Resume buzzwords are commonly used expressions and phrases that draw recruiters’ attention and make candidates stand out from the crowd. These also help you demonstrate your skills in a concise but effective way, without overused expressions.
Whichever your target role is, knowing how to add these to your resume adequately and avoid clichés can be of the utmost importance for landing a desired job. To help you do it, this guide explores the best job-specific resume action words and shows you how to incorporate them.
Key Takeaways
- Resume buzzwords are terms and phrases that help job candidates get noticed and pass the ATS screen stage more efficiently during the recruitment process.
- Including resume buzzwords in a resume with success implies using action verbs, as well as avoiding repetition, information overflow, clichés, outdated words, or hyperbolic expressions.
- A good choice and proper usage of buzzwords can help you create a resume that can be your marketing tool for career and business advancement.
What Are Resume Buzzwords, and Why Are They Important?
Resume buzzwords are specific words that describe a candidate’s skills and previous professional experiences and help them leave a good impression on recruiters. These have a direct impact on the reader, as they are typically precise, short, eye-catching, and informative.
Impactful resume words can also help you pass the applicant tracking system (ATS) scan, as they serve as keywords for an ATS resume. Specifically, some HR specialists use these tools to filter candidates before manual selection, which is why an ATS-friendly resume can help you pass this stage.
In general, strong resume phrases can help you perfect your document, enhancing your recognition, reputation, and the overall influence of your name on the job market or business world.
75 Best Resume Buzzwords by Category
Adding phrases and resume action verbs that are job- and niche-related, as well as using professional resume vocabulary, can make a huge difference and significantly improve your job application.
Let’s see the buzzwords categories and some concrete examples you can incorporate into your resume:
#1. Leadership & Management
If you wish to highlight your management and leadership skills, you should prioritize strong expressions and action verbs.
Among many resume buzzwords for leadership, these are the most popular ones:
- Budgeted
- Managed
- Negotiated
- Influenced
- Pinoeered
- Researched
- Identified
- Trained
- Executed
- Invested
- Minimized
- Inspired
- Facilitated
- Hired
- Enabled
#2. Teamwork & Collaboration
Listing and emphasizing collaboration and teamwork skills is easier when using some handy terms, such as:
- Motivated
- Teamed
- Assisted
- Optimized
- Achieved
- Inspired
- Helped
- Interacted
- Supported
- United
- Networked
- Mediated
- Partnered
- Fostered
- Integrated
#3. Problem-Solving & Innovation
If you are quick to fix issues and bring fresh ideas to the table, you should add resume buzzwords for skills related to problem-solving and innovation.
Here are the best ones:
- Contributed
- Drafted
- Formulated
- Authored
- Illustrated
- Introduced
- Upgraded
- Documented
- Furnished
- Improved
- Reconciled
- Resolved
- Processed
- Simplified
- Customized
#4. Results & Achievements
Combining the accomplishments you’re proud of with power words for a resume boosts your chances of finding the job you want.
Let’s see the trending expressions and phrases that can help you highlight achievements and results:
- Awarded
- Graduated
- Handled
- Attained
- Demonstrated
- Attained
- Secured
- Generated
- Surpassed
- Exceeded
- Amplified
- Expanded
- Streamlined
- Elevated
- Outperformed
#5. Technical & Industry-Specific Terms
Having and mentioning technical skills on your resume is a must if you work in the financial, manufacturing engineering, or IT sector.
Let’s examine the best words for resumes you should use when showcasing technical and overall industry-oriented skills:
- Engineered
- Automated
- Developed
- Deployed
- Scaled
- Diagnosed
- Prescribed
- Assembled
- Positioned
- Converted
- Curated
- Dispatched
- Welcomed
- Tailored
- Litigated
15+ Buzzwords You Should Avoid
One of the most important elements of building a resume is knowing the difference between resume buzzwords and clichés, as this can positively affect the quality of your document. While standard buzzwords can help you be more unique and appreciated, cliches can do quite the opposite, as they can be overused, outdated, or sound overly praising.
Using cliches can leave the impression that you did not put much effort into building your resume by taking time to discern important elements from unnecessary or irrelevant ones. Plus, this can also suggest an attempt to oversell yourself and exaggerate your abilities, skills, values, and talents.
To prevent this, you should keep in mind the following resume buzzwords to avoid:
- Quick learner
- Team player
- Seasoned professional
- People person
- Go-getter
- Perfectionist
- Best in class
- Expert
- Responsible for
- Thinking outside-the-box
- Results-driven
- Hard-working
- Dynamic
- Detail-oriented
- Creative
- Innovative
- Strategic thinker
How to Use Resume Buzzwords Effectively
To use resume buzzwords effectively, you should avoid vagueness and overstuffing and try to insert the relevant ones throughout the entire resume, e.g., in the summary, experience, and skills sections.
Let’s see some buzzword examples used adequately:
| Developed and implemented a financial plan for the entire year, focusing on budgeting and minimizing turnover for the last two quarters. |
| Teamed a group of 22 people on a six-month project, including five engineers, two architects, three electricians, two surveyors, and ten construction workers, meeting the quality standards and client’s requests. |
| Successfully diagnosed and treated 150+ patients over the one-month period by prudently prescribing medications for pain relief, asthma, and other chronic respiratory diseases, such as pneumonia and bronchitis. |
| Influenced and trained over 200 participants in a student camp first-aid program and helped them develop new competencies in the sphere of immediate medical assistance. |
| Processed 1,000+ job applications and streamlined the background check for over 500 candidates. |
| Optimized 7 different websites within 3 projects and reached 150,000+ organic traffic in less than seven months. |
Final Thoughts
Buzzwords are an essential part of resumes and can make them stand out from other applicants’ job applications. Therefore, using them allows you to convey your experience and present your skills in a simple but impactful way.
When adding buzzwords, you should focus on action verbs, which are also a staple for an ATS-friendly resume. However, don’t forget about the words you should avoid on a resume, such as overstatements and outdated expressions; these could only reduce your chances of passing the initial stage of the hiring process.
