What Are Resume Buzzwords? 

Resume buzzwords are terms commonly used to capture the attention of individuals reviewing resumes for potential candidates. When hiring managers have to scour through dozens of resumes, buzzwords are designed to help you stand out from the rest of the pile. They aren’t specific to an industry or job role. Instead, they can describe a host of skills and achievements. 

What Do You Accomplish By Adding Buzzwords To Your Resume? 

When used correctly, buzzwords can have a significant impact on your success in landing job interviews and, ultimately, a job. Likewise, overusing or misusing buzzwords can hurt your chances of moving forward in your job search. 

One reason buzzwords are important is that they can help you get past applicant tracking systems (ATS) that many companies use. These systems are now used by over 98 percent of Fortune 500 companies. ATS are software systems that assist in analyzing resumes and other tasks within the hiring process. They mine data from your resume to convert it into easily consumable information for hiring managers. Applicant tracking systems allow companies to select keywords and other criteria of value and even rank job candidates.

By adding the right buzzwords, you can create an attractive ATS resume that beats the bots and moves you up towards the top of the resume ranks. 

If you’re applying with a company that doesn’t use ATS, buzzwords are still a valuable tool. Instead of software catching your keywords, it’s a human. Either way, you may only have a brief moment to make a lasting first impression. The language you use in your resume is almost as important as your skillset and experience. Hiring managers are looking for a resume (and candidate) that won’t blend into the paper pile. 

How To Use Buzzwords On Your Resume

Try to use buzzwords throughout your resume whenever possible. Buzzwords will give life and depth to your experiences, skills, and achievements. 

A perfect starting point is your past job experience. Use buzzwords to describe what you accomplished in your specific job role. Turning your accomplishments into quantifiable actions goes a long way with recruiters and hiring managers. You can do that by adding numbers whenever you have concrete evidence to support your claims. 

If you were a manager or supervisor, use buzzwords to describe how you managed. For example, you could use buzzwords like coordinate, initiate, oversee, spearhead, guide, or pilot to describe your role in particular projects or roles for past employers. 

You can use buzzwords anywhere in your resume where you describe something you’ve accomplished or achieved. You can also use them to express your personality and work traits. 

217 Resume Buzzwords

Here’s a look at some of the best buzzwords to use in your resume. The buzzwords listed can breathe life into your resume and make it pop. Explore the list below to find the right buzzwords to describe your skills and achievements adequately. We’ve broken the list down into categories to simplify the process. 

Achieved

1.Accelerated

2. Accomplished

3. Advanced

4. Amplified

5. Attained

6. Boosted

7. Completed

8. Created

9. Delivered

10. Demonstrated

11. Earned

12. Enacted

13. Enhanced

14. Expanded

15. Expedited

16. Generated

17. Improved

18. Lifted

19. Managed

20. Maximized

21. Outpaced

22. Produced

23. Reached

24. Stimulated

25. Surpassed

26. Won

Assisted

27. Aided

28. Advanced

29. Boosted

30. Counseled

31. Coached

32. Cooperated

33. Collaborated

34. Facilitated

35. Promoted

36. Reinforced

37. Supported

Communicated

38. Advocated

39. Authored

40. Clarified

41. Composed

42. Consulted

43. Conveyed

44. Corresponded

45. Defined

46. Explained

47. Fielded

48. Illustrated

49. Informed

50. Interacted

51. Mediated

52. Moderated

53. Negotiated

54. Networked

55. Promoted

56. Persuaded

Created

57. Altered

58. Built

59. Crafted

60. Designed

61. Devised

62. Drafted

63. Envisioned

64. Established

65. Fashioned

66. Formulated

67. Initiated

68. Invented

69. Launched

70. Overhauled

71. Piloted

72. Pioneered

73. Rebuilt

Decreased

74. Condensed

75. Conserved

76. Consolidated

77. Deducted

78. Eased

79. Lessened

80. Reduced

Experienced

81. Accomplished

82. Capable 

83. Competent 

84. Mature

85. Qualified 

86. Old hand 

87. Skillful 

88. Sophisticated

89. Superlative

90. Cultivated

Improved

91. Boosted

92. Converted

93. Customized

94. Influenced

95. Integrated

96. Lifted

97. Merged

98. Overhauled

99. Redesigned

100. Refined

101. Remodeled

102. Reorganized

103. Restructured

104. Revamped

105. Revitalized

106. Saved

107. Streamlined

108. Strengthened

109. Transformed

110. Updated

Increased

111. Advanced

112. Amplified

113. Boosted

114. Capitalized

115. Delivered

116. Enhanced

117. Expanded

118. Furthered

119. Generated

120. Gained

121. Lifted

122. Maximized

123. Outpaced

Led

124. Commanded

125. Directed

126. Enacted

127. Executed

128. Guided

129. Impacted 

130. Influenced

131. Initialized

132. Orchestrated

133. Oversee

134. Spearhead

Managed

135. Aligned

136. Coordinated

137. Cultivated

138. Directed

139. Enabled

140. Facilitated

141. Fostered

142. Guided

143. Hired

144. Inspired

145. Mentored

146. Mobilized

147. Motivated

148. Piloted

149. Recruited

150. Supervised

151. Trained

Researched

152. Analyzed

153. Assessed

154. Audited

155. Calculated

156. Discovered

157. Examined

158. Explored

159. Identified

160. Inquired

161. Inspected

162. Investigated

163. Measured

164. Proved

165. Quantified

166. Studied

167. Surveyed

168. Tested

169. Tracked

Responsible For

170. Accomplished

171. Acquired

172. Completed

173. Created

174. Directed

175. Executed

176. Finished

177. Forged

178. Negotiated

179. Operated

180. Partnered

181. Performed

182. Prepared

183. Produced

184. Secured

185. Undertook

Skilled 

186. Adept

187. Dextrous

188. Prepared

189. Primed

190. Proficient 

191. Savvy

192. Veteran 

Utilized

193. Applied

194. Adopted

195. Deployed

196. Employed

197. Mobilized

198. Operated

199. Promoted

200. Restored

201. Revived

Worked On

202. Arranged

203. Compiled

204. Composed

205. Constructed

206. Crafted

207. Created

208. Developed

209. Fashioned

210. Forged

211. Formulated

212. Operated

213. Organized

214. Perfected

215. Prepared

216. Set-Up

217. Undertook

Buzzwords To Leave Off Your Resume

While there are plenty of buzzwords you should add to your resume, there are also several buzzwords you should leave off. Your resume has limited space, so carefully selecting the language you use is key. The words listed below can describe you, but it’s better to put action and results behind your description. Here’s a brief list of buzzwords to leave off your resume: 

• Creative

• Expert

• Focused

• Go-getter

• Go to

• Great

• Hard worker

• Innovative

• Led

• Managed

• Outside the box

• Responsible for

• Results-driven

• Specialized in

• Super

• Team player 

• Worked on

The Bottom Line

The words you use in your resume can be the difference between landing the job you desire and getting passed over. Hiring managers don’t have time to read each resume thoroughly, so using the right buzzwords can score you a second look. There are several resume writing services available that can help you craft a more powerful resume.