Must Use Words in Your Resume

Diction or word choice is important when it comes to drafting your resume, not just to ensure that your resume is reviewed positively by software, but also because you want to wow recruiters with your skills, competencies and relevant credentials. Using certain words in resume helps demonstrate your strengths and highlights why you are right for the job. The comprehensive list of words below will also jazz up your job descriptions and make them seem alive, as opposed to flat. 

Let's begin by looking must include words in resume, why they are important, and how to effectively use them.

Always Use Action Verbs

One type of power worda in resume is an action verb. This kind of verb shows your ability to succeed. These words demonstrate the skills you have used in previous jobs to achieve success.

When writing a resume, it’s important to avoid weak and passive verbs. These faulty word choices can undermine the strength and effectiveness of your resume. Instead, make a point of using powerful action verbs and avoid overusing the same verbs. Here are some examples:

To introduce your accomplishments, try:

Achieved
Capitalized
Drove
Endeavored
Established
Exceeded
Sharpened
Shattered
Sparked
Steered
Supervised
Surpassed

Instead of “responsible for,” try:

Analyzed
Assembled
Built
Founded
Created
Constructed
Delivered
Developed
Executed
Expanded
Finalized
Guided
Handled
Headed
Improved
Increased
Initiated
Implemented
Produced
Reached
Volunteered

To illustrate your communication skills, try:

Collaborated
Conveyed
Enlivened
Instructed
Performed
Presented
Spoke
Trained

For creative positions, try:

Authored
Brainstormed
Briefed
Communicated
Conceptualized
Curated
Derived
Designed
Drafted
Edited
Illustrated
Influenced
Proofread
Published
Researched
Strategized
Storyboarded
Translated
Visualized
Wrote

Others:

Maximized
Negotiated
Arranged
Directed
Empowered
Endorsed
Identified
Resolved
Optimized
Predicted
Audited
Classified
Collected
Investigated
Maintained
Minimized
Recognized
Secured

Diagnosed
Discovered
Formulated
Installed
Launched
Networked
Planned
Programmed
Rewrote
Tested
 

Numbers

If you want to show that you’re results oriented and hardworking, share the numbers. For example, rather than stating that you’re an “excellent digital marketer,” prove it. Say something that reflects your actual results, such as, ‘Grew online sales and revenue by 200% in one year.’ Now, that’s impressive!”

Get specific

“Results-oriented” and “hardworking,” can sound lame because they’re overused. It is really more about choosing words that accurately describe actions or goals that were met. Rather than only mentioning hard-working, consider saying what hard work was done. It is important to use verbs that really pinpoint what was accomplished. Try to consider the following words in resume: influenced, improved, achieved, etc. This way, there is no miscommunication about a candidate’s qualifications.

Provide examples

It’s very hard to convince a resume reader that you possess various soft skills, such as team player, just by listing these on your resume. Most job seekers want to be desirable and so they list these in-demand skills. But just listing the skill doesn’t do anything to set you apart from the crowd. The most powerful thing you can do is give examples. If you want to show that you are a team player, you can talk about things like working on cross-functional teams, on boarding new hires, or developing a cross-training program. By listing concrete accomplishments and projects, you are demonstrating you have these skills in a credible and believable way that will help set you apart.