Consider limiting the use of “manage” on your resume, opting instead for more powerful keywords for your resume that can better indicate you’re a leader.
Use some useful leadership keywords for your resume to show your capabilities.
You are probably aware that hiring managers typically spend only a few seconds visually scanning each resume before deciding whether to discard it or move it along for further review. They’re not pouring over every single carefully chosen word or well-crafted sentence you’ve likely spent hours polishing.
Employers seek powerful leadership words in a resume about each applicant’s experience that align with the job description for the role. These terms can indicate that you have the most important skills the position requires.
In fact, by the time your resume reaches the hiring manager’s hands, it has probably already been interpreted by the employer’s applicant-tracking software, which has searched for the keywords the company has determined are most important for the role. If your resume lacks enough pre-determined management/leadership keywords for the role, the hiring manager may never even get the chance to look at your resume.
If you’re applying to any type of leadership position, or if you have past leadership experience, the word “manage” probably shows up several times throughout your resume, CV or cover letter. But “manage” is also one of the most commonly used verbs on resumes to describe past leadership experience, so you’ll want to take care to avoid overusing the word.
Instead, consider limiting your use of “manage” on your resume, opting instead for more powerful leadership words for resume, or descriptive synonyms that concretely communicate your ability to effectively lead people and projects.
To supplement words from the job posting, and to avoid overusing forms of “manage,” consult this list of 50 powerful leadership words to include on your resume.
Useful Leadership Words for Your Resume
- Accelerated
- Administered
- Attained buy-in
- Built
- Coached
- Collaborated
- Conducted
- Consolidated
- Delegated
- Directed
- Drove
- Empowered
- Engineered
- Enhanced
- Exceeded
- Executed
- Facilitated
- Formulated
- Galvanized
- Guided
- Helmed
- Ignited
- Implemented
- Initiated
- Instructed
- Launched
- Led
- Mediated
- Mentored
- Mobilized
- Optimized
- Organized
- Overhauled
- Oversaw
- Piloted
- Pioneered
- Presided over
- Propelled
- Revitalized
- Shaped
- Spearheaded
- Spurred
- Steered
- Streamlined
- Strengthened
- Supervised
- Trained
- Transformed
- Uplifted
- Won
Hopefully, these 50 leadership words for your resume will help you craft a beautiful CV that will increase your chances of being noticed by a hiring manager and get you one step closer to securing your dream job.
