119. Examined
• 120. Explored
• 121.Evaluated
• 122. Investigated
• 123. Quantified
• 124. Reviewed
• 125. Tested
• 126. Tracked
• 127. Convert
• Converted data into actionable insight, boosting revenue by 5%

When you contributed to solving a problem:

• 128. Critiqued
• 129. Diagnosed
• 130. Identified
• 131. Invented
• 132. Proved
• 133. Solved
• Provided an extraordinary customer service experience, solved customer issues and upsold other products or services. 

Resume Power Verbs to Use For “Support”

When you were supportive of others through words: 

• 134. Advised
• 135. Answered
• 136. Clarified
• 137. Motivated
• 138. Collaborated
• 139. Fielded
• 140. Guided
• 141. Intervened
• 142. Referred
• 143. Resolved
• Motivated co-workers by rewarding positive behavior, encouraging optimism and stimulating teamwork.

When you were supportive of others through actions: 

• 145. Assisted
• 146. Contributed
• 147. Provided
• 148. Volunteered
• Volunteered in 3 non-profit social organizations.

When you taught others:

• 149. Coached
• 150. Counseled
• 151. Demonstrated
• 152. Educated
• 153. Informed 
• Consulted 5 startups that became successful scaleups in Europe and together received investments of over €28 million.

Resume Power Words to Use as a Replacement for “Improved”

Did you leave the company you worked for better than when you came in? 

That’s cool, but if you say you “improved” something four times in a row, it loses its impact.

Use the list below to mix it up:

• 154. Amplify
• 155. Boosted 
• 156. Converted
• 157. Customized
• 158. Elaborated
• 160. Integrated
• 161. Lifted
• 162. Merged
• 163. Overhauled
• 164. Raised
• 165. Redesigned
• 166. Refined
• 167. Remodeled
• 168. Reorganized
• 169. Restructured
• 170. Revamped
• 172. Slashed
• 173. Streamlined
• 174. Strengthened
• 175. Updated
• 176. Upgraded 
• Boosted the AdWords click-through rates (CTR) from 25% to 37% without additional costs, which increased monthly sales by $5,000. 

Resume Power Words to Use Instead of “Responsible for”

Using “responsible for” in a resume gets old fast. Instead, use these alternative verbs that *pop*:

• 177. Accomplished
• 178. Acquired
• 179. Achieved
• 180. Acted As
• 181. Completed
• 182. Created
• 183. Executed
• 184. Finished
• 185. Forged
• 187. Navigated
• 188. Negotiated
• 189. Operated
• 190. Partnered
• 191. Performed
• 192. Prepared
• 193. Produced
• 194. Secured
• 195. Succeeded In
• 196. Undertook
• Navigated three simultaneous projects between 3 departments within the budget limit. 

Most of your job descriptions will be describing things you contributed to. This makes it tough to be original and show value.

In this case, you should try to be as specific as possible by giving details about your accomplishments. 

Here’s a list to help you replace the overused “worked on” and show value:

• 197. Arranged
• 198. Compiled
• 199. Composed
• 200. Constructed
• 201. Created
• 202. Developed
• 203. Engaged In
• 204. Fashioned
• 205. Forged
• 206. Formulated
• 208. Made Progress On
• 209. Operated
• 210. Organized
• 211. Perfected
• 212. Prepared
• 213. Pursued
• 214. Put Together
• 215. Set-Up
• 216. Undertook
• Created over 25 professional logos for companies in multiple industries, from small startups to large corporations.

Resume Action Verbs that Mean “Use” 

Instead of “utilize” or “use” replace them with these power words:

• 219. Deploy
• 220. Employ
• 222. Handle
• 223. Mobilize
• 224. Operate
• 225. Promote
• 226. Profit by
• 227. Put to Use
• 228. Restore
• 229. Revive
• 230. Resort to
• 231. Specialize in
• Handled full sales cycle for the company’s three biggest clients.

Resume Power Adjectives [w/ Examples]

Power adjectives have the same function as power verbs, but instead, they are…you guessed it: adjectives .

Unlike power verbs, you can use power adjectives beyond describing Professional Experience.

In this section, we'll cover how to use power adjectives in your resume summary, professional experience, and skills.

Then, we’re going to give you a complete list of the best power adjectives you can use in your resume.

Using Buzz Adjectives in the Resume Summary Section

The resume summary section is a short pitch to your prospective employer. You use it to summarize your most relevant experience, skills, and achievements.

When done right, adding some power adjectives can help your resume summary stand out.

Take a look at these examples:

• Caregiver with 5+ years of extensive experience. Recognized for providing heartfelt emotional support to clients. 
• Loving caregiver who has been working in an elderly home for 5 years. The perfect choice for delivering emotional support to clients.

The first example focuses on the candidate’s personal qualities, rather than her skills. Whereas the second example is professional and leaves a much more powerful impact. 

Want to know how to write the perfect summary for your resume?

Check out our complete guide, filled with professional examples and practical tips!

Using Power Adjectives in the Professional Experience Section

When you are describing your professional experience, power adjectives should be used sparingly. 

You already have plenty of action verbs in there, so don’t double down on the power words by adding an adjective. It’s either one or the other. 

Take a look at this example on how they can be strategically placed in a job description:

• Developed harmonious relationships with 70% of the patients, resulting in higher overall patient happiness.
• Developed relationships with 70% of the patients, resulting in overall patient happiness.

Using Power Adjectives in the Skills section

Don’t use power adjectives as a skill on their own. Don’t list “Intelligent” or “Professional” as a skill. Those are subjective personal traits.

Instead, use power adjectives only when they affirm your competency in another skill.

For example:

French and German vs Fluent in French and German 

Management skills vs Strong Management Skills 

The Best Power Adjectives [Divided by Category] 

Power adjectives for analytical thinking.

Are you constantly doing work that calls for putting your thinking hat on? 

This list is perfect for describing the detailed, calculating tasks you complete on a daily basis. 

They’re usually valuable for industries that require complicated critical thinking: IT , finance , telecommunications, engineering . 

• 232. Astute
• 233. Insightful
• 234. Methodical
• 235. Practical
• 236. Calculating
• 237. Intelligent
• 238. Meticulous
• 239. Shrewd
• 240. Complex
• 241. Investigative
• 242. Objective
• 243. Strategic
• 244. Discerning
• 245. Logical
• 246. Perceptive
• 247. Thoughtful

Power Adjectives for Creativity 

Use the adjective list below to describe creative work: 

• 248. Cutting-edge 
• 249. Imaginative 
• 250. Novel 
• 251. Sophisticated 
• 252. Elegant 
• 253. Ingenious 
• 254. Progressive
• 255. Unique 
• 256. First-class 
• 257. Innovative 
• 258. Revolutionary 
• 259. Unprecedented 
• 260. Groundbreaking 
• 261. Inventive 
• 262. Robust 
• 263. World-class

Power Adjectives for Productivity

• 264. Accomplished 
• 265. Economical 
• 266. Instrumental
• 267. Skilled 
• 268. Adept 
• 269. Expert 
• 270. Productive 
• 271. Skillful 
• 272. Advanced 
• 273. Fluent 
• 274. Proficient 
• 275. Strong 
• 276. Competent 
• 277. Ideal 
• 278. Profitable 
• 279. Superior 
• 280. Constructive 
• 281. Industrious 
• 282. Significant 
• 283. Qualified 
• 284. Cost-effective 
• 285. Influential 
• 286. Smooth 
• 287. Quality

Power Adjectives for Dedication

Recruiters love seeing genuine interest from a candidate. The words below are great for showing your dedication and high-spirits:

• 288. Committed
• 289. Devoted 
• 290. Genuine
• 291. Sincere 
• 292. Dedicated 
• 293. Earnest 
• 295. Spirited 
• 296. Determined 
• 297. Energetic 
• 298. Passionate 
• 299. Wholehearted

Power Adjectives to Describe Hard Work

Are you a diligent and driven person? Are you prepared to pull up tiring all-nighters to complete important projects? 

Here are some adjectives that compliment your hard work: 

• 300. Alert 
• 301. Driven 
• 302. Motivated 
• 303. Thorough 
• 304. Attentive
• 305. Enterprising 
• 306. Persistent 
• 307. Tireless 
• 308. Concerted 
• 309. Focused 
• 310. Studious 
• 311. Vigorous

Power Adjectives to Describe You as Organized and Systematic

• 312. Businesslike
• 313. Detail-oriented
• 314. Smooth
• 315. Systematic 
• 316. Controlled 
• 317. Orderly 
• 318. Step-by-step 
• 319. Timely 
• 320. Detailed 
• 321. Precise 
• 322. Structured

Power Adjectives for Communication and Teamwork 

Being friendly, understanding and sociable are key qualities for anyone working in a team setting or with customers and clients on a daily basis. 

Use these words to help describe your skills:

• 323. Amiable
• 324. Cheerful 
• 325. Cooperative 
• 326. Personable 
• 327. Amicable 
• 328. Clear 
• 329. Cordial 
• 330. Pleasant 
• 331. Articulate 
• 332. Coherent 
• 333. Courteous 
• 334. Positive 
• 336. Cohesive 
• 337. Diplomatic 
• 338. Respectful 
• 339. Charming 
• 340. Conscientious 
• 341. Harmonious 
• 342. Team-minded

Resume Buzzwords to Avoid 

Buzzwords are the opposite of power verbs.

They’re boring, overused, and hated by managers world-wide .

Here are some of the most popular buzzwords you should avoid:

• Hard worker
• Strategic thinker
• Outside the box
• Responsible for
• Specialized in
• Results-driven
• Team Player
• Detail Oriented
• In charge of 

Key Takeaways

Here’s everything we learned in this article:

• You can use power words to spice up your resume and add variety to your language. They are mostly verbs but can also be adjectives.
• To decide which power words to use, do a detailed scan of the job listing and identify the key responsibilities the employer is looking for. Your power words will be emphasizing how you have shown these traits. Be careful not to use more than one power word per sentence.
• Try using power verbs more often than power adjectives. It’s all about action!

Looking for more ways to improve your resume?

Suggested readings:

• How to Pick the Best Resume Format [+ Examples]
• How to List Education On a Resume [13+ real-life examples]
• What’s the Best Resume Font, Size, and Format [for 2024]

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Best Power Words to Use on Your Resume

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Why should you use resume power words?

Best types of resume power words, examples of resume power words.

Using power words is a good way to showcase your strengths on your resume. They not only give you the opportunity to create an impression on the recruiting managers, but also the ability to state your professional skills. In this article, you can learn why power words are important, some of the common types and some tips on how you should use them.

Recruiters often either scan or skim through resumes, and resume power words may be more likely to catch their attention. The words can emphasize your competency, help recruiters to quickly identify your skills and determine what you can do for their organization.

If all applicants, for example, have met the criteria, like years of experience or academic qualifications, consider how the recruiter may discern the best candidate. Candidates can set apart their qualifications by the way they describe their skills or measurable outcomes from previous roles.

For companies that use applicant tracking systems, the hiring mangers first use software to scan through resumes and search for predetermined or industry-specific keywords. They use the results to recommend the most suitable candidates for further consideration.

You can consider these types of power words to use on your resume:

Action verbs

Action verbs allow you to answer an important question: How did you go about achieving success? You use them to list the specific actions you undertook to achieve successful outcomes in your previous work stations. In this regard, they relieve you from the burden of listing the long and boring responsibilities previously assigned. Instead, you can focus on your success.

Depending on your level of experience, you have a large number of action verbs to choose from: facilitated, developed, designed, monitored, executed, analyzed, investigated and many others. Be careful not to use action verbs that do not suggest a high level of success. For example, instead of saying ‘in-charge of a group of interns,’ it is better to say ‘supervised a group of interns.’ And saying ‘presented to the board’ is less powerful compared to ‘persuaded the board.’

Industry-specific language 

On most occasions, you need to prove you belong to the industry. As a result, some industry lingo needs to be visible in your resume. If you are applying for a job in the IT industry, for instance, recruiters may expect statements like ‘designed an algorithm to,’ or ‘supervised the introduction of a customer relations cross-platform software.’ Again, be careful not to introduce what you won’t be able to explain in a possible interview.

Company-related power words

Organizations prefer candidates who identify themselves with their values. You need to carry out some research on the specific company whose job you are seeking. Look at their brochures, find out what the media or bloggers say about them, and above all, read their website extensively. If a company uses words like ‘dedicated to innovation,’ your resume will be in a much better position using words like ‘dedicated’ and ‘innovative’ as well.

Competency-based words

You need to convey your skills in a manner best understood by many people. Some skills have become so common that human resource managers will be surprised if you do not include some of these phrases in your resume, such as ‘attention to detail,’ ‘team player’ or ‘decision-making skills.’ While you should present your skills uniquely, there is no harm in including one or two of the popular ones in your resume.

Result-based power words

Recruiters need to know that you achieved tangible results. Resume power words such as revolutionized, revitalized, accomplished, consolidated, appointed, and implemented fall into this category. They differ from those in the action verbs category slightly. They describe actual outcomes and not the actions leading to those outcomes.   

Before using a power word, you need to gauge its contextual effectiveness. Some words are more appropriate than others in different sections of a resume. Words and phrases used to describe your skills might not work well for the professional experience section. Also, some words are more suitable for resumes in certain careers than others. The choice of action words for a teaching position will, most likely, be different from those for a plumbing position.

The following are examples of resume power words that you could use while describing various roles:

• When describing leadership roles, use words like appointed, directed, delegated, asserted, mentored, consolidated, inspired, fostered or similar words.
• When describing achievements or results, use words such as surpassed, increased, succeeded, revitalized or accomplished.
• For communication skills, choose words like publicized, energized, persuaded, addressed and reconciled.
• Technical roles will require words like automated, designed, upgraded, transformed, analyzed, investigated, developed, tested or advanced.
• For customer support or sales roles, use words like convinced, outperformed, persuaded, yielded, negotiated, initiated, enhanced, sustained, sold or advocated.
• To describe your organizational abilities, use power words like coordinated, facilitated, prioritized, monitored, executed, cataloged, operated, organized, proposed or introduced.

Resume power words are supposed to liven up your resume by making it more readable. You cannot avoid them. However, you need to exercise caution while using them: Do not use more than one power word in a sentence or bullet point; avoid repeating a particular word as it makes your resume boring to read; distribute power words as evenly as you possibly can—both in your resume and cover letter.

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Action Verbs for Cover Letter or Resume: Best Power Words to Include

The ProWritingAid Team

Adding action verbs will help your CV and cover letter to stand out from the rest of the pile. Your CV is your chance to show prospective companies the highlights of your professional and academic history, so the language that you use should be in tune with this aim.

Similarly, both your CV and cover letter need to be concise, so you should pick powerful words that help you stand out.

To make your application, use strong, industry-appropriate action verbs when highlighting your skills in your cover letter or CV.

Action verbs imply that action is taking place (or in the case of a CV, has taken place) and come across as more dynamic. This gives your application materials a more energetic, upbeat, and positive feel.

Use action verbs selectively to achieve the most impact. You don't need to pack every single sentence with an action verb, but you should try to include at least two or three.

ProWritingAid will notify you if you have less than three action verbs in your CV or cover letter and you'll receive an alert telling you that you need to "include some action verbs to make your CV stand out." If you have three or more, you're all set!

Action Verbs Help Highlight Your Skills

Using action verbs helps your CV and cover letter stand out to a hiring manager. Rather than opting for weak or commonplace words or phrases to describe your previous employment, choose action verbs to stress the skills you have developed and opportunities you seized.

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How To Use Power Words in Your Resume [examples]

Power words! The mere look and feel of the term is enough to impress, right? You might have many questions regarding power words.

What are they? Who uses them? And also not least, why even use power words? In this post I will answer just that.

In the following I will guide you through how and where to use this famed type of words - heck, I’ll even throw in some examples for you to take inspiration from.

What are power words?

Power words are words, or phrases, that will instantly boost your resume .

Some examples could be action verbs such as “redesigned” (“I redesigned the entire filing system to make it more efficient” for example) or “Launched”. Other power words could be “execute”, “increase” and “target”.

You should always try to keep them related to the words listed in the job post. If possible, even reuse the ones the company has used in the job ad.

Power word examples

Try to incorporate some of these examples of power words in your next resume :

Why use power words?

There are several reasons why you should include power words in your resume. First of all they will make you stand out from the crowd like the Joker from Batman at a formal ball. Second, they are sure to pique the recruiter’s curiosity towards you and that’s what we’re aiming for in a well written resume.

1. Increased readability

When adding power words to your resume you automatically make it easier for the recruiter to know exactly what you’re good at.

Recruiters have to be able to quickly scan your resume and determine if you’re a good match with the company (fact: studies have shown that recruiters spend less than 10 seconds scanning a resume).

By including power words that are related to the job position, you will make her job a lot easier.

2. Better, more fluent, language

When you add power words, you also vary your language. Instead of using worn out phrases like “team player”, “detail oriented”, or “results driven” you show the recruiter that you are able to raise yourself above the masses and shine.

Let me give you an example. You want to let the recruiter know that you’re a team player but you don’t want to use the actual word team player. What do you do? Instead of writing it, you’ll have to show it. Pick the right power words to describe a time when you collaborated with someone and then display the achievements you accomplished.

Use words like acknowledged, contributed and coordinated.

For example:

" During my last three months of employment I coordinated a team effort towards establishing a better work environment. ”

This shows that I am able to work in a team and achieve results at the same time = team player.

3. Helps you beat the machines

Yes people, Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are a thing. And they are here to stay. That means you are going to have to deal with them in your cover letter and resume. The trick is to focus on keywords. Not on the quantity though but on the quality. In this case your power words, if you keep them closely related to the job post, will help you out.

For more info about how to beat the Applicant Tracking Systems, go to our article 10 Surefire Ways to Beat The Applicant Tracking Systems .

How and where should I use power words?

The most important lesson is not to overdo it, as with everything else. A little sprinkle will get you a long way.

With that being said, it is always a good idea to place your power words at the top of your resume. This is also the position in which you should place your top achievements. That way, when the recruiters skim through your resume, they will notice your power words and achievements and you will have a better chance at being called into an interview .

If you want to know more about why you need a strong professional resume, try reading the article 7 Reasons Why You Need a Professional Resume and then create your very own by using our resume builder. 

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Resume and Cover Letter Action Verbs

• What Are Resume Action Verbs and Keywords
• Why and How to Include Action Verbs in Your Resume

Alphabetical List of Action Verbs

• Resume Example With Action Verbs

Why should you use action verbs in your resumes and cover letters? Hiring managers want to see what you can do to accomplish goals. Using keywords and action verbs cuts to the chase and demonstrates your abilities.

But choosing the right words doesn’t just show what you have accomplished in previous jobs. These words also help your resume , cover letter, and other application materials get selected by the software and hiring managers who screen your documents.

What Are Resume Action Verbs and Keywords?

Action verbs show your ability to succeed. For example, words like accomplished, developed, managed, and handled describe what you have achieved.

Keywords  are the words you use to search for available positions. They’re also the terms that hiring managers use to screen resumes and cover letters to find applicants that are a good fit for a job. Job keywords describe the  hard skills  you have that qualify you for a job.

The closer the keywords in a resume are to those in a job description, the better a candidate's chances of being selected for a job interview.

Why and How to Include Action Verbs in Your Resume

The keywords in your resume will help you get selected for a job interview. Hiring managers search by keywords to find resumes that match the  job qualifications  they established when they listed the job.

In addition to  listing keywords  specific to your occupation (like software or sales skills), include action words that show you what you have accomplished. Rather than just stating a list of duties, including action keywords in your position descriptions.

Here's an example:

• Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel
• Specialized in product order management
• Helped manage associates on the sales floor

Review these tips for how to get your resume past the applicant tracking systems  employers use, and this list of action keywords to use to get your application noticed when applying for jobs.

The Balance

A Achieved, accomplished, acted, adapted, addressed, analyzed, authored, authorized, assessed, assisted, appraised, amended, advised, allocated, altered, accelerated, acquired, aided, assembled

B Budgeted, built, brainstormed, balanced, blended, boosted

C Compiled, combined, challenged, chaired, committed, communicated, coordinated, calculated, contributed, commissioned, confirmed, customized, created, challenged, critiqued

D Decided, developed, disclosed, documented, discovered, designed, determined, demonstrated, deferred, distributed, directed, devoted, drafted, doubled, diversified, designated, dedicated, discussed

E Exercised, expected, earned, elected, engaged, entered, engineered, employed, edited, evaluated, entertained, eliminated, exchanged, ended, estimated, exempted, endorsed, expedited, experienced, enforced, explained

F Facilitated, focused, financed, fueled, figured, fit, formed, fortified, functioned, formulated

G Guided, grouped, gave, garnered, granted, generated, guaranteed, gathered, graphed

H Hired, handled, helped, headed

I Improved, identified, installed, inspired, interviewed, issued, invested, illustrated, implemented, incurred, innovated, inspected, invented, interpreted, inaugurated, informed, induced, instilled, incorporated

J Judged, joined, justified

L Located, lectured, launched, litigated, lobbied, led, listened

M Mastered, managed, merchandised, modified, met, minimized, modeled, measured, moderated, motivated, multiplied, marketed, maximized, moved, mediated

N Negotiated, noticed, navigated, networked

O Operated, owned, observed, oversaw, organized, obtained, oriented

P Participated, printed, proposed, pursued, persuaded, perceived, preserved, processed, produced, promoted, planned, performed, pioneered, passed, prioritized, proficiency, provided, profiled, polled, presented, procured, purchased, placed, permitted

Q Quoted, qualified, questioned, queried

R Ranked, resolved, received, rewarded, revised, revitalized, revamped, responded, restored, rejected, reinforced, reinstated, rehabilitated, remedied, redesigned, recruited, recovered, recorded, reduced, replaced, retained, retrieved, reversed, ran, raised, reached, reviewed, researched

S Saved, secured, stabilized, scheduled, screened, settled, separated, sent, selected, shaped, shortened, showed, signed, simplified, sold, specialized, staged, standardized, steered, stimulated, strategized, surveyed, supported, supplied, substantiated, set goals, supervised, studied

T Trained, tabulated, took, traveled, transformed, tested, transferred, tailored, targeted

U Utilized, uncovered, united, updated, undertook, unified, upgraded

V Verified, valued, validated, visited, visualized

W Witnessed, worked, weighed, wrote, won, welcomed

Resume Example With Action Verbs 

This is an example of a resume with action verbs. Download the resume template (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online),

Resume Example With Action Verbs (Text Version)

Lewis Givens 18 Oak Lane Houston, TX 77009 Cell: 555-555-5555 lgivens@email.com

PHARMACEUTICAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE

Physician Education / Territory Development / Relationship Building

Nationally top-ranked pharmaceutical sales representative with unprecedented success establishing market dominance for antidiabetics products. Charismatic presenter and negotiator, deftly forging and maintaining lasting relationships with physician groups and pharmacies.

Notable Sales Achievements

• Scored Pharma Sales Rep of the Quarter regional and national titles every year between 2010 and 2021.
• Pioneered new territories for newly launched Bleudacan® family of products, leading product to top 5% ranking nationally within six months of release.
• Consistently earned Chairman’s Circle and National President’s Club accolades throughout my career.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Biomed Corporation, Houston, TX Pharmaceutical Sales Representative  (06/2016 to Present)

Orchestrated market launch and territory penetration for Bleudacan® antidiabetics across the Southwest region of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada.

• Leveraged network of major accounts across the four-state territory to ensure immediate market dominance of novel Bleudacan® products.
• Authored well-received whitepaper on sales trends in the antidiabetics market.

Biogenics LLC, Houston, TX Pharmaceutical Sales Representative  (06/2009 to 06/2016)

Established reputation as a winning physician educator as a representative for the antidiabetics Restorex® and Historelb® in the Texas regional market.

• Captured Chairman’s Circle rankings for each year of tenure.
• Increased sales of Restorex® by 58% and of Historelb® by 46% within six months of hire.

The University of Texas, Austin, TX Bachelor of Science in Marketing

Professional Development Antidiabetics Sales, Value-driven Sales Techniques, Territory Growth Strategies, Regulatory Issues

The Power of Power Words in a Cover Letter

In This Guide:

What are cover letter power words

Why should you use power words on your cover letter

Power words you need to use on your cover letter

A well-written cover letter can make a recruiter instantly fall in love with your application.

But to get the job done, you will have to put in some hard work. Using power words and keywords will do the trick , but you need to know how to do it right.

It might be a little tricky at times, and you might wonder which are the best words to use in your cover letter .

We’ve got you covered, in this article we are going to explore the following questions:

• What are power words?

Why should you use power words on your cover letter?

And we are going to finish off with 15 great power words for you to use in your own cover letter.

If you have some doubts about your overall cover letter performance, take the time to check out our Cover Letter Builder and make your document be the best it can be .

But if you are ready to explore the topic of cover letter words, stick around.

What are cover letter power words?

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Cover letter power words are what makes your cover letter stand out.

They usually present your work experience and skills using action verbs that grab the attention of the recruiter , like “managed”, “mentored”, or “executed”.

It is also important to try matching these power words with the keywords you can find in the job listing, as the recruiter would be looking for them.

Using power words correctly can show your potential employer that you are serious about the job, and that you are qualified enough to be what they are looking for.

Using all the right words in your application documents is the best way to get the job you want.

When it comes to pre-selection, there are two options – either the recruiter does quick scans through all the documents, or it is done by an ATS (Applicant Tracking System).

Either way, they would be looking for the most important keywords for the position, which you can usually find easily by scanning the job description in the ad .

However, once the pre-selection is done, the recruiter would be reading a bit more carefully, and that’s when you should really grab their attention with some strong action verbs.

You are probably wondering which action verbs would come across as most powerful and attention grabbing. That’s why we have prepared a list of the best ones you can use in your cover letter.

15 Power words you need to use on your cover letter (+ examples)

Now let's get going and find the best words to use in your cover letter.

1. executed

A great action verb to use in your cover letter is “executed”. It clearly shows your previous achievements, and can also be combined with another power word – “achieved”.

Check out our example:

Executed [company name]’s marketing strategy and achieved a 300% boost in all sales metrics.

2. Improved

A slightly softer power word, but with the same impact is “improved”. Employers are always interested in improving their teams, and their overall company performance.

And here is a great way to use it in practice:

Improved the company’s sales tactics, resulting in increasing sales by 200% in just two weeks.

3. Launched

If you are a more creative type, and like building new products, “launch” is a great power word you should not miss out on using.

It would really grab the recruiter’s attention, as it shows your dedication for delivering new products or services.

Check out how you can use it in your cover letter:

Launched a successful eCommerce website that increased the company’s income by 150% in just one month.

If the role you are applying for is higher up the ladder, your potential employer might also seek some leadership skills in candidates.

A great way to show yours is by using “managed” to describe your past experiences managing a team.

To get the best out of it, try matching this:

Managed a team of 20 programmers, and managed to deliver a fully-functioning product to the client in just 3 weeks.

5. Resolved

No matter what position you are aiming at, you will have to face some problems, and you will have to find quick and effective solutions.

That’s why the power word “Resolved” can really spice up your cover letter and get the recruiter’s attention.

It is also a great word to combine with another action verb, like “improved”.

If you are wondering how to do so, check this example out:

Resolved 200+ tickets in the first quarter of 2022 in a record time that helped improve the company’s overall response rate.

6. Mentored

If you want to be a successful leader, you don’t only need to manage people, but you need to know how to guide them.

That’s where the power word “mentored” fits perfectly, and can set you one step ahead of the competition.

Here is a great way to use it in your cover letter:

Mentored 3 programs for junior QAs, resulting in over 20 highly-qualified professionals.

7. Volunteer"

Volunteer work is often neglected by applicants , but it can really show you off as a well-rounded person that enjoys giving back.

So, if you want to present yourself in a great light, don’t miss out on using “volunteered” in your cover letter.

And here is how to do it right:

Volunteered in a soup kitchen every Friday night for 2 years.

8. Updated/Upgraded

It is essential for employers, especially in the I.T., to stay up-to-date with modern technologies.

That’s where the power words “Updated” and “Upgraded” can play a great role in your application process.

Check out how to use them in your favor:

Updated modem software and upgraded cable management to increase internet speed by 200%.

9. Analyzed

Analytical and logical thinking is essential for a great deal of professions.

So, the action verb “analyzed” can only work in your favor.

Here is how you do it:

Analyzed past quarter’s income and expenses, and improved the company’s finance strategy, saving up to 20% per quarter.

10. Boosted

Sometimes employers feel like the company’s progress has stopped. And even though it is in a good place, some improvements are always welcome with open heart.

That’s where you can shine with the power word “boosted”, and show your potential employer that you can do for them what you have already done for other companies.

Boosted sales figures 200% by establishing a solid network of professional contacts.

11. Implemented

Another great word for improvements you have done in your previous work place is the power word “implemented”.

Check out how to use it right:

Implemented a company-wide zero-waste policy that saved $30K on office supplies a year.

12. Corresponded

Communication is a great asset in your skill set for many job positions.

And if you want to grab the recruiter’s attention with your communication skills, the action verb “corresponded” in your cover letter will most likely do the trick.

Here is how to use it to the best extent:

Corresponded with 15+ vendors regularly in order to maintain good business relations, high quality of service, and competitive prices.

13. Negotiated

Another side of the communication skills comes to you cutting a deal with a client when you are in sales.

A great way to show off your sales skills is by using “negotiated” when describing your work related achievements.

To get the best out of it, follow this model:

Negotiated terms of service with the Internet Service Provider, which lowered the costs by 40% while improving connection speeds up to 3x.

14. simplified

Sometimes the simple solutions are the best, and this is why the power word “simplified” can be so influential.

You can also always combine it with other similar and compatible words like “standardized”.

And here is how to use it right in your cover letter:

Simplified and standardized UX design workflow that saved the team up to 12 man-hours from sprint to sprint.

15. Awarded

Among many great achievements you can mention in your application documents, awards given by your past employers for your work are probably the best .

By including the power word “awarded” in your cover letter, you can show your potential employer that you are a valued employee, and that you deserve some more attention.

To get the best out of this word, check out our example:

Awarded employee of the month for months April-December 2021 and February-June 2022.

We are all done, now you know what are power words in your cover letter, and why you should use them in your application documents.

Make sure you also match the keywords in the job listing, as that’s what the recruiter would initially look for in your documents.

Check out our selection of 15 power words that you need to use in your cover letter, and get your dream job in no time.

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Power words: Resume and cover letter

When seeking a job, it is critical to include power words in your resume and cover letter. Utilizing these words illustrates your strong points and why you are the best candidate for the job. Power words can also liven up your job requirements and consider them seem more alive than flat. Including action words on your resume can assist you to catch the recruiter's attention. It can improve your likelihood of acquiring an interview and possibly landing a new job. If you're searching for a job, you might want to look into some excellent words to include in your resume until you apply. This guide will describe what power words are and tips to add such powerful words to your resume and cover letter.

What are resume power words

An impressive resume or cover letter phrases are often solid or powerful words that enable you to convey your strengths, qualities, experiences, and accomplishments explicitly. Such words might be adjectives describing your work ethic, verbs expressing what you have accomplished, or nouns describing you as an individual. Using the proper collection of text on your resume can facilitate you to stand out from the crowd during the application procedure.

How to pick the power words for your resume

Many phrases can be used on a resume, it is critical to select words that precisely represent your characteristics and experience. Here are some things to consider when deciding which words to incorporate on your resume;

Tailor your resume to each job

It's a great idea to customize your resume for every job candidate. It will assist you in ensuring that it pertains to the precise role. A recruiter is more probable to shortlist a resume that appears to be a match for the job on offer. It indicates you could advance to the next stage of the application procedure.

Review the job description

The job description usually includes information about the type of worker the company wants. For instance, if you check the job description for a customer service representative and recognize that they are looking for prompt and positive people, you can try to add synonyms for such terms on your resume. You may describe yourself as self-directed, dedicated, enthusiastic, or friendly. Rather than accurately replicating the words in the job advertisement, strive to discover some substitute words that you think suit the tone of the job advertisement.

Recognize your unique talents

After reviewing the job posting, consider the expertise that would qualify you for the position. For instance, If they request individuals with management skills, you might employ some of the terms that define a leadership position. Verbs such as advocate, inspire, orchestrate, pioneer, and unite are examples. It is critical to only represent qualifications that you possess.

Conduct research on the company website

It might be a great idea to explore the organization's website as you apply for a job. You can inquire whether they have any details about their organization's ethos or any specific facts for a potential employee. For instance, if you notice that they take pride in being a resource-efficient corporation and you have an eco-friendly outlook, you may showcase this on your resume by utilizing power words such as environmentally-conscious to distinguish yourself.

Importance of power words

Power words are utilized for a range of factors. To begin, due to the large volume of resumes and cover letters they obtain, recruiters speedily browse through them. These powerful words leap off the page, demonstrating to the potential employer that you have the necessary experience and competencies. Also, many resume language is redundant and monotonous. It will be difficult to distinguish yourself if your language is similar to other candidates' resumes. Lastly, when a business employs an ATS software, power words are beneficial. These tracking algorithms assist recruiters in screening applications since they only require concentrating on the best applicants. One way an ATS functions is to reject resumes that lack specific keywords.

Types of power words

Action verbs.

An action verb is a form of the verb that illustrates your potential to perform. Such words prove the abilities you utilized to excel in former roles. "Achieved," "developed," "conducted," and "monitored" are examples of action verbs.

Organization values

Employ key phrases that the corporation uses to define itself to exemplify that you are a perfect match. This language may be found on the business's "About Us" page or in job postings. For instance, if the firm describes itself as "imaginative," you could include the words "creative" or "inventive" in your resume.

There are definite skills and traits that every recruiter seeks in a job applicant. For instance, hiring managers always seek employees who are liable, optimistic, and capable leaders. Use this sort of language to showcase that you have such necessary skills.

Keywords are terms from the job description that refer to specific expertise or other job specifications. By including them in your resume, you will display that you meet the specifications of the role, "Analyzed," "measured," "scheduled," "conditioned," "constructed," and "trained" are some keywords. Industry terminology and buzzwords: Specific keywords are essential in every industry. Understanding and correctly using such words shows that you have put in the maximum effort.

Resume buzzwords

You can incorporate the buzzwords used by recruiters in job advertisements to emphasize your applicable skills in your resume. Include relevant buzzwords in your job application to display that you are familiar with the industry. Some common buzzwords are "qualified," "assisted" "initiated," and "established."

List of power words

• Collaborate
• Communicate
• Consolidate
• Demonstrate
• Detail-oriented
• Development
• Enthusiastic
• Investigate
• Participate
• Professional
• Responsibility
• Restructure
• Results-Oriented

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Best Words To Describe Yourself (For Resumes, Cover Letters, and Interviews)

• How To Write A Resume
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Using the right words can make a huge difference in a resume, cover letter , or interview. You only get a show time to sell yourself as a candidate, meaning that picking the right descriptors can make a huge difference. Make sure to use strong adjectives, action words, power words, and language specific to your industry when describing yourself.

Word choice in a resume and cover letter are extremely important, as they’re both short documents that need to impress a hiring manager in a hurry. If you’re writing a resume, cover letter, or going to an interview and want to know the right adjectives to use, then keep reading.

Key Takeaways

You can use action verbs, industry-specific skill words, and powerful adjectives to describe yourself in resumes, cover letters, and interviews.

Stay away from buzzwords, slang terms, and hyperbolic descriptors.

Incorporate keywords from the job description into your resume and cover letter in order to get past ATS filters and to a real person.

Power words are words that evoke an emotional reaction. They’re often used in marketing techniques, but can also be useful for resumes, cover letters, and interviews.

The best words to use to describe yourself

Tips for using power words in your resume, tips for incorporate power words into your cover letter, how to answer “how would you describe yourself” at a job interview, example answers to “how would you describe yourself”, resume-killing phrases to avoid, best words to describe yourself faqs, ask the experts.

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It’s important to use evocative words when describing your personality, skills, or accomplishments. You have to make sure you don’t go overboard, but be sure to use active voice and powerful adjectives. You want to sound proactive and results-oriented.

Emphasize using these types of words:

Strong verbs. On your resume, you want to make sure that you start your sentence with a verb, and the stronger the better.

For instance: Arranged and organized weekly team meetings.

Rather than: Responsible for arranging and holding weekly meetings.

The first once sounds much more proactive and punchier, emphasizing the active part of your duties. A well-written cover letter will prioritize stronger verbs as well, as will an interviewer . For instance, replace commonly used verbs with stronger one, such as:

Change cut costs to decreased, streamlined, economized, reduced expenses, or controlled costs

Replace led with: orchestrated, conducted, directed, or spearheaded

Created with designed, crafted, developed, formulated, or conceptualized

Boosted with increased, accelerated, drove, improved, or optimized

Improved with advanced, enhanced, increased, or strengthened

Trained with facilitated, educated, instructed, taught, guided, or coached

Industry skill words

If you want to catch a recruiter ’s attention, consider what industry you’re in. There are certain skills or keywords that show your expertise in a particular industry and are likely to be skills that hiring managers are looking for. It also shows that you’re familiar with the skills and expertise required in the job you’re applying for.

Here are a few examples:

Sales: relationship building, negotiation, persuasive communication, prospecting, closing, territory development

Management: leadership, supervisory skills, coaching, mentoring

Marketing: SEO, conversion optimization, email marketing, content marketing

Accounting: taxation compliance, automatic data processing (ADP), reconciliation, accounts payable, accounts receivable , return on assets

Project management: budget management, proposal writing, compliance, vendor management, risk mitigation

Administration: attention to detail, creating macros, confidentiality, Microsoft Office suite, scheduling

Engineering: quality control , troubleshooting, materials management, research and development, systems integration

Web development: graphic design, user experience, e-commerce, web design, front end/back end, Java, HTML/CSS

Finding these industry-related keywords is easier than you think. Just do a quick Google search for the job openings in that industry. Read the job descriptions and look for any keywords that stand out. Jot down any that describe the qualifications and skills that you have.

Or, even better, identify keywords from a specific job description. Then include these keywords in your resume. When you know what your potential employers are looking for , it’s easy to reverse engineer your resume to show you are a perfect match for their needs.

Powerful Adjectives

When you are writing your resume you want to come across as a rock star, but not sound like a commercial. You need to strike that perfect balance between strong and enticing and blatantly promotional. Choosing the right adjectives for your resume summary statement and the body of your resume will help you find that sweet spot.

Employers are looking to attract and retain top talent. Leadership shows that you have initiative and can drive results for their organization.

You don’t want to use the word leadership over and over. You want to vary it a bit. Here are some words to describe your leadership qualities. Below are a couple of examples. Leadership Adjectives:

Authoritative

Goal-Oriented

Teamwork Adjectives:

Deadline Driven

Detail Oriented

Communication Skills

Collaborative

Cross-functional

Team-player

Using power words, strong verbs, and powerful adjectives are a great way to catch a recruiter’s attention — so long as you don’t overdo it. There are ways that you can incorporate strong language into a resume more effectively, and here are tips to writing up an excellent resume.

Be concise. Short pithy sentences beat longer sentences. Simple direct sentences have more power.

Keep bullet points to one line. Try not to have bullet points wrap around. Shorten them to one line if possible.

Eliminate any widows. A widow is a single word that is wrapped around and is alone on the next line. Don’t do this:

Spearheaded initiative to go green and eliminate delivery truck gas emissions by August 2021

Include ATS friendly words. You may have the best resume in the world, but if your resume is not ATS-friendly , it may never be seen by the potential employer. ATS stands for applicant tracking system and is the robot filter that companies use to handle large amounts of resumes — you need to make it past the filter to be seen.

If you want to get your resume seen, you’ll want to include the right ATS keywords. You write resumes both for people and for the applicant tracking system. Many bigger companies scan and search through resumes pulling top applicants to the top. If your resume doesn’t make it through the ATS system, it may never be seen by a recruiter or hiring manager.

The keywords that the ATS system checks for are determined by the future employer. That’s why it’s important to closely read a job description, look for keywords, and include these keywords in your resume.

Cover letters are where you showcase both your writing skills and other interests and skills that don’t fit well into your resume. That means that it’s your employer’s first introduction to you as more than just a list of skills. Here are some ways to use power words to ensure you have an engaging cover letter.

Focus on the opening line . The first line of the cover letter is where you can hook your reader . Make sure that it’s powerful and gives them an idea of why you’re interested in the job. Don’t be afraid to be enthusiastic, so long as you maintain professionalism.

Don’t just rehash your resume. Your cover letter isn’t just your resume in paragraph form. Make sure to include skills and interests that aren’t in the cover letter. Once again, pay attention to industry skills, and the verbs and adjectives you use.

Showcase your passion. Part of a cover letter’s job is making you interesting. Don’t list any interesting thing about yourself — try to make it relevant to the job. But beyond that, draw in whatever passion or interest you have and make it applicable to the job you’re applying for.

Add a call to action. Don’t forget to add a call to action. This can be as simple as saying you look forward to hearing from them, or it can be that you are excited to discuss your qualifications in an interview. But make sure to use strong verbs and active voice.

Make sure it’s ATS friendly. Not every ATS will scan cover letters, but that does’t mean that you should overlook the importance of keywords. Make sure to put both industry specific keywords as well as ones listed on the job description. If the ATS does scan your cover letter, it’ll show you to be eminently qualified.

It’s always difficult to balance being underprepared for an interview and coming off overly scripted. That means that you need to consider what you know about the position and the company and come up with good off-the-cuff answers, which is a difficult skill to master. But here are some ways to help you answer this question.

Get to the point and stay relevant. It can be easy to go off on a tangent when this question comes up. Get straight to the point and give one or two personality traits that showcase the professional skills you feel the employer values most.

Be honest. Of course, it’s not just about telling the interviewer what you think they want to hear. You’re not doing anyone any favors by lying about your personality or work style . Answer honestly so that both you and the hiring manager can decide whether the job is a good fit for you.

Pick universally likeable traits. Words like “authoritative” or “tolerant” might be positive to some, but others might read negative traits into them. Instead, stick with personal qualities that everyone can agree are positive, like “collaborative,” “curious,” or “diligent.”

Give context. This is the most important part of your answer. It’s not enough to simply rattle off a few adjectives and call it a day. The interviewer will appreciate a story in which the descriptive words come to life.

For example, if you describe yourself as persistent, describe a professional situation in which your persistence paid off with fantastic results.

I would describe myself as a team player who always puts big-picture objectives over personal gain. When I was working on a design project with other graphic designers, we realized late in production that there a number of small, difficult-to-ingrain elements that we failed to implement. While it was a group mistake, I took up the extra work to make sure that the other designers could start work on the client’s next project. That client ended up being impressed with our attention to detail and remains a customer to this day.

Persistence is what sets me apart. When I had a dream for a social media marketing campaign, I worked tirelessly at it. For months, we saw no traction as posts went un-shared and engagement was rock bottom. While I was by no means an expert on this part of digital marketing, I made it a goal to seek out advice and study up on best practices. After six months and countless trials and errors, I was able to earn us over 15,000 subscribers and engagement had gone up by over 1000%. When I know an idea is a winner, I’ll stop at nothing to make it a reality.

My biggest asset is my creativity, and it’s a word my former supervisor used to describe me a lot. We once had a project that involved coding multiple landing pages with similar assets. When I saw that this was going to be a long-term project, I took a few hours to write a Python script that could automate a lot of the grunt work while ensuring consistency. Nobody had approached the problem that way or indicated that this was a possible solution, but my manager was impressed. She credited this creative idea as saving over $10,000 in hours of labor.

As an executive assistant , I find that organization is the trait that defines me in my professional life. When you have a boss who handles dozens of client accounts worth over $1M, you need to make sure that each and every client is receiving the attention they need, when they need it. By creating a master spreadsheet that included all important information, and condensing that master list into highly readable notes for the VP of sales, I was able to streamline client meetings and account management.

You know the feeling you get when your parents try to use phrases to be cool? Like when your mom is hanging out with you and your friends and says something is “sick”. It’s kind of icky, inappropriate, and disgusting. That’s how hiring managers feel when you use buzzwords on a resume.

Are resume buzzwords worth it ? Many of these phrases were cool in their day, but now, these cliches have seriously lost their staying power and it’s time to retire them.

Are you guilty of using any of the following outdated terms? Here are the resume buzzwords and things to avoid putting on a resume .

If you don’t want to make recruiters cringe, explain what you mean in engaging conversational language. Don’t lean on these overused terms.

How do you describe yourself in a resume?

You describe yourself in a resume by using action words, industry-specific skills, and powerful adjectives throughout it. By making the most of the words you use to describe your goals and accomplishments, you can give hiring managers a solid understanding of who you are and what you’re about.

What are three words to describe yourself for a job?

Three words to describe yourself for a job are “motivated,” “reliable,” and “strategic.” There are plenty of other words out there to describe you as well, but these are likely to please almost any employer (just make sure they actually describe you before you use them).

How can I describe myself in one word?

You can describe yourself in one word by choosing a word that can be applied to you in many situations. For example, “tenacious” and “positive” are both words that you can exemplify in a variety of settings.

What are good action words to use on a resume?

Good action words to use on a resume include words like “achieved,” “conducted,” and “assisted.” Use stronger words that evoke more specific meanings, and avoid more bland terms like “managed” or “worked on.”

University of Colorado Boulder – Action Verbs to Use on Your Resume

Harvard Business Review — How to Respond to “So, Tell Me About Yourself” In a Job Interview

Forbes — 34 Words and Phrases That Scream ‘I’m a Leader’ on Resumes

What tips would you give to optimize a resume?

Bill Gutches The Path To Inkc

In an Overview or Value Proposition, use power verbs to start each bullet or statement and be sure to quantify the amount of benefit your client / employer received as a result of your work.

Make sure the Start and Stop dates for each Employer or Contract are contiguous: that there are no gaps in the work timeline.

Create a unique resume with appropriate key phrases for each application so that the words in the resume match as closely as possible to the job description you are applying for.

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Hope Stebbins is an experienced writer and editor within the field of finance and contracts, sales, and business operations. She combines operational analysis with creativity to develop compelling written content. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Eastern University.

Don Pippin is an executive and HR leader for Fortune 50 and 500 companies and startups. In 2008, Don launched area|Talent with a focus on helping clients identify their brand. As a Certified Professional Resume Writer, Certified Digital Career Strategist, and Certified Personal Branding Strategist, Don guides clients through career transitions.

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