One of the hardest things to do when looking over or editing your resume is to put yourself in the shoes of the hiring manager. Your resume will land itself on the desk of someone who has read hundreds of resumes from people who are looking to accomplish the exact same thing that you are; they have similar goals and most likely similar experience.

Now, of course you know that the duties you had and the accomplishments you achieved were important, but your very first job as an applicant is to convince the employer of that. One of the best ways to get that point across boldly and succinctly is proper word choice. Almost everyone has led, managed, improved, or assisted in some way. What have you done? Here are a few words you might want to consider adding to your resume.

Educate

Whether your job required teaching clients about your industry and the ins and outs of your company, or training new hires to be model employees, educate communicates that you’re competent and capable enough in your position to show someone else the ropes. Use this word to show the interviewer that you were a trusted and proficient employee.

Cultivate

Potential employers want to see that you would be a well-rounded asset who would bring more to the company than just what is listed in the job description. If you have helped foster a welcoming, safe, or efficient environment in the workplace, cultivate should be your new favorite word.

Collaborate

Everyone loves a team player, but “works well with others” just isn’t going to cut it on a professional resume. Collaborate will let  the hiring manager know that you’re capable of putting two (or more) heads together to support and improve the company.

Develop

Following policies and protocols is just the baseline of what employers want from their employees. Impress the interviewer by showing them that you can develop or help develop new policies in the best interest of the clients, employees, and company.

Execute

If you have management experience, this is a big one for you. Execute shows that you have leadership skills. It paints you as a self-starter who can take control and manage situations on your own.

Delegate

Supervisors, shift leads, and employees responsible for training can claim this one on their resume. By explaining you were trusted to delegate tasks to other employees, you tell the interviewer that you were in a position of power and that you knew the job well enough to decide what needed to be done, when it needed to be done, and by whom.

Enforce

One of the most important parts of any employee handbook is the rules and standards you’re expected to follow. Were you able to take it a step further and make sure that others followed them as well? Enforce will show dependability and company loyalty, as well as imply authority.

Assess

One of the best ways to show expertise in your position or field is to share that you assess, evaluate, or inspect the work of other employees. To be entrusted with that responsibility shows that your competency level is near perfection. 

Generate

When you generate business, you generate revenue for your company, a strongly desired trait that many people won’t think to include. Most employees help generate business in some way, so take a moment to think about what your part in drawing in clients is.

Initiate

The job application and interview process gives you plenty of opportunities to show initiative to your potential employer, but you can give it a good kick start by spelling it out in your resume. Initiate tells them that you are experienced and confident enough to make sure that things get done, whether that means doing it yourself or assigning it. It also shows a capability to come up with and implement new ideas.

Even if your job experience includes only the most basic of tasks, with a few of these words in your pocket you won’t have to worry about making yourself look good. And if none of these words work for you, you can use your own power words. Think outside of the box. Use a thesaurus, but use it sparingly. It always helps to use strong words that employers won’t expect to see. Your resume is your first, and sometimes only, chance to prove that you stand out from the rest of the candidate pool. Contact us if you have any questions, and keep reading our blog to keep up with the latest tips, trends, and resources.

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