The 10 ‘Power Words’ Missing From Your Resume

Stop Being So Passive

Recruiters glance at your resume for an average of 6 to 7 seconds. If your bullet points start with weak phrases like “Assisted with” or “Responsible for,” you immediately sound like a spectator in your own career.

You need to use “Power Words” – strong, active verbs that demonstrate ownership and results.

10 Power Words to Use Right Now

1. Orchestrated: Implies you brought many moving parts together successfully.
2. Spearheaded: Shows aggressive leadership and initiative.
3. Quantified: Proves you deal with measurable data and results.
4. Optimized: Shows you don’t just do the job, you make the job better.
5. Revitalized: Perfect for situations where you turned around a failing project.
6. Negotiated: Implies strong communication and business acumen.
7. Forged: Great for building partnerships or client relationships.
8. Maximized: (e.g., Maximized profits, maximized efficiency).
9. Pioneered: If you were the first to do something in your department.
10. Slashed: (e.g., Slashed overhead costs by 20%). Much better than “reduced.”

The Formula for a Perfect Resume Bullet

Combine a power word with a specific result. [Power Word] + [What You Did] + [Quantifiable Result].

Example: “Spearheaded a new email marketing campaign that slashed customer churn by 15%.”