Your resume is the most critical tool for landing an interview.
This brief snapshot of your career needs to be precisely crafted. Avoid weak, tired or passive words. Instead, use powerful action verbs that will enable you to quantify your contributions. Strong word choices will bring a confident tone to your resume.
Keep these rules in mind as you craft or overhaul your resume:
- Bullets: Use bullet points so your achievements stand out. The most important bullets must appear at the top.
- Quantify: Combine powerful verbs with quantifiable results. For each accomplishment include how many, how much, how long or how often. For example, “Negotiated and closed 100 individual contracts over $30,000 each.”
- Keywords: Keywords are the skills and qualifications that the hiring manager is looking for. You will find these in the job description for the job you are applying for. Many resumes are screened by an applicant tracking system that will search for relevant keywords. The hiring manager will only view your resume if these words get picked up.
- Proof: Just one typo can cause your resume to end up in the rejection pile. Review it multiple times, do a line-by-by line edit, read it backward, and have a friend do the same.
- Verbs: Powerful verbs make your resume stand out. Start each bullet point with one of these verbs to show how you have achieved success.
2. Accomplished
3. Achieved
4. Advanced
5. Advocated
6. Analyzed
7. Audited
8. Boosted
9. Built
10. Chaired
11. Compiled
12. Converted
13. Created
14. Cultivated
15. Decreased
16. Designed
17. Determined
18. Developed
19. Directed
20. Discovered
21. Eliminated
22. Enhanced
23. Examined
24. Exceeded
25. Expanded
26. Forged
27. Formulated
28. Generated
29. Improved
30. Increased
31. Inspired
32. Integrated
33. Invented
34. Maximized
35. Measured
36. Mentored
37. Merged
38. Minimized
39. Mobilized
40. Moderated
41. Motivated
42. Negotiated
43. Optimized
44. Orchestrated
45. Overhauled
46. Persuaded
47. Piloted
48. Pioneered
49. Planned
50. Produced
51. Promoted
52. Proved
53. Pursued
54. Quantified
55. Reduced
56. Resolved
57. Spearheaded
58. Stimulated
59. Streamlined
60. Strengthened
Use the right power words to pump up your resume and increase your chances of getting an interview.
Written by:
Kathy Lin, Marketing Communications Manager
Kathy writes content for Tal Healthcare, a healthcare career website. She has a background in recruiting, sales, and teaching. She holds a BA in Biology from the University of Vermont. When she isn’t writing you can find her outside running, skiing or biking.