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200 Resumé Words That Make Your Resumé Stand Out

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

  1. Authorized
  2. Chaired
  3. Conducted
  4. Controlled
  5. Delegated
  6. Directed
  7. Drove
  8. Empowered
  9. Enabled
  10.  Enforced
  11.  Executed
  12.  Facilitated
  13.  Fostered
  14.  Founded
  15.  Guided
  16.  Headed
  17.  Instructed
  18.  Mentored
  19.  Moderated
  20.  Motivated
  21.  Orchestrated
  22.  Overhauled
  23.  Presided
  24.  Spearheaded
  25.  Steered
  26.  Supervised
  27.  Trained

Resumé Power Words for Collaborate

  1.  Aligned
  2.  Associated
  3.  Combined
  4.  Contributed
  5.  Cooperated
  6.  Joined
  7.  Integrated
  8.  Linked
  9.  Merged
  10.  Pooled
  11.  Synchronized
  12.  United

Resumé Power Words for Responsible For

  1.  Achieved
  2.  Accomplished
  3.  Assembled
  4.  Concluded
  5.  Contributed
  6.  Coordinated
  7.  Devised
  8.  Effected
  9.  Fulfilled
  10.  Gathered
  11.  Handled
  12.  Produced
  13.  Prompted
  14.  Solved

Resumé Power Words for Communication

  1.  Advertised
  2.  Authored
  3.  Broadcast
  4.  Circulated
  5.  Distributed
  6.  Championed
  7.  Clarified
  8.  Consulted
  9.  Conveyed
  10.  Defined
  11.  Diagramed
  12.  Documented
  13.  Drafted
  14.  Endorsed
  15.  Illustrated
  16.  Influenced
  17.  Informed
  18.  Liaison
  19.  Moderated
  20.  Negotiated
  21.  Networked
  22.  Notated
  23.  Persuaded
  24.  Presented
  25.  Promoted
  26.  Publicized
  27.  Published
  28.  Recommended
  29.  Recorded
  30.  Storyboarded
  31.  Translated

Resumé Power Words for Achieved

  1.  Accomplished
  2.  Administered
  3.  Arranged
  4.  Attained
  5.  Captured
  6.  Completed
  7.  Converted
  8.  Delivered
  9.  Earned
  10.  Enacted
  11.  Established
  12.  Lifted
  13.  Performed
  14.  Predicted
  15.  Procured
  16.  Proved
  17.  Secured
  18.  Strategized
  19.  Trailblazed
  20.  Won
  21.  Yielded

Resumé Power Words for Worked On

  1.  Applied
  2.  Attended
  3.  Completed
  4.  Dedicated
  5.  Endeavored
  6.  Forecasted
  7.  Formulated
  8.  Implemented
  9.  Masterminded
  10.  Operated
  11.  Performed
  12.  Pursued
  13.  Processed
  14.  Rendered
  15.  Strove
  16.  Troubleshot
  17.  Undertook
  18.  Visualized
  19.  Volunteered

Resumé Power Words for Improved

  1.  Accelerated
  2.  Advanced
  3.  Boosted
  4.  Discerned
  5.  Enhanced
  6.  Expanded
  7.  Familiarized
  8.  Increased
  9.  Maximized
  10.  Outpaced
  11.  Perfected
  12.  Redesigned
  13.  Refined
  14.  Reformed
  15.  Renovated
  16.  Resolved
  17.  Restructured
  18.  Revamped
  19.  Revitalized
  20.  Simplified
  21.  Skyrocketed
  22.  Streamlined
  23.  Strengthened
  24.  Transformed
  25.  Upgraded

Resumé Power Words for Researched

  1. Analyzed
  2. Assessed
  3. Audited
  4. Confirmed
  5. Diagnosed
  6. Discovered
  7. Examined
  8. Explored
  9. Identified
  10. Inquired
  11. Inspected
  12. Investigated
  13. Mapped
  14. Measured
  15. Mined
  16. Quantified
  17. Surveyed
  18. Tested
  19. Tracked
  20. Verified

Resumé Power Words for Created

  1. Adapted
  2. Built
  3. Coded
  4. Constructed
  5. Designed
  6. Developed
  7. Engineered
  8. Established
  9. Fashioned
  10. Formulated
  11. Generated
  12. Initiated
  13. Inspired
  14. Instituted
  15. Introduced
  16. Kick-started
  17. Launched
  18. Sketched
  19. Wrote

Resumé Power Words for Managed

  1.  Controlled
  2.  Designated
  3.  Directed
  4.  Employed
  5.  Governed
  6.  Led
  7.  Mastered
  8.  Organized
  9.  Oversaw
  10.  Planned
  11.  Programmed
  12.  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:

  1. Answered customer questions on the phone in a timely manner
  2. 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.

Get Everything You Need to Land the Job You Love!

For more tips to create a powerful resumé, download my FREE Interview Guide. You’ll learn the five areas you need to spend time and effort on before walking into your next interview. You’ve got this!

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Ken Coleman

About the author

Ken Coleman

Ken Coleman is a career expert and author of the national bestselling book From Paycheck to Purpose and the #1 national bestseller The Proximity Principle. He hosts The Ken Coleman Show, a nationally syndicated, caller-driven show that helps listeners discover what they were born to do. Ken makes regular appearances on Fox News, and he co-hosts The Ramsey Show, the second-largest talk show in the nation. Through his speaking, broadcasting and syndicated columns, Ken gives people expert career advice, providing strategic steps to grow professionally, land their dream job, and get promoted.  Learn More.

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