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Words You Should Be Using In Your CV

Last week we wrote an article titled “keep these words off your CV if you want the job.” Many of you wanted to know what words to use instead.

To help land your CV at the top of the pile, we tapped into the knowledge of our CV writers and experts to ask, “What are the words you like to see on a CV?” Here’s what they had to say.

Action verbs.

Like they teach you in school, ‘Verbs are doing words’; they come in pretty handy when you’re writing your CV because you can use them to show off all the things you’ve done. And what is your CV if not a record of everything you’ve accomplished?

Think about it: Would you rather write a CV that simply explains how long you worked on certain projects for or a CV that demonstrates how you took charge, hit targets and achieved something?

We thought so too. So here’s a list of popular action verbs that might come in handy next time you redo your CV:

  • Enhance 
  • Mediate
  • Adapt
  • Streamline 
  • Reduce 
  • Attain
  • Build 
  • Collaborate 
  • Solve
  • Prove 
  • Create 
  • Secure
  • Organize 
  • Improve 
  • Demonstrate

Of course, some action verbs do better than others at communicating certain types of skills. For instance, some helpful CV action verbs that convey analytical skills include:

  • Analyze 
  • Verify 
  • Evaluate
  • Examine 
  • Project 
  • Formulate

Some action verbs that show off communication skills include:

  • Express 
  • Influence 
  • Present
  • Moderate 
  • Negotiate 
  • Inform

Leadership skills can be conveyed with action verbs like these:

  • Manage 
  • Administer 
  • Develop
  • Lead 
  • Oversee 
  • Review

Finally, these action words are helpful for portraying creative skills:

  • Design 
  • Visualise 
  • Shape
  • Conceptualize
  • Brainstorm

So, what does using action words for CV writing say about you? Well, it says a lot of things, including that:

  • You take ownership of your achievements.
  • You’re confident in your abilities.
  • You’re proactive (this one’s particularly pertinent if you’re applying for a leadership position)

It also shows how fantastic your attention to detail is. A well-written CV can speak volumes about your communication and organizational skills in general.

Also remember to:

Include Numbers: If you want to show that you’re results-oriented and hard-working, share the numbers.

Provide examples: By listing concrete accomplishments and projects, you are demonstrating you have the skills you’ve listed in a credible and believable way that will help set you apart.

Include the soft and hard skills you see on most job descriptions for your role: Those will act as a cheat sheet for what skills are in demand from most employers.

In conclusion,

What you say about yourself in your CV will ‘tell’ potential employers what you’re like. But using action verbs and active sentences will help you ‘show’ them what kind of person you are. It’s a little bit sneaky but it 100 percent works.

If you’re still not sure what words to use you can reach out to our professional CV writers. We offer a free CV review with every CV writing inquiry we receive, so make sure to reach out!