Resume Buzz Words

Most job openings these days attract huge numbers of applicants. Even jobs that weren't so desirable a few years ago have a lot of people interested now. As a result, it's more important than ever to make your resume stand out from the others. Using resume buzz words is one way to do that. Frequently, it comes down to the language and words you use in your resume to describe your experience. The purpose of your resume is to summarize the skills, education, and accomplishments that youu have earned which will apply to the open position. But your resume has another purpose, it serves to represent what kind of person you are. By viewing the layout, style, and specific wording on your resume, potential employers get an impression of who you are. By using certain resume buzz words, you can indicate that you will fit into the company culture.

Effective resumes are ones that include powerful adjectives ("solid") and verbs ("contribute"). These resume buzzwords suggest that the applicant wasn't simply a passive member of an organization, but that they were personally active and instrumental in achieving results. The key is to focus on the personal qualities as well as the career details, rather than on the work experience alone.

Did you get a task done? accomplished achieved conducted created implemented organized performed

Did you solve a problem? analyzed corrected debugged decreased diagnosed overhauled rescued streamlined

Did you train other employees? coached counseled empowered guided instructed taught

Buzz Words Make Your Resume Stand Out

Many companies use scanning machines to help them narrow down the field of applicants for open positions. This is another top reason to include the best resume buzz words on your resume. This is how they work: Recruiters specify a string of search criteria composed of keywords that apply to the position. Resumes that don't include the keywords specified are rejected before they're even viewed (by a person). So incorporating industry-specific jargon in your resume is critical to keeping yourself in the running. Some scanning systems even rank the resumes by the number of keywords found.

Types of Resume Buzz Words

• Job posting buzz words: Most ads are loaded with buzzwords the company deems important. Use some of the same words in your resume - don't overdo it
• Job titles: manager, supervisor, human resources, lead, etc.
• Computer software: CAD, Office, Excel
• Degrees: BS, MBA, LPN, CPA
• Business: budget, sales quota, information services
• Industry-specific acronyms: NASDAQ, MIT, NASA

See our list of resume buzz words for more powerful words to include on your resume.