The resume is often your first and possibly only chance to get considered by a company. Competing against a faceless crowd of other applicants can be daunting enough but now it’s even worse with digital resume filters being increasingly common. You may have been rejected without a human even reading your resume! I have been a part of resume evaluations and they can be brutal. There are dozens of micro decisions made all over the page and each of them are evaluated from your email address, to the formatting and everything in between.

One of the best ways to get noticed however is word choice. The famous article published by Career Builder has been regurgitated by websites and blogs alike. However I want to go into detail on the top 5 must have words as they are what are being looked for.

5- Created

“To cause to come into being, as something unique that would not naturally evolve or that is not made by ordinary processes.”

Starting the list off is ‘created’ which is a great verb to demonstrate value added actions. Anyone can crank out the same result over and over again but to expand the operations of a company in a meaningful way makes you a very powerful asset. It also evokes a degree of creativity which is required to create something. Anyone one can process, a star creates.

Did you create a new workflow process for the company? Did you create marketing materials? These are both great examples of how any role in a company can have the work ‘created’ used in their resume.

4- Managed

“To bring about or succeed in accomplishing, sometimes despite difficulty or hardship”

This is an obvious one; it shows a company has trusted you with more responsibility than others. It can often mean you were responsible for larger and more meaningful decision making. Having the stamp of approval from one company makes it so much easier to receive it at another one. This could have a wide range of meanings from the managing of people, to a book of business, or to finances. Don’t feel limited in your ability to incorporate this powerful word.

3- Trained

“To give the discipline and instruction, drill, practice, etc., designed to impart proficiency or efficiency.”

I like that the verb ‘trained’ outranking ‘managed’. I believe trained is a more action oriented verb. Training feels like it is more involved and carries its own unique difficulties that you have faced and overcame. Not only that is its not just managers and leaders training, anyone can be a trainer! It also shows that you have been entrusted with the education and improvement of others. You are a go to person within your company. The key with this word is to not sell yourself short. Don’t just say I trained new hires, elaborate! What system did you train people on? Did you train 20 people? That’s impressive and shows trust is safe to be placed with you.

2- Improved

“To increase in value, excellence, etc.; become better”

This is another value added word. Companies love an employee that can do the job well but can also make the job better. This one is one of the easier to incorporate to. You could have improved anything; customer service, sales, safety, etc. With just a little critical thinking and creativity you can add the number 2 word to your resume! You can even use this in conjunction with another top five word for a double whammy. I created a new work flow that lead to improved production flow. Boom, when can you start? Well maybe not that simple.

1- Achieved

“To bring about an intended result; accomplish some purpose or effect.”

I am almost disappointed in the blandness of the top word from this survey. It is a simple case of people like winners. You set a goal and achieve it, perfect you are someone with a proven track record. Managers are like everyone else, they like a safe bet. If you succeeded at you last job you are more then likely going to succeed with them at your new job. At least that’s what logic dictates. What did you achieve that you are proud of? Higher sales, customer satisfaction, awards or commendations? Brag about yourself. A resume is little more then a forum for you to brag about yourself.

Using these 5 words is an easy upgrade to any resume to help stand out. Obviously using these will not guarantee even an interview, but it is a free upgrade to your resume that you are able to add with even minimal work experience. Let me know of any words you like to see or use in resumes in the comments and I’d love to do a follow up to this with your feedback!