As professional resume writers, we’re always thinking of the best adjectives or action verbs to market our clients in the best light possible. And… we know that recruiters get tired of seeing the same ole flowery summaries or so called buzz words on every other resume that pops up on their computer screen. That’s why yesterday, when I was writing, or I should say creating another work of art for one of our mid-level executive clients, I was destined to find some other synonyms to keep him from looking like everyone else on paper. The first and main one was to describe him as a leader. Accomplished was what he previously had. This was okay and it did describe him, however it’s starting to become one of those cliché words.
Many job candidates take note (as they should) of succulent language to use and make themselves stand out, but when everyone starts using the same words and phrases it becomes…boring. So, make sure you stand out. No matter how good Alex or Cindy’s resume sounds, put your own voice to your own document. When you get stuck…
Look up the synonym for the word you’re trying to replace. And don’t just look it up in Word if that’s what you’re using, because it can be pretty limited. An online thesaurus or Gregg Reference Manual is best.
Check out various job postings for positions you’re interested in. I know many (most actually) say the usual must-haves such as excellent communication skills, interpersonal skills, leadership, etc…, but there are also those that are very descriptive and have unique wording such as polished, astute, champion of…, strategic, driven and so on.
Those two options are the best ways to find replacement words in my opinion. Remember not to make your summary or profile too lengthy either because recruiters these days don’t have the time, nor do they care to read all of that.
By the way, for the client, I decided to use something like decisive based on other attributes he told me and followed that up with some examples of his accomplishments vs just saying he was accomplished. Hope this helps! And as always… good luck in your career search!