100 Executive Power Words for Resumes INFOGRAPHIC

100 Executive Power Words for Resumes â€" INFOGRAPHIC Executive power words. They belong on executive resumes. We know they’re mostly verbs â€" words with great emotional power.We also know theyre embedded in your descriptions of your responsibilities, skills, and accomplishments.However, we don’t know which words deliver the best results â€" interviews and job offers.Power Words That Won JobsLast year, several of my resume clients got new jobs very quickly. For example, I sent one client a draft of his resume and then didn’t hear back from him. Odd. After a month, I emailed him a “What’s up?” and he replied that he had a new job. Best answer!Given this, I decided to review the resumes of my most quickly hired clients and pull together a list of market-proven power words.What and How VerbsThe first pattern I noticed was that I could easily classify the words into what and how groups.It’s no surprise that my clients who showed their ability to make things happen at work landed new jobs quickly.My study revealed that resumes that emphasized “what,” the change, progress, and results my clients obtained, quickly won interviews and job offers. 72% of the words on the executive power words list are “what” verbs.“How” my clients achieved their “whats” mattered too. Resumes that highlighted classic managerial and situational awareness skills got attention. In addition, resumes that described “how” my clients related to and led people got the nod. 28% of the words on the power word list are “how” words.4 More PatternsBeyond what and how verbs, the executive power words broke into four more groupings:Results.Change.People.Management.ResultsFirst, the most effective resumes described results using verbs such as:awarded, completed, decreased, exceeded, increased, delivered, differentiated, doubled, earned, executed, gained, grew, met, monetized, netted, optimized, patented, performed, produced, progressed, promoted, received, recognized, recruited, resulted, retained, saved, secured, sele cted, sold, solved, wonWhile you wouldnt think of those as keywords that recruiters look for, they are power words that cause recruiters to schedule interviews and hiring managers to make job offers.ChangeSecond, the only constant is change.   Thus, executives who show they can plan and execute strategy and lead change make attractive candidates. The best resumes described change using verbs such as:accelerated, advocated, built, centralized, changed, cleared, converted, defended, defined, eliminated, escalated, established, exited, expanded, formed, fostered, founded, generated, institutionalized, integrated, initiated, introduced, invented, invested, launched, opened, packaged, pioneered, positioned, procured, proved, reduced, renewed, shifted, simplified, sourced, standardized, started, systematized, tightened, turnedPeople Third, companies want executives who can lead and work effectively with others. Thus, people verbs such as these mattered:brokered, coached, collaborated, con tributed, convened, cultivated, engaged, facilitated, led, negotiated, partnered, presented, represented, servedManagerialFourth, beyond leaders, organizations also need managers. The best resumes contained many of these managerial words:anticipated, avoided, controlled, ensured, evaluated, focused, highlighted, identified, investigated, monitored, prevented, prioritized, protected, reviewed, specifiedCompare Your Resume to the ListCheck your resume. Look for about a 70/30 distribution between “what” and “how” verbs. If you want a better balance between what and how verbs, the lists give you market-proven performers. They helped my clients get interviews and six-figure jobs very quickly. I hope they work for you too.The InfographicMany people enjoy visualizations, so I put together this infographic that summarizes all of the information above:Embed Code    Words to AvoidBTW, if youre wondering about words to avoid, read this post: 10 Most Common Resume Words People Hate. The res also a link inside the post to a longer list of resume words many people dont like.    Image: Fotolia/melpomeneUpdated May 2019 2014 2019, Donna Svei. All rights reserved.Donna SveiDonna Svei, an executive resume writer and former C-level executive, retained search consultant, and CPA, writes all of AvidCareerists posts. She has written for and been quoted by leading business, general, and career media outlets, including Forbes, Mashable, Fast Company, Entrepreneur, Business Insider, Lifehacker, Ask.com, Social Media Today, IT World, SmartBrief, Payscale, Business News Daily, and the Muse. Let her background and experience inform your job search strategy and decision making.Learn more about Donnas executive resume writing service or email Donna for more information. Resumes â€" Best Worst Words (4 Posts)