Many of us can summon over-used resume buzzwords and cliches in our sleep.
In fact, a hiring manager might have nightmares about drowning in an ocean of “experience,” “strategy,” and “fluency.” While not all buzzwords are created equal, some are, quite frankly, overused.
Did you know that on average, employers look at resumes for six to seven seconds?
When you only have a short amount of time to grab a recruiter’s attention, why waste it using words, phrases, and verbs that are so overused they’ve lost their meaning at this point?
Plus, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows an increase in new jobs hitting the market, which means more workers are considering making that career transition and/or applying for a new job.
Table of Contents
- The Top 10 Most Overused Resume Buzzwords + Helpful Alternatives
- Rewriting The Resume: Don't Be Too Wordy
When the competition is fierce, having a concise, impressive resume is required to capture the recruiter’s attention—and land an interview.
The Top 10 Most Overused Resume Buzzwords + Helpful Alternatives
According to a study by LinkedIn, here are the top ten most-used buzzwords. We have shared this list on our Instagram—and were pretty surprised by how many recruiters had true feelings of repulsion towards many of these words.
- Specialize
- Experienced
- Skilled
- Leadership
- Passionate
- Expert
- Motivated
- Creative
- Strategic
- Focused
Chances are, if you scour your own LinkedIn profile or resume right now, you will come across some of these guys—maybe even all of them.
Is that bad? Not necessarily. It’s a good practice to be aware of the more commonly-used buzzwords so that you can dare to be different (just like that motivational poster says!).
There are 171,476 words in the English dictionary, so we have some serious options. So, we took to our trusty thesaurus to find you some great alternatives to these commonly-used buzzwords.
We also starred our favorite buzzwords that we are definitely going to use. And if you ever need step-by-step help creating a new resume, check out The 24-Hour Resume Makeover. Yes, we really can help you create a recruiter-approved resume in under 24 hours.
Feel that ~*synergy*~? Let’s dive in.
Resume Power Verbs to Replace “Specialize”
It’s great to specialize in something—especially if it’s a hard skill or a certain piece of software, but yikes, this word is overused. Here are a few alternatives.
- Practiced*
- Well-versed
- Concentrated expertise
- Rehearsed
- Trained
- Honed*
- Exercised
- Disciplined
- Seasoned*
- Studied
Resume Power Verbs to Replace "Experienced"
As we go through this list, it’s important to recognize that these resume buzzwords are not all bad.
If you want to say experienced, say experienced! However, if you want to zhuzh it up or say that you are experienced in a multitude of things, use a few variations.
- Accomplished*
- Capable
- Competent
- Mature
- Qualified
- Old hand
- Skillful
- Sophisticated*
- Superlative
- Cultivated*
Resume Power Verbs to Replace "Skilled"
You’ve got skills, whether they’re hard skills, soft skills, or a hybrid of the two.
Showcase your impressive skills using some of these alternative terms.
- Adept*
- Adroit
- Quick
- Clever*
- Proficient
- Savvy
- Dexterous*
- Primed
- Veteran
- Tuned In
- Prepared
Resume Power Verbs to Replace "Leadership"
Here’s a big one. Let’s use some other words to describe your real leadership abilities.
Use some of these words to describe how you lead, the changes you’ve implemented, and the style of your leadership.
- Access
- Actualize*
- Authority
- Command
- Direction
- Effect
- Enact*
- Guidance*
- Impact
- Imprint
- Influence
- Initiative
- Prerogative*
- Reputation
Resume Power Verbs to Replace "Passionate"
Passion in the workplace is very attractive to a hiring manager.
Use your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile to demonstrate how your passion has affected and propelled your work throughout your entire career.
- Ambitious
- Ardent*
- Eager*
- Earnest
- Fervent
- Hungry*
- Impassioned
- Keen
- Stimulated
Resume Power Verbs to Replace "Expert"
Who doesn’t want an expert on their team? Here are some synonyms to expert—as well as a few terms to further illustrate your particular expertise.
Pro Tip: Proceed with caution with a few of these. While you want to demonstrate your expertise, you don’t want to come off too strong.
That said, one important tip is to respond to a job posting through mirroring its tone and language. For example, if you’re responding to a job description that’s more jovial and off-the-cuff, some of these words are great to infuse into your cover letter. For that particular purpose, "virtuoso" is a great word!
- Ace
- Buff
- Graduate
- Guru
- Inimitable
- Master
- Old Pro*
- Pro
- Savant
- Virtuoso
- Whiz*
- Whole
Resume Power Verbs to Replace "Motivated" or "Motivator"
Everybody loves a motivated employee, so feature this on your resume and cover letter.
If your motivation has proven to be contagious to other employees, highlight that too!
- Driven
- Galvanize*
- Incline
- Inspire
- Inspirit
- Productive
- Propel*
- Provoke
- Ready
- Spark
- Spur
Resume Power Verbs to Replace "Creative"
Creative employees are arguably the best employees.
Connecting with creativity is not only useful in the “creative” fields of design and written communication. Rather, real creative employees are great at problem-solving, building effective solutions, and implementing uncharted paths to success.
- Apply
- Bright
- Clever
- Crafty*
- Cutting-Edge
- Eloquent
- Expressive
- Innovative*
- Inventive
- Original
- Resourceful
- Shrewd
Resume Power Verbs to Replace "Strategic"
Strategy is huge in the workplace. Whether you're working in a fast-paced startup or an organization with stone-age era practices, strategies always need to be improved, tested, and proven.
But “strategy” or “strategic” are the buzziest of buzzwords out there, so here are a few alternatives.
- Analytical
- Blueprint
- Considerate
- Contemplative
- Deliberate*
- Methodical*
- Logical
- Ordered
- Scrupulous
- Structure
- Weighed*
Resume Power Verbs to Replace "Focused"
Focus is the key to getting long, arduous projects completed with painstaking precision.
Look at all of those buzzwords we just used. Focus is important, so here are a few other words to describe your dedication to the task.
- Absolute
- Comprehensive*
- Concentrate
- Consummate
- Faultless
- Impeccable*
- Overall
- Perfected
- Practiced
- Ruminate
- Sweeping*
- Telescopic*
- Undivided
Rewriting The Resume: Don't Be Too Wordy
A mistake we see all too often at Career Contessa is people wanting to sound “smart” on their resume. What do they do? They sprinkle in nonsensical business jargon and fluffy words. Instead of hitting their goal, they do the opposite and confuse recruiters.
Don't be afraid to use your own voice.
We are huge proponents of infusing creativity wherever we can—especially in stiff hiring documents like a resume or cover letter—but we’d recommend ditching the jargon and instead infusing your resume with strong action verbs that highlight your skills and catch the recruiter’s eye.
This means swapping out sentences like “results-driven team player who managed the onboarding process” with something more specific, like, “I developed an onboarding process that reduced the number of employees involved by 20%, which allowed our team to focus on more important hiring priorities.”
Real-Life Example of a Successfully Succinct Resume
How Succinct Resumes Helped Me as a Hiring Manager from Career Contessa Coach, Marnie Lemonik
What: When I’ve been reviewing candidates to join my team, one of the top skills I’ve always looked for is the ability to communicate clearly and concisely.
How: Before an interview, you can only use the resume and cover letter as a way to measure this skill. I noticed that candidates who could reach the “nugget” of their impact in the most concise way really stood out to me as great interview options.
Outcome: I would move forward candidates who showed this communication skill and often found that they were the ones who performed best in interviews because they were able to distill down their answers to what really mattered rather than filling space with jargon.
What: When I’ve been reviewing candidates to join my team, one of the top skills I’ve always looked for is the ability to communicate clearly and concisely.
How: Before an interview, you can only use the resume and cover letter as a way to measure this skill. I noticed that candidates who could reach the “nugget” of their impact in the most concise way really stood out to me as great interview options.
Outcome: I would move forward candidates who showed this communication skill and often found that they were the ones who performed best in interviews because they were able to distill down their answers to what really mattered rather than filling space with jargon.
