On average, employers look at resumes for six to seven seconds. The right resume buzzwords can make your resume or CV stand out and get you hired.

Resume cliches and buzzwords can get you hired (and ignored if misused). So, you need to use buzzwords for your resume strategically. We have collected a list of the best resume cliches and buzzwords from creative and original ones to tried and tested classics. This is your guide to using buzzwords that are attention-grabbing, coherent, and will enhance your story.

Here is everything you need need to know about resume buzzwords and cliches.

What are CV buzzwords and How Should I Use Them

Resume buzzwords are specific, powerful words or phrases that you can use on your CV to highlight your in-demand skills, experiences, and achievements. They can be action verbs or powerful adjectives.

Examples of commonly used buzzwords are result-oriented, deep dive, team player, problem solver, and innovative.

When used correctly, buzzwords can highlight your top skills and capture the hiring team’s or ATP’s (application tracking system) attention.

But when writing your CV – context is key. Your carefully chosen resume buzzwords should reinforce a story, create a connection, and astutely communicate your well-thought-out message.

Tip: Highlight buzzwords, role descriptions, and requirements they have used in their job role description. These can help you choose the right keywords that humans and ATPs often pick up on or search for when scanning thousands of interviews.

The Best Resume Buzzwords for Different Careers

10 Powerful Buzzwords for Women CEOs and Leaders

As a female leader or ambitious woman, your job is probably to lead whether that is to empower, support, or give direction. These emotive buzzwords can communicate your actions and the type of leader you are. Think about your leadership style and what it has helped you accomplish.

1. Spearheaded: Indicates taking charge of a project or initiative.
2. Cheered On: Shows actively motivating or encouraging team members.
3. Cultivated: growing and positively impacting someone or something
4. Championed: passionately advocating for a person, team, or idea
5. Directed: Shows command and clear influence over a team or strategy.
6. Strategized: Reflects planning and decision-making abilities.
7. Drove: Indicates leading initiatives that resulted in tangible outcomes.
8. Expanded: Reflects growth in scope, reach, or success under your leadership.
9. Orchestrated: Highlights the synchronization of complex initiatives or teams
10. Shaped: Reflects influencing or molding an outcome or process.

Learn About The Most Inspiring Women in Business And Their Net Worth

10 Buzzwords for Analytical Women

In the age of AI, creativity, problem-solving, and analytical skills are more important than ever. Analytical thinking is a sought-after skill and shows critical thinking, problem-solving, and attention to detail.

1. Evaluated: Reflects assessment of systems, processes, or performance.
2. Pieced Together: Reflects assembling elements to create a cohesive whole.
3. Interpreted: Demonstrates drawing meaningful insights from complex data.
4. Examined: Indicates a meticulous approach to understanding details.
5. Modeled: Suggests creating projections, simulations, or frameworks for decision-making.
6. Forecasted: Reflects using data to predict trends and outcomes.
7. Optimized: Indicates improving systems or processes through analysis.
8. Fine-tuned: Suggests optimizing or improving a process or product.
9. Synthesized: Shows combining data from various sources into actionable solutions.
10. Implemented: Reflects putting data-driven insights into practice.

10 Buzzwords for Women Who Communicators and Organize

If you have a project management role or a managerial role, you want to highlight your skills as a communicator and organizer. Here are some resume buzzwords that will showcase your skills and reinforce them.

1. Juggled: Shows handling multiple responsibilities effectively.
2. Facilitated: help and guide someone in a helpful and non-intrusive way
3. Coordinated: bring together different elements in a harmonious way
4. Negotiated: Highlights success in achieving agreements or resolving conflicts.
5. Collaborated: Shows working effectively with others to achieve goals.
6. Jump started: Suggest initiating a project or idea with energy and innovation.
7. Prioritized: Demonstrates focusing on critical tasks for project success.
8. Delivered: Highlights meeting deadlines and achieving goals.
9. Unified: Indicates bringing teams or departments together for a common goal.
10. Rolled out: to oversee and implement the release of a new product, campaign, or feature.

5 Creative Resume Buzzwords

If you are creative, skip the boring and overly professional buzzwords. Opt for fresh and fun resume buzzwords that reflect your authenticity and unique spirit that drive projects forward.

1. Reimagined: Reflects approaching challenges with fresh, innovative solutions.
2. Blueprinted: Suggests designing or planning something from scratch with a visionary approach.
3. Curated: Indicates carefully or craftfully selecting or organizing elements to achieve a polished outcome.
4. Galvanized: Demonstrates energizing or mobilizing a group to take impactful action.
5. Sparked: Suggests inspiring creativity, action, or innovation.

CV Buzzwords Dos and Don’ts

Don’t Use CV Buzzwords That Sound Like AI Wrote Them

While AI can be a great tool while crafting your CV and looking for new ideas on how to structure your CV – it should not exclusively be written by AI. The hiring team will probably be able to pick up when you have exclusively used AI with no original input or narrative. There are some resume buzzwords to avoid.

Here are some AI buzzwords that you should use sparingly:

Cutting-edge: Frequently used to describe advanced technology or groundbreaking methods.
Next-gen: Suggests the latest version or iteration of a product or service.
Revolutionary: Emphasizes transformative change brought by AI.

And if you do use AI, edit your work ruthlessly and make sure it tells YOUR story. Over-used words can start to sound meaningless and generic – we want to avoid this.

Don’t Just Think About Buzzwords – Think About Keywords

ATS is commonplace nowadays. This software helps recruiters and employers to track candidates throughout the recruiting and hiring process.

According to recent studies, nearly 99% of all Fortune 500 companies use ATS platforms regularly. Software isn’t inherently biased against buzzwords, but it prioritizes terms and keywords that match the job listing.

For example, if a role mentions “project management,” using that exact phrase is more effective than inserting vague alternatives like “results-driven leader.

Don’t Overstuff Buzzwords

Too many buzzwords will make your resume sound meaningless.

For example:

Overuse of buzzwords:

I am a results-orientated leader who is very innovative and always spearheads projects to orchestrate results.

Meaningful use of buzzwords:

As a proactive leader, I spearhead projects and guide my team members by explaining objectives to achieve meaningful results.

The second option sounds more cohesive while the first option is stuffed with buzzwords, which are used as fillers and don’t convey any meaning.

Think About Context Always

You need to read between the lines of a job description – what are they looking for and how do your skills match them? Underline the important keywords and buzzwords to find a story that fits the job’s search intent. Context is key when using resume buzzwords and sharing your story.

Be Specific

Back up your resume’s buzzwords. Always explain what makes you a “proactive leader” or “results-driven” with tangible experiences or achievements.

If you take initiative, can you give an example of how you have done that in the past? The more specific you are, the better. Try to include quarters, figures, and percentages if possible.

More Interview Tips for Women

1. Build Confidence

If you have an interview lined up already or want to start preparing, being confident can help. Speaking clearly and calmly can convey confidence and clarity. We have some confidence exercises that you can try:

Preparation is key

Research the company, and people who work there, and find out about their recent projects. Then craft your story by explaining your relevant skills and experience, and how you can be a great culture fit.

Try Power Poses for Women

A slight switch in your posture can be one of the easiest building self-confidence activities to implement and trick you into feeling and acting confident. Try smiling or the superwoman poses where you stand and place both hands on your hips.

Use Affirmations

Positive affirmations are simply positive statements that boost self-esteem and help us overcome obstacles. Repeating these affirmations can rewire our brains and influence our behaviors.

I am capable
I deserve success
I focus on progress, not perfection.

Here are 50 Powerful Affirmations for Women

2. Wear a Confidence-boosting Outfit

Lastly, to feel confident and empowered, you should dress for success. Think about interview hairstyles and what to wear to help you feel and look confident. Here is some must-have interview attire for women that will make you feel professional, and polished, and leave a lasting impression.

Blazer
Button-up Top
Wide-leg Pants

Discover The Best Interview Outfits for Women Including Items You Probably Already Own

FAQs: Resume Buzzwords to Avoid and Use

What are the best buzzwords for a resume?

The best resume buzzwords depend on your industry and what you want to communicate to the hiring manager or team. Here are some of the best and most versatile buzzwords:

1. Strategized: Reflects planning and decision-making abilities.
2. Collaborated: Shows working effectively with others to achieve goals.
3. Shaped: Reflects influencing or molding an outcome or process.
4. Fine-tuned: Suggests optimizing or improving a process or product.
5. Synergy: working together to create something greater than either of you could do alone.

What are 5 action words for a resume?

Here are some great action resume buzzwords that you can use on your CV:

1. Spearheaded: Indicates taking charge of a project or initiative.
2. Expanded: Reflects growth in scope, reach, or success under your leadership.
3. Evaluated: Reflects assessment of systems, processes, or performance.
4. Optimized: Indicates improving systems or processes through analysis.
5. Curated: Indicates carefully or craftfully selecting or organizing elements to achieve a polished outcome.

What are cliched resume buzzwords I should avoid?

These CV buzzwords are overused, are generic, and they aren’t very descriptive:

1. Team player
2. Results-orientated
3. Fast learner
4. Proven track record
5. Revolutionary

How many buzzwords should I include in my resume?

There is no hard rule but overstuffing resume buzzwords or using them as a filler is a bad practice that will decrease your chance of getting an interview. To avoid doing this, aim to use between 3 and 5 buzzwords per paragraph to reinforce your message or story.