With hundreds and hundreds of applicants lined up for a job, your chances of selection might be really low. The only way to pass the first stage of selection is to make your resume distinctive from all others.

Now, the question remains; how?

Well, that is quite simple. Usage of power words can elevate the overall quality of your resume.

Power words, commonly known as action words, are terms used in a resume to describe a person’s competency. They not only add spark to the boring phrases but also, they might provide you with job-winning specifics.

Here is a list of some of the best power words for your resume:

Types of power words

Company standards: every single company has an aim to work towards which can be deemed as their standards.

Therefore, you can specify your qualities accordingly.

Example: if they say “dedicated to the growth of business” you can use the word “dedicated” or “dignified”.

Action verbs: these type of power words explain the skill that led you to success in previous job or jobs.

Example: “accomplished”, “supervised”, “initiated” etc.

Words related to your expertise: these words describe your skill set. By adding these words to your resume, you will be able to convince your employers that you are the best fit for a specific position.

Example: “taught”, “trained”, “designed” etc.

Argot: these are the technical terms related to a certain industry. E.g. architecture industry.

In order to improve your resume, emphasize on these key terms and you are good to go.

Tips for effective usage of power words

Mentioned below are some tips that can put power words to an effectual use:

Avoid repeating words

Repetition create monotony, which can lead to boredom. Redundant words may also give an impression of lack of language skills. As a result, you may not even pass the first stage of selection.

To avoid rejection, use unique power words that create a lasting impact on the reader. Several websites e.g., ResumeCroc, can help you use diversified terms in your resume and create a striking profile of yourself.

Disseminate power words

Write power words at every part of the resume including job description and the cover letter to make it look appealing while avoiding repetition of similar words.

Limiting them to a certain part of your resume may not make your resume comprehensive 

Use conversant terms

You might think that employers skim through your resume but in reality, they do not.

Before selecting an applicant, interviewers thoroughly read the resume and read every single line. Majority of the times, they do ask follow-up questions for better comprehension.

So, use the terms you are familiar with. We are sure you would not want to be dumbfounded when asked a specific question related to a term from your resume, would you?

Write power words in bullets

Usage of bullets will make your resume look precise yet intriguing.

Consequently, your potential employer might go through all of it instead of reading some of it. Who knows? Maybe he finds your profile interesting after reading it all.

Use “accomplishing” language rather than “doing” language.

In this way, you will be able to highlight your achievements in your resume. To determine whether you just did something or achieved it, evaluate yourself on the basis of three factors; if you had the ability to do a specific task with desired outcome, you achieved it!

Take cues from the employer

Lastly, if you are having problem in choosing the vocabulary, carry out some research.

It will help you find out what your employer or employers want. Therefore, choose the word bank accordingly and we guarantee you; they will be impressed.

Definitively, power words create a huge difference in your resume. Sensible power words in your resume along with a little effort will surely upgrade your resume from 0 to 100. However, pay attention to rest of the resume too. Do not limit your focus on usage of power words only. Make sure your work history description is coherent and wordings are relatively easy to understand. Technical wordings, at times, can irritate the employer and distort the original message that you are trying to convey.

Aside from this, pay attention to the format of your resume because of very single word matters.

To conclude, all of the above-mentioned factors lead to an exceptional resume that stands out. Once you are done with your resume, evaluate your resume on the basis of these three questions:

Have I used active or passive voice?

Is this an excellent description?

Does the description leave an option for results?

These self-evaluative questions will aid in making your resume-writing process smooth and untroubled.

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Author Bio

Natasha Fletcher is a member of the writer’s Team on Essays.uk and 123essays.net. She has a bachelor’s in Law, Masters in Literature, and a PhD in Economics. Natasha role in the team is to solve students’ problems through content. Natasha is a gold medallist in essay writing. She is a fitness freak and love to play football, ice hockey and basketball.