In the beginning was the Word.

Have you ever wondered why some writers can’t hook us while others simply toy with your emotions? Why do we listen to some speakers carefully while others make us nothing but fall asleep?

Words.

They use different words to influence readers and listeners.

When written in resumes or said during job interviews, words become your powerful weapon. The better you use them, the bigger your chances to influence recruiters are.

So, how to do that?

Next time you write a resume, make sure you use strong and powerful words, as they increase your chances of getting hired by 80%! It’s high time to forget about clichés: professional recruiters read hundreds of resumes daily, so they are sick and tired of all those “great team player” or “responsible and dedicated individual” every second candidate writes in resumes and says at job interviews.

Powerful words in your resume will help you avoid apocalypse and motivate recruiters, especially when you search for your first job after graduation.

Said during an interview, they can do wonders.

Carefully-chosen, such words draw interviewers from one emotion to another, making them sympathize you and see you an ideal candidate as compared with others.

What are these powerful words, after all?

Broken down alphabetically, they are easier to find and remember.

A-Words

Able Absorb Accelerate Accomplish Achieve

Acquire Administrate Advanced Advise Advocate

Align Amplify Analyse Announce Appraise

Arbitrate Assemble Assess Assign Assist

Attain Attract Audit Authorize Award

B-Words

Balance Bargain Benefit

Block Bolster Boost

Brief Budget Build

C-Words

Calculate Campaign Capitalize Centralize Chart Clarify Coach

Co-author Collaborate Commit Complete Comply Compose Conduct

Conserve Consolidate Consult Convert Convey Convince Contribute

Coordinate Correspond Counsel Create Critique Customize Cultivate

D-Words

Decrease Deduct Define Delegate Deliver Demonstrate

Design Detect Develop Devise Devote Design

Dispatch Diagnose Discover Distinguish Diversify Document

E-Words

Earn Educate Enable Encourage

Enforce Engineer Enhance Enrich

Ensure Establish Evaluate Examine

Exceed Excell Expand Explore

F-Words

Facilitate Field Finance Forecast

Forge Formalize Formulate

Foster Found Fulfill Further

G-H-Words

Gain Gather Generate

Head Help Hire Host

Give Grant Guide

I-Words

Identify Illustrate Implement Improve Improvise Incorporate

Increase Influence Inform Initiate Innovate Inspect

Inspire Integrate Interpret Introduce Investigate Itemize

L-M-Words

Launch Lessen Lift Lobby

Maintain Manage Map Market

Monitor Motivate Multiply

Maximize Measure Mediate Mentor

Merge Mobilize Modernize Modify

N-O-Words

Navigate Negotiate

Observe Obtain

Oversee Outpace Outperform

Operate Organize

Originate Overhaul

P-Words

Participate Partner Perform

Persuade Pioneer Plan

Prepare Present Project

Promote Provide Publish

Q-R-Words

Qualify Rank Reach React Receive Recommend Reconcile Recover Recruit Redesign

Quantify Reduce Reengineer Refine Refocus Regulate Rehabilitate Reinstate Remodel Reorganize

Quote Replace Represent Restructure Resolve Retain Revamp Review Revise Revitalize

S-Words

Safeguard Save Scrutinize Secure

Segment Select Shape Showcase

Simplify Skill Spearhead Specify

Standardize Stimulate Streamline Strengthen

Structure Succeed Suggest Supervise

Support Surpass Survey Sustain

T-U-V-Words

Target Teach Test Track Train

Transcend Transform Translate Triumph Tutor

Uncover Unify Unite Update Upgrade

Utilize Validate Value View Verify

As far as you see, all power words are verbs of action. When you use them in resumes and interviews, you tell a recruiter that you are a doer, a man of action who is ready to work and do his best.

It’s clear you shouldn’t use all 250+ words at once or learn them ALL to blow HRs out of the water:

• Check them carefully;
• Choose those corresponding to your skills and describing you as a leader and responsible individual ready for self-development, learning, and working the best you can;
• Make sure they sound during your answers to a recruiter’s question.

A word is a powerful weapon that can help you win as well as fail. So, use this weapon for your sake.

Have you ever thought of words as a method to influence interviewers? Do you consider it a good technique to improve your resume and help you get a dream job?

photo credit: Interactive e-Resume Template Vol. 1 via photopin (license)