Employers seek resumes for people who can drive, inspire, and motivate teams in today’s competitive job market. The first step to make your resume stand out is to include leadership words or power words that paint you as an expert in your field.
This article will list 50 dynamic keywords that prove your leadership skills. Additionally, we will explain the importance of keywords and critical mistakes that may deny you landing an interview.
Keep reading to learn more.
Importance of resume keywords
Why pay attention to keywords in the first place? These phrases benefit your resume in the following ways.
- Higher visibility.
- ATS optimization.
- Prove industry knowledge.
- Competitive edge.
1. Higher visibility
Did you know that recruiters can use search queries to sift through resumes? They often search through application databases to find ones that contain specific keywords. Having these keywords in your resume improves your visibility.
2. ATS optimization
Human recruiters aren’t the only entities reading your resume. Application Tracking Systems are software programs that scan resumes for specific keywords. Their goal is to shortlist attractive candidates. Including these keywords makes you one of them.
3. Prove industry knowledge
Strategic use of keywords shows you know your industry’s concepts, practices, and standards. What does this do for you? It increases your credibility and makes an excellent first impression.
4. Competitive edge
An excellent benefit of keywords is they show that you understand your potential employer’s needs. What better way to show recruiters you’re a more suitable candidate? Relevant keywords improve your chances of beating the competition.
Dynamic Keywords to Showcase Leadership
- Spearheaded
- Directed
- Orchestrated
- Led
- Executed
- Oversaw
- Championed
- Modernized
- Implemented
- Facilitated
- Guided
- Streamlined
- Piloted
- Engineered
- Fostered
- Cultivated
- Initiated
- Coordinated
- Established
- Generated
- Revitalized
- Innovated
- Devised
- Instituted
- Pioneered
- Revamped
- Enhanced
- Developed
- Drove
- Achieved
- Attained
- Maximized
- Formulated
- Consolidated
- Resolved
- Spearheaded
- Negotiated
- Collaborated
- Researched
- Instituted
- Spearheaded
- Redesigned
- Reshaped
- Implemented
- Established
- Guided
- Piloted
- Orchestrated
- Engineered
- Spearheaded
- Motivated
Mistakes to avoid
Now that you know these dynamic keywords, avoid the following mistakes to maximize their impact.
- Generic keywords.
- Keyword stuffing.
- Too much jargon.
- Lack of metrics.
1. Generic keywords
Keywords like “hardworking” and “result-driven” communicate nothing about your experience, skills, or knowledge. Additionally, they don’t differentiate your resume from the masses.
Recruiters are likely to overlook them, thus reducing the chances of landing an interview.
2. Keyword stuffing
Stuffing keywords means including as many keywords as possible in a resume. This practice aims to increase the chances of passing ATS systems. However, recruiters know this and program ATS systems to flag or reject these resumes.
Additionally, keyword stuffing makes resumes unreadable by humans. Without context, keywords don’t make sense and become redundant. Recruiters are likely to bin these resumes.
3. Jargon, especially in non-technical roles
Jargon refers to technical words understood by members of an industry. While you may use these words to show expertise, they may hurt your chances of landing an interview.
Many professionals, including recruiters, consultants, and managers, will likely view your resume. They may not all be familiar with the industry’s jargon, thus making your resume hard to understand.
4. Neglecting metrics
Quantifying achievements using metrics is an excellent way to make your keywords impactful. They prove your responsibilities yielded tangible results for the company.
Look at this example. “Led cross-functional project teams to design a new product prototype.”
Compare it to this example. “Expedited product development with a 20% reduction in project timelines.”
Both examples refer to the same responsibility. But the second one shows results, while the first plainly states a duty.
5. Ignoring the job description
Job descriptions are an invaluable asset when deciding the keywords to use. Recruiters often use phrases they will likely search for in resumes.
Ignoring job descriptions leads to resumes that neither align with the company’s needs nor include relevant keywords.
Conclusion
Using impactful keywords in your resume is the key to standing out as a strong leader. Doing so increases your resume’s visibility and optimizes it for ATS systems. Additionally, it proves your industry knowledge and gives you a competitive edge.
Remember to avoid using generic keywords and stuffing keywords. You must also use minimal jargon to make your resume understandable to a broad audience.
Include these dynamic keywords to soar past the competition and secure that interview.
