In the realm of job applications, words hold immense power. They can elevate a candidate from anonymity to prominence, opening doors to new opportunities and career advancements. The right words can showcase your qualifications, highlight your strengths, and convey your enthusiasm for the role. Conversely, poorly chosen words can obscure your true potential and leave a negative impression. This article delves into the art of using language effectively in CVs and motivation letters, providing practical tips to help you craft compelling and impactful applications that stand out to potential employers. At the end of this post, you can find a comprehensive list of power words to use in your CV, motivation letter, or in general when you are presenting yourself and your work.

When applying for jobs, certain keywords can link our qualifications to the requirements. They are called “power words” because they are impactful, persuasive that evoke strong emotions and compel the reader to take action. These words not only elevate the presentation of your skills but also showcase your actual experiences. For example, leading roles require the applicant to have leadership skills. It does not suffice to merely state, “I have leadership skills/experience.” Instead, you can demonstrate your abilities with power words, such as:

• I have led a project at ….. managing a team of data scientists…
• As director of data analysis group, I …..

Words for leadership and management

Planned	Directed
Chaired	Led
Designed	Oversaw
Organised	Mentored
Aligned	Supervised
Administered	Handled
Managed	Executed
Headed	Guided
Coordinated

These words are particularly useful for individuals whose responsibilities do not necessarily match their title. For example, an associate manager may perform tasks typical of a manager, such as organizing meetings, leading the team in the absence of the manager, and providing guidance to staff in critical situations. In such scenarios, you not only showcase your experience but also increase your chances of aiming for higher roles.

This strategy also applies when discussing achievements. Instead of saying “I won..,” consider phrases like:

• I received .. degree/certificate  I earned…. degree/certificate
• I was top student in …..  I outperformed my batch

Power words for achievements

Gained	Reached
Obtained	Received
Earned	Accomplished
Executed	Secured
Outperformed	Attained
Completed	Succeeded

Sometimes our achievements or the outcomes of our work are mixed with the planning stage. You must highlight these elements in any form of presentation (CV, motivation letter, interview, speeches, etc.) using phrases like:

• I designed a genetic test which is now available for breeders to ….
• The outcome of this study was an innovative device to …..
• In collaboration with a team of … we launched…..
• I developed workflows to analyze ……..

Power words for innovation/creating

Engineered	Innovated
Established	Generated
Developed	Created
Invented	Initiated
Produced	Designed
Conceived	Devised

We may occasionally have roles in supporting or helping customers or clients. Even as an associate, we can highlight key responsibilities. For example:

• I supported a team of …. In project …. Which in turn increased the sale by ..% compared to previous round.
• I consulted ..% more customers over a period of…. with significant outcomes which led into……

In line with this we may have been involved in projects or have had roles resulting in some improvements:

• One of the key achievements of the team I led was improvement of the production line with remarkable increase in customer satisfaction.
• Our team streamlined the analysis by which we could ran … samples in a day.

As social beings, communication is a key characteristic of ours. Similarly, in our jobs, we need to communicate with colleagues, managers, and customers. In roles where communication is a major part, we should represent our experience to catch the recruiter’s attention:

• In .. projects I interacted with international collaborators…
• My role as … was to document the protocols and report in weekly meeting….
• As customer service manager, I prioritized advising customer on new updates…
• At customer support, I facilitated communication between technical and executive departments by ….

Power words supporting/helping and communication

Helped	Assisted
Coached	Supported
Consulted	Served
Mediated	Advised
Facilitated	Interacted
Documented	Communicated
Convinced	Promoted
Guided	Enganged
Trained

If your job involves assessments or data analysis, where interaction is minimal, it is still crucial to describe your skills with power words. Examples include:

• As senior data scientist, I scrutinized….
• In QC department, our team was responsible for testing/analysing/identifying….

Power words analysing

Analyzed	Surveyed
Evaluated	Examined
Measured	Explored
Calculated	Identified
Interpreted	Transformed
Investigated	Assessed
Inspected	Reviewed

In our roles, we may improve performance or the outcome of our work. Showcasing these improvements with quantifiable data can make your CV or motivation letter shine. While doing so, ensure you have evidence to support your claims (presentations, graphs, reports, etc.):

• By upgrading the system with new solution, we could efficiently increase … by …%
• When leading R&D team, we raised …$ for investment in ….

Power words improving

Upgraded	Modified
Replaced	Enhanced
Streamlined	Strengthened
Updated	Raised
Reorganised	Transformed
Solved	Improved
Saved	Changed
Increased	Decreased (economic loss/waste of resources)
Optimized	Augmented

Some of these power words may already be in the job requirements, which means the hiring manager or recruiter expects to read these words. You are expected to use these words strategically.

Remember, words can evoke emotions in recruiters, often reflecting the quality of your writing.

Several of the categories mentioned above were inspired by insights from ‘The 7 Second CV’ by James Reed.