Make Your Resume Stand Out by Downloading These 52 Words
Writing a resume and cover letter is a challenge many of us are currently facing. Millions of people are currently looking for work, facing a recession and high unemployment due to the global pandemic, not to mention the usual problems: how do you market yourself, but not too brag ? Should you include or do something bold that will set you apart from the crowd of other job seekers, or will it make you look like an eccentric who doesn’t understand corporate culture? If it’s been a long time since you’ve polished your resume, you may be missing a gap when it comes to describing yourself to potential employers. Here are 53 words you might want to include on your resume or next interview.
Words matter
If several years (or decades) have passed since you last worked in the job market, obviously you know that things have changed, including the words “the best, uh, used to sell yourself . “ Gone are the classic ideas of “synergy”, “energy” and “thinking outside the box.” Now it’s all about being “proactive,” “self-aware,” and “observant,” at least according to Jennifer Fabiano’s recent article on Ladders (where she is an SEO editor).
Aside from using action words on our resume, Fabiano writes, it’s also important to present yourself in an authentic way – including avoiding the previously popular buzzwords that you think employers and recruiters want to hear. (They don’t.) Here are her word suggestions to use in your resume, cover letter, and interview right now:
How to describe yourself on a resume
Of course, you’ll want to tailor each resume to fit a specific job description, or at least the industry as a whole. Here are eight words Fabiano recommends using in every resume draft:
- Enterprising
- To take the responsibility
- Responsible
- Caring
- Attentive
- The devotee
- Persistent
- Passionate
How to describe yourself in a job interview
Congratulations, you have an interview! Here are 20 words Fabiano suggests to describe himself at this stage in the process:
- Passionate
- Ambitious
- Managed
- Organized
- Man-man
- Results oriented
- Disciplined
- Thirsty
- Convincing
- Reliable
- Resourceful
- Skillful
- Meticulous
- Proactive
- Inventive
- Practiced
- Self-aware
- Observant
- Flexible
- Useful
How to call yourself a team player
While you probably don’t want to actually use the phrase “team player” in an interview or resume, here are nine words that Fabiano says you can use to describe yourself as one of them:
- Comrade
- Listener
- Joint
- Accountable
- Gracious
- Warm
- Partnership
- Interested
- Emotionally smart
How to call yourself a leader
This is yet another instance where you plant the idea of yourself as a leader without going out of your way or declaring it. Per Fabiano, you can try one of these:
- Enterprising
- Initiative
- Confident
- Bold
- Purposeful
- Accountable
- Bold
- Infatuated
- Respectable
- Ethical
- Charismatic
- Modest
- Disciplined
- Self-confident
- Transparent
- Reasonable