Fight the Resume and Cover Letter Blahs!
Does your resume or cover letter have the blahs? Want to sound more dynamic in interviews? Spice them up by using this easy-to-follow recipe as a guide:
Salt heavily by starting sentences off with an “action verb”
Season with “influential phrases” but be careful not to overdo it
Finish it off by mixing in “strength descriptors.”
Don’t be afraid to show off a little. Remember, it ain’t bragging if you’ve done it!
Action Verbs
Accelerate
Accentuate
Accommodate
Accomplish
Achieve
Acquire
Adapt
Address
Adjudicate
Administer
Advance
Advise
Advocate
Align
Alter
Analyze
Anchor
Apply
Appoint
Appreciate
Arbitrate
Architect
Arrange
Articulate
Ascertain
Assemble
Assess
Assist
Attain
Augment
Authenticate
Author
Authorize
Balance
Believe
Bestow
Brainstorm
Brief
Budget
Build
Calculate
Capitalize
Capture
Catalog
Catapult
Centralize
Chair
Champion
Change
Chart
Clarify
Classify
Close
Coach
Cobble
Collaborate
Collect
Command
Commercialize
Commoditize
Communicate
Compare
Compel
Compile
Complete
Compose
Comply
Compute
Conceive
Conceptualize
Conclude
Conduct
Configure
Conserve
Consolidate
Construct
Consult
Contemporize
Continue
Contract
Control
Convert
Convey
Coordinate
Correct
Corroborate
Counsel
Craft
Create
Critique
Crystallize
Curtail
Cut
Decipher
Decrease
Define
Delegate
Deliver
Demonstrate
Deploy
Derive
Design
Detail
Detect
Determine
Develop
Devise
Differentiate
Diminish
Direct
Discard
Discern
Discover
Dispense
Display
Distinguish
Distribute
Diversify
Divert
Document
Dominate
Double
Draft
Drive
Earn
Edit
Educate
Effect
Effectuate
Elect
Elevate
Eliminate
Emphasize
Empower
Enact
Encourage
Endeavor
Endorse
Endure
Energize
Enforce
Engineer
Enhance
Enlist
Enliven
Ensure
Entrench
Equalize
Eradicate
Espouse
Establish
Estimate
Evaluate
Examine
Exceed
Excel
Execute
Exhibit
Exhort
Expand
Expedite
Experiment
Explode
Exploit
Explore
Export
Extract
Extricate
Facilitate
Finalize
Finance
Focus
Follow up
Forecast
Forge
Form
Formalize
Formulate
Foster
Found
Freshen
Fulfill
Gain
Garner
Generate
Govern
Graduate
Guide
Halt
Handle
Head
Helmed
Hire
Honor
Hypothesize
Identify
Illustrate
Imagine
Implement
Import
Improve
Improvise
Increase
Influence
Inform
Initiate
Innovate
Inspect
Inspire
Install
Institute
Instruct
Integrate
Intensify
Interpret
Interview
Introduce
Invent
Inventory
Investigate
Judge
Justify
Land
Launch
Lead
Lecture
Leverage
Liaise
License
Listen
Locate
Lower
Maintain
Manage
Manipulate
Manufacture
Map
Market
Marshall
Master
Mastermind
Maximize
Measure
Mediate
Mentor
Merge
Minimize
Model
Moderate
Modify
Monetize
Monitor
Motivate
Navigate
Negotiate
Network
Nominate
Normalize
Obfuscate
Obliterate
Observe
Obtain
Offer
Officiate
Operate
Optimize
Orchestrate
Order
Organize
Orient
Originate
Outpace
Outperform
Outsource
Overcome
Overhaul
Oversee
Participate
Partner
Perceive
Perfect
Perform
Persuade
Pilot
Pinpoint
Pioneer
Plan
Position
Predict
Prepare
Prescribe
Present
Preside
Prevent
Process
Procure
Produce
Program
Progress
Project
Proliferate
Promote
Propel
Propose
Prospect
Prove
Provide
Publicize
Purchase
Purify
Qualify
Quantify
Query
Question
Raise
Rate
Ratify
Realign
Rebuild
Recapture
Receive
Recognize
Recommend
Reconcile
Record
Recruit
Rectify
Recycle
Redefine
Redesign
Reduce
Reengineer
Regain
Regulate
Rehabilitate
Reimagine
Reinforce
Reinvigorate
Rejuvenate
Relate
Remedy
Render
Renegotiate
Renew
Renovate
Reorganize
Report
Reposition
Represent
Research
Resolve
Respond
Restore
Restructure
Retain
Retrieve
Reuse
Review
Revise
Revitalize
Salvage
Sanctify
Satisfy
Save
Schedule
Secure
Select
Separate
Serve
Service
Set up
Shepherd
Simplify
Slash
Sold
Solidify
Solve
Spark
Speak
Spearhead
Specialize
Specify
Standardize
Steer
Stimulate
Strategize
Streamline
Strengthen
Structure
Study
Substantiate
Succeed
Suggest
Summarize
Supervise
Supplement
Supply
Support
Surpass
Synergize
Synthesize
Systematize
Tabulate
Tailor
Target
Teach
Terminate
Test
Thwart
Train
Transcribe
Transfer
Transform
Transition
Translate
Trim
Troubleshoot
Uncover
Unify
Unite
Update
Upgrade
Use
Utilize
Validate
Verbalize
Verify
Win
Work
Write
Zero in
Influential Phrases
Use these descriptive words sparingly to spice up your resume and cover letter. Consider them like hot sauce. Add a little but don’t overdo it.
One of the best places to use them is in the career summary at the top of your resume. It’s simple to select one that fits you the best and start a sentence with it then add the proof. When it comes to resumes, you want to back up these influential phrases with quantifiable results.
Remember that applicant tracking systems won’t be able to find your resume unless you include the right keywords. Make sure you incorporate hard skill keywords for your industry, too.
Accelerated career track
Action-oriented leader
Aggressive turnaround leadership
Award-winning pacesetter
Best-in-class
Change catalyst driving organizational transformation
Change management
Competitive market positioning
Cultivator of strategic alliances
Devoted people leader
Diversity & inclusion
Double-digit improvements
Driving innovation
Elite performer
Entrepreneurial vision
Executive leadership
Fast-track promotion
High-caliber
Innovative growth strategist
Lean manufacturing driver
Organizational driver
Outperformed market competition
Passionate human resources trailblazer
Peak performer
Self-starter
Six Sigma champion
Startup organizations
Strategic planning & execution
Strong communicator able to engage and influence diverse stakeholders
Turnaround specialist
Strong and sustainable gains
Talent maximizer
Visionary business leader
World-class operations
Strength Descriptors
It’s important that you’re able to describe your strengths on your resume and during interviews. Don’t worry about being humble. If you don’t tell the employer what your strengths are, they’ll never know.
On your resume, be sure to sprinkle them in your career summary. Since many of these are considered “soft skills” be careful not to overuse them.
Here are a few to get you started:
• Achiever
• Ambitious
• Analytical
• Authentic
• Caring
• Catalyst
• Creative
• Dedicated
• Developer
• Empathetic
• Enthusiastic
• Flexible
• Honest
• Integrity
• Lifelong Learner
• Logical
• Maximizer
• Motivated
• Optimistic
• Open-Minded
• Patient
• Persistent
• Proactive
• Responsible
• Strategic Thinker
• Self-Controlled
• Trustworthy
• Versatile
