Power Words For Resumes

Written by on May 12, 2014 in Blog, Grammar, resume tips, Writing with 2 Comments

power words are like barbells

Power Words For Resumes

Words can be very powerful. And since your resume is—by necessity—limited to a page or two, it is important that the words you use have impact. Resumes consist of incomplete sentences and bullet points; you can’t afford to use weak or passive verbs.

I compiled this list from many sources, including polls taken with HR representatives and recruiters whose job it is to screen resumes. The words below were the ones most often mentioned, or found, on other lists. I have marked in bold the ones I, and others, felt were some of the strongest words.

 List of recommended power words:

absorbed

accelerated

accessed

accomplished

accrued

achieved

acquired

acted

activated

adapted

addressed

adjusted

administered

advanced

advised

advocated

affirmed

aided

alerted

aligned

allocated

analyzed

announced

applied

appraised

approved

arbitrated

arranged

assembled

assessed

assigned

attained

balanced

bargained

began

bolstered

boosted

briefed

budgeted

built

calculated

chaired

changed

checked

chose

closed

coached

collaborated

combined

communicated

compared

compiled

completed

complied

composed

computed

conceptualized

concluded

condensed

conducted

conferred

configured

connected

conserved

consolidated

constructed

consulted

contributed

controlled

converted

conveyed

convinced

coordinated

created

cultivated

cut

declined

defined

delivered

demonstrated

designed

developed

devised

directed

discovered

distributed

drafted

eliminated

encouraged

engineered

enhanced

ensured

established

estimated

evaluated

examined

exceeded

executed

expanded

expedited

financed

finished

fixed

focused

formulated

funded

furnished

gained

generated

guided

hired

hosted

implemented

improved

improvised

increased

influenced

initiated

innovated

inspired

installed

instituted

integrated

introduced

invented

joined

justified

launched

led

lessened

maintained

managed

marketed

mediated

mentored

merged

modified

negotiated

obtained

opened

operated

organized

persuaded

planned

prepared

presented

prevented

prioritized

processed

produced

programmed

projected

provided

purchased

qualified

raised

reached

recommended

reconciled

recovered

recruited

reduced

refined

refocused

regulated

repaired

replaced

reported

researched

resolved

restored

restructured

revamped

reviewed

revised

revitalized

ran

saved

scheduled

screened

secured

selected

sold

solved

sorted

specified

sponsored

started

streamlined
strengthened

succeeded

suggested

summarized

supervised

supported

sustained

targeted

tracked

trained

transformed

translated

troubleshot

uncovered

unified

upgraded

validated

verified

volunteered

wrote

yielded

 

Bottom Line

No matter what words you use on your resume, remember to think about them and what kind of message you’re sending.

You might also enjoy another article I wrote on the power that words have.

 

If you enjoyed this post, please share it, and feel free to download the list. 

Jim (Giacomo) Giammatteo is a headhunter who writes resumes and cover letters. He is also the author of the No Mistakes Careers series, and gritty crime dramas about murder, mystery, and family.

If you want the pdf for this post, click here.

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About the Author

About the Author: When I’m not headhunting, or writing, I help my wife take care of our animal sanctuary. At last count we had 45 animals—11 dogs, 1 horse, 6 cats, and 26 pigs. Oh, and one crazy—and very large—wild boar named Dennis who takes walks with me every day and happens to also be my best buddy. For information on my mystery/suspense books, go to giacomog.com .

2 Reader Comments

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  1. T.K. says:

    This is a great list. Thank you for compiling and posting it!

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