As job seekers, we all know the importance of creating an impressive CV and cover letter that will stand out among the competition. But this is not easy to do! Great news! Using CV power words in your CV and cover letter is a simple yet effective way to boost your job application. By incorporating these impactful words, you can make your achievements and experience sound more impressive and compelling. Power words are impactful and emotional words that can help convey your skills, achievements and experience in a more compelling way. In this blog post, we’ll explore the importance of using power words in your CV and cover letter, provide examples of how to incorporate them into your job application and give you a mammoth list of 200 power words that you can add to your CV.

What are CV power words /action words?

Power words are also known as action words. They are verbs in the past tense that you use to start each bullet point while you are describing your work experience in your CV. They are also great to add to your cover letter too. They are words like managed, motivated, promoted etc.

Why are power words, action verbs important for your CV and cover letter?

Your CV and cover letter are your chance to make a great first impression on potential employers. Power words can help you achieve this by:

1. Grabbing the recruiter’s attention: Employers are often inundated with job applications. Using power words can help your application stand out and grab the employer’s attention.
2. Highlighting your achievements: CV power words can make your achievements sound more impressive and noteworthy. They can help you stand out from other applicants who may be using similar phrasing to describe their achievements.
3. Conveying your skills and experience: CV Power words can help you demonstrate how you’ve used your skills and experience to achieve success in your previous roles.
4. Instilling confidence in potential employers: Hiring is an expensive, time consuming process. By using power words in your CV it can help you convey a sense of confidence, competence, and professionalism. This in turn will help your potential employer feel confident about your ability to do the job!

Examples of power words to use in your CV and cover letter

1. Achieved: This word is a powerful way to highlight your accomplishments. Instead of simply stating that you “completed a project,” you can say that you “achieved a successful outcome” or “delivered outstanding results.”

Example: “Achieved a 25% increase in sales revenue in Q4 2022 through effective marketing strategies.”

2. Implemented: This word can be used to describe the successful implementation of a new process, system, or idea. It conveys a sense of initiative and leadership.

Example: “Implemented a new project management system that reduced project delivery time by 20%.”

3. Exceeded: This word is a great way to showcase your ability to go above and beyond expectations. It’s particularly effective when used to describe targets, goals, or performance metrics.

Example: “Exceeded monthly sales targets by 30% through strategic sales techniques.”

4. Innovated: This word conveys a sense of creativity and originality. It’s particularly effective when used to describe new products, services, or processes that you’ve developed.

Example: “Innovated a new digital marketing campaign that resulted in a 50% increase in website traffic.”

5. Collaborated: This word demonstrates your ability to work effectively in a team. It’s particularly effective when used to describe cross-functional teams or projects.

Example: “Collaborated with the marketing team to develop a successful social media campaign that increased brand awareness by 40%.”

6. Streamlined: This word is a powerful way to describe your ability to improve efficiency and productivity. It’s particularly effective when used to describe processes, workflows, or systems.

Example: “Streamlined the recruitment process by implementing a new applicant tracking system that reduced hiring time by 50%.”

7. Led: This word conveys a sense of leadership and initiative. It’s particularly effective when used to describe teams or projects that you’ve led.

Example: “Led a team of 10 developers to successfully launch a new mobile app within a tight deadline.”

Incorporating power words into your CV and cover letter

Now that you’ve seen some examples of power words, it’s time to incorporate them into your CV and cover letter. Here are some tips:

1. Use active verbs: Start your sentences with active verbs that convey action and achievement. For example, instead of saying “Responsible for managing the sales team,” say “Managed the sales team to achieve a 25% increase in revenue.”
2. Be specific: Use your power words to explain exactly what you did.
3. More is more: Use them in every bullet point of your work experience. CV’s are only 2 pages, don’t waste any words or space!