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Power Words to Use in Your Resume

Action Verbs, Power Words, and Buzzwords for Resumes

What Power Words Accomplish

Types of power words, how to use power words.

• Power Words for Resumes

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It's important to use power words in  your resume  and  cover letters  when applying for jobs. Using these words helps demonstrate your strengths and highlights why you are right for the job. Power words also jazz up your job descriptions  and make them seem alive, as opposed to flat. 

Let's begin by looking at the types of power words, why they are important, and how to effectively use them.

Power words are used for several reasons. First, many hiring managers quickly skim through resumes and cover letters due to the high volume they receive. These power words jump off the page, quickly showing the hiring manager you have the skills and qualifications to get the job done.

Also, most resume language is repetitive and boring. If your language is the same as everyone else’s, it will be hard for you to stand out.

Thoughtful, appropriate word choice will set you apart from the competition.

Finally, power words (especially  keywords ) are useful when a company uses an  Applicant Tracking System  (ATS). These tracking systems help screen applications so that employers only need to focus on the top candidates. One way an ATS works is to eliminate resumes that are missing certain keywords.

By including these words, you increase your chances of  making it through the ATS  and having your application read.

Action verbs: One type of power word is an  action verb . This kind of verb shows your ability to succeed. These words demonstrate the skills you have used in previous jobs to achieve success.

Examples of action verbs include "accomplished," "designed," "initiated," and "supervised."

Company values: To demonstrate that you are a good fit for the company, use key terms that the company uses to describe itself. You might find this language on the company’s “About Us” web page, or in the  job listing . For example, if the company identifies itself as “innovative,” one power word you might incorporate into your resume is “innovate” or “innovative.” 

Popular skill words: There are  certain skills and qualities  that almost every employer is looking for in a job candidate. For example, employers always want an employee who is responsible, passionate, and a strong leader. Try to use this kind of language to demonstrate you have these  essential skills .

Keywords: Keywords  are words from the job listing that relate to particular skills or other requirements for the job. By embedding them in your resume or cover letter, you will demonstrate, at a glance, that you fit the requirements of the position. Keywords might be “analyzed,” “quantified,” “planned,” “programmed,” “designed,” “taught,” or “trained.”

Industry buzzwords and jargon: Each industry has certain keywords that are important. Knowing and accurately using those words demonstrates you have the necessary  hard skills .

Resume buzzwords: You can decode the buzzwords that employers use in job postings , and use them to highlight your relevant skills in your resume.

Sprinkle the appropriate buzzwords into your resume and cover letter to demonstrate that you are a part of the industry. Some common buzzwords are experienced," "expert," "skilled," "facilitated," "launched," and "demonstrated."

You can include power words throughout your resume, including in your  job descriptions ,  resume summary statement , and your cover letter. 

Remember to vary the words that you use—repeating the same word (even power words) leads to a dull reading experience and will turn off the hiring manager. Instead, use a variety of terms that best describe your accomplishments to show employers the scope of your achievements.

Finally, it's very important that you only use terms you are familiar with.

Power Words for Resumes and Cover Letters

• Collaborate
• Communicate
• Conceptualize
• Consolidate
• Demonstrate
• Detail Oriented
• Development
• Enthusiastic
• Investigate
• Participate
• Professional
• Responsibility
• Restructure
• Results-Oriented
• Standardize
• Team Player

Related: Best Resume Writing Services

Popular searches

Land your dream job, cover letter clichés to avoid.

If you’re on the job hunt, chances are you’ve written more than your fair share of cover letters, and it can certainly be a challenge to keep each letter fresh and interesting. One simple way to up your job application game is to recognize and root out cover letter clichés, including words and phrases you’ve probably heard a million times.

Calling yourself "a go-getter," "a self-starter," or "detail-oriented" won’t tell your potential employer much about what makes you unique. And clichés can work against you in another way; readers may interpret vague positive phrases as a way to disguise your lack of qualifications for the job.

Don’t sell yourself short. Instead, use your limited cover letter space to tell a story no other applicant can.

Retire clichéd buzzwords

Adjectives like dynamic, proactive, motivated , and responsible might seem like great words to describe yourself—who doesn’t want an employee like that? But employers are a lot more interested in specific accomplishments than general traits. After all, most workplaces expect employees to have motivation, dedication, and responsibility; without examples to back them up, these buzzwords only reiterate the obvious.

Anyone can say they’re a hard worker, but it’s a lot more challenging to put in the work and produce measurable results on a long-term project. Similarly, it’s easy to claim you’re an innovative forward-thinker, but readers would rather hear what innovations you came up with (think of the Writing 101 "Show, don’t tell" adage).

• If you describe yourself as a "team player," for instance, think of the last time you worked on a team—what did you learn from that experience? Maybe you interacted with people in different departments, taught a skill to a co-worker, or compromised to achieve a goal together. 
• If you claim to be "detail-oriented," another frequent cover letter cliché, can you point to a task that required you to interpret data, help out with event planning logistics, or scrutinize details in another way? 
• If you pride yourself on being a "problem-solver," describe a workplace problem you faced and the solution you discovered. You get the idea.

Watch out for words like "unique" and "expert" as well; for example, stating you’re "uniquely qualified" for a job. Unless you have an unusual niche skill set, chances are your expertise is more common than you think. If you do have accomplishments, credentials, or experiences that set you apart from the average candidate, tell these stories and let them speak for themselves.

Reconsider these clichéd phrases

I think outside the box. 

I go the extra mile. 

I’m an independent self-starter. 

I’m highly organized. 

I have excellent communication skills.

I thrive in a fast-paced environment. 

I’m a quick learner. 

Any of these cover letter clichés, and others like them, risk wasting space and making you sound like all the other candidates out there.

Try using this trick to help you avoid clichés as you’re writing: if a phrase sounds familiar or like a statement you’ve heard before, maybe in a job advertisement, there’s likely a better way to get your point across. Usually this involves pinning down a concrete example of the traits these phrases describe, like a seminar you helped organize ( I’m highly organized ), a content management system you mastered in a few weeks ( I’m a quick learner ), or a language you taught yourself in quarantine ( I’m an independent self-starter ).

Many cover letter writers mention skill sets they’re "familiar with" or have "knowledge of." While these phrases aren’t exactly clichés, they’re still vague and unclear. Familiarity could mean weeks or months of classroom and working experience, or simply an awareness you’ve gained from studying and observing others. At worst, such general phrasing can suggest you’re more comfortable with a skill than you actually are, which can backfire if you need to use the skill on the job. Avoid possible confusion by being upfront about just how much expertise you have.

As a final defense against cover letter clichés, reread your letter and look for any "I" phrases and statements you can change or eliminate. You may have quite a few "I" statements, naturally, since you’re writing about yourself in the first person. Try changing some of them to "you" statements that highlight what the organization is looking for. This helps immensely when you’re tailoring a cover letter to a job , and it shows the reader you’ve done your homework. "I thrive in a fast-paced environment" could become "Your fast-paced atmosphere requires employees who can make smart decisions under pressure. At my internship with X organization, which ran on a tight schedule, I..."

Go from general to specific

You may have heard a cover letter is the place to tell employers something they couldn’t find out from your resume. Often this means making connections with a reader by telling stories, showing examples, and demonstrating your passion for the industry.

If you’re tempted to take the shortcut of a cover letter cliché, think about a brief anecdote you could use instead. Your reader is more likely to remember an example of hard work or innovative thinking, even in a brief two-sentence story, than they are to remember an overused phrase.

Numbers and metrics are an easy way to get specific, whenever you can provide them. Think of any way you can "quantify" achievements—how many people you mentored or served in your role, how many subscribers read the newsletter you edited, etc. These details don’t take up much space, and they show your impact in a quick and measurable way.

Keep in mind your goal is for the reader to remember you. Employers are sifting through piles of repetitive cover letters; you want to be the one who says something different.

Did you enjoy this post? If you’re looking to spruce up your resume with more impactful language, be sure to Try Using These Action Verbs to Get Your Resume Noticed .

Amy Bergen is a writer based in Portland, Maine. She has experience in the social impact space in Baltimore, Maryland, the educational museum sphere in Columbus, Ohio, and the literary world of New York City.

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Cover Letters

Use Keywords to Create a Compelling Cover Letter

By Shannon Donnelly

Writing a cover letter can be a daunting and frustrating task and it’s easy to imagine it as a pretty unimportant part of the job application process. Recycling the same salutation and content over and over again might seem simple and effective enough, however, a cleverly-customized cover letter can often be the determining factor in whether or not a candidate’s resume will be considered, or even seen.

These days, many larger organizations and online job search sites use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to narrow down large pools of talent and screen potential job candidates before a human ever even lays eyes on a contender’s credentials.

So, how can you create a letter compelling enough to make the cut?

The solution is actually quite simple. Keywords.

An ATS, and even a living, breathing hiring manager, are both scanning your cover letter for certain keywords. Specifically, keywords that they’ve mentioned in their job advertisement or those that are mentioned in the organization’s mission statement, and even the names of programs and/or services provided, as well as the name of the hiring manager. In this way, the prospective employer can begin to discern just how closely you have read, and fit within, the job requirements, in addition to whether or not you’ve researched the company. But, what exactly are keywords, in this context, and what’s the most effective way to use them in a cover letter?

Keywords (or perhaps more accurately, key phrases) are industry-specific and used to showcase specialized skills, education, training, and experiences that are directly relevant to the role. Keep your eyes peeled for phrases like, ‘attract digital subscribers,’ ‘develop efficient sourcing strategies,’ and ‘provide technical expertise and leadership in the design and development of new software programs.’

Be careful not to confuse keywords with buzzwords.

Buzzwords (which can also come in the form of phrases), although helpful, tend to be more generic in nature and can be applied across any organization in any industry. A couple common categories buzzwords can be broken down into include Action Words, Skill Words and Recognition Words. Some respective examples are, ‘collaborated’ and ‘cut costs,’ ‘team-player’ and ‘hard-worker’ and ‘honored for or recognized for.’

While it can be helpful to sprinkle a few of these buzzwords into your letter in some places, overall, these vague descriptions don’t hold much value and aren’t particularly applicable to the position for which you are applying. Meaning, they mostly leave a hiring manager or ATS unimpressed—especially if they’re standing alone without any connection to a keyword or authentic example of your experience.

So, once you’ve scanned the job posting and chosen a couple of compelling keywords that will help your application make it through the initial screening process, the next step is to use those exact phrases to show, rather than just tell, how your past experience, training or education make you a valuable addition to the team. (Now is also a good time to sprinkle a few of those strategic buzzwords into the mix, since you’ll be able to attach them to the specific phrase or example you’re using.)

Instead of simply writing that you’re a ‘collaborative team-player with the ability to develop efficient sourcing strategies,’ share about an instance in your career or life that backs this information up.

Try writing, ‘collaborated cross-functionally with Logistics and Finance Teams in order to develop efficient sourcing strategies and bring lower costs to company consumers during the supply shortages of the Covid-19 pandemic.’

This sentence not only catches attention with keywords, but drives home the idea of actual experience in a related area by offering an applied illustration.

The more personal and customized to the job you’re able to make your keywords and examples, the more unique and outstanding your cover letter will appear in an overwhelming sea of applicants—not to mention a lot less mundane to write.

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20 Common Resume Buzzwords (and What to Use Instead)

Published: Jan 16, 2019

January 18 th is National Thesaurus Day: a chance to celebrate the complexity of words and the variety of creative ways to express yourself. Thesaurus Day recognizes Peter Mark Roget (born on January 18, 1779), who published the Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases in 1852. Until the advent of the digital age, Roget’s Thesaurus was one of the most widely used lexicons of the English Language—a staple among writers, students, and virtually anyone who’s ever put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard).

Much has been written about the best and worst words to use on your resume; with such limited space, word choice is essential to portraying yourself in a way that sets you apart from everyone else, and certain buzzwords come across as tired or trite to recruiters and hiring managers. To celebrate National Thesaurus Day this week, we’ve compiled a list of creative alternatives for some of the most common and generic resume words or phrases.

When describing your accomplishments/responsibilities

Employers want to know what you’ve accomplished in your previous roles, and what you can bring to the table. Here are ten common words or phrases and some synonyms you can use as an alternative:

• Lead (as in leading a project): execute, initiate, helm, orchestrate, oversee, spearhead
• Manage (as in managing a team of people): coordinate, direct, guide, head, pilot, supervise
• Create : design, devise, envision, establish, formulate, launch, pioneer
• Improve : influence, optimize, overhaul, redesign, revitalize, transform
• Increase (as in growing profits, production, etc.): advance, amplify, boost, expand, generate, maximize
• Decrease (as in saving time and money or cutting down on losses): conserve, condense, ease, moderate, reduce
• Research: analyze, examine, explore, inquire, investigate, study
• Write: author, brief, compose, define, verbalize
• Achieve (as in reaching a goal): attain, demonstrate, earn, reach, surpass, win
• Communicate (with clients or colleagues): convey, correspond, interact, liaise, mediate, network

When describing your personality/attributes

Are you a go-getter? A self-starter? A team player? That’s great if you are, but there are far better ways to describe yourself. Try these instead:

• Self-starter: enthusiastic, inspired, motivated, zealous
• Go-getter : ambitious, aspiring, determined, industrious, passionate
• Detail-oriented: analytic, attentive, comprehensive, meticulous, precise, systematic
• Team player: collaborative, collegial, cooperative, helpful, supportive
• Proficient: accomplished, adept, apt, competent, effective, experienced
• Results-driven: committed, efficient, intent, purposeful
• Go-to person: enlisted, entrusted, expert, relied upon
• Dynamic: agile, diligent, energetic, engaging, lively, versatile
• Innovative: avant-garde, creative, groundbreaking, imaginative, inventive, pioneering, resourceful, shrewd
• Strategic thinker: critical, flexible, focused, logical, methodical, perceptive, studious

A few words of advice

Whether you need a synonym for the word "passion" or another way to tell employers you're a creative thinker, remember to vary your language on your resume! A simple "passion" synonym like "enthusiasm" or "zeal" can make your resume more dynamic. That said, when it comes to revitalizing your resume, there’s a thin line between creativity and hyperbole. While you want to stand out from the competition, you also want to keep things professional. Most recruiters can tell when you’re grandstanding or exaggerating your qualifications. Overly embellished language can read as flowery and convoluted, which is the last thing you want for someone who might spend less than 30 seconds reviewing your resume.

Every word on your resume counts. Be specific and concise, only using works that illuminate your point. Utilize keywords from the job description , but only where they’re relevant. Avoid repetition, and only use words that you understand. This last point might seem self-evident, but as you search for creative synonyms, it can be easy to reach for words you don’t firmly grasp—and that can come across during your interview. And never forget to proofread your resume multiple times; recruiters and hiring managers overwhelmingly cite typos or bad grammar as an immediate deal breaker. 

30 Consulting Buzzwords that Show You’re In-the-Know

• Last Updated January, 2024

Former McKinsey and Bain recruiter

Management consultants drop consulting buzzwords without even realizing it. It’s like the industry has its own language. If you’re new to consulting or interviewing for a job, it’s fine to ask for an explanation, but wouldn’t it be great to be one of those people who are in-the-know?

Becoming familiar with consulting jargon will also give you insight into the work of a consultant.

We’ve picked 30 consulting buzzwords that trip people up to define for you. But first, what are consulting buzzwords?

What Are Consulting Buzzwords?

Consulting buzzwords, also known as consulting jargon, consulting lingo, or consulting terminology, are verbal shorthand for rules of thumb, principles, or processes that are commonly used in the consulting industry and sometimes in business in general. They relay complex concepts quickly, speeding up a discussion.

30 Consulting Buzzwords

• 80/20 Rule – Derived from the Pareto Principle. In consulting, it refers to working smarter to avoid getting bogged down in the detail of a problem. Consultants believe that 80% of impact can usually be achieved by investing effort into the top 20% most important issues.

Further context: in a consulting interview you might use the 80/20 rule to focus on the factors that have the largest impact on solving a case study question.

• Action Plan – A list of steps that need to be taken to achieve a specific goal.

Further context: you and your project team will develop an action plan to assess the value to the client of entering a new market.

• Back-of-the-Envelope – a calculation done quickly to provide a rough estimate of the value of something (the return on an investment, potential cost savings) to decide if a course of action is worth investing additional time to pursue or not.

Further context: you might do a back-of-the-envelope calculation in a team meeting to estimate how many people frequent a particular restaurant each year as part of a consumer behavior project.

• Bandwidth – a way of describing how much capacity you have to take on additional work, both from a time and energy perspective.

Further context: your bandwidth may be limited because you’re scheduled to do interviews as part of the recruitment team, as well as working on a busy client project.

• Blanks – a rough sketch of a presentation that needs further details and formatting. It may include only headings for each page or a high-level picture of what charts and information need to be included.

Further context: the partner leading your project team gives you a blank of a PowerPoint presentation to complete before a 4 p.m. team brainstorming meeting.

• Boil the Ocean – when a task or project has been incorrectly scoped so that it’s impossible to complete, or loads the team with more work than they can handle because it demands an unnecessary level of precision or detail.

Further context: you don’t always need to boil the ocean and get an exact number (for cost savings or the size of a market). An estimate is often sufficient, especially for a first pass to focus the team in the right direction for further work.

• Buckets – another word for categories, segments, or groups. Consultants frequently break big problems into smaller ones which are easier to solve by identifying the key buckets underlying the big problem.
• Buy-in (a.k.a. Syndication) – Previewing your idea or proposal with clients and team members to identify ways to strengthen it and get their support.

Further context: if you develop a proposal with your team, you’ll need to get buy-in from the project manager before you can proceed.

• CAGR – an abbreviation for compound annual growth rate. It calculates the average annual growth rate of a financial variable (e.g. revenues, costs, the value of an investment) over time. The formula for CAGR is:

Example: You might calculate the CAGR of your client’s revenue growth compared to the market’s revenue growth, to understand whether they are growing faster or slower than their competition. If client revenue grew from $100K to $700K in 3 years, the CAGR is 91.29%. If the market’s CAGR was 40%, that would indicate their performance was strong and that they’ve gained market share.

• Critical Path – The key steps that are essential to achieve a goal or complete a project, taking into account the dependencies between steps and the time taken to reach each milestone.

Further context: the team manager can monitor the critical path tasks carefully to ensure the project isn’t delayed.

• C-Suite – the most senior-level executives of a corporation.

Examples: Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Technology Officer, Chief Marketing Officer.

• Deck (a.k.a Presentation) – the slides created for a project team or client presentation using software such as PowerPoint or Canva.

Further context: the team creates a deck to present the final recommendations to a client on how to implement their multi-region market penetration strategy.

• Deliverable – the items a team will give to a client at the end of a project.

Further context: the deliverables for your retail client include a deck (see above), supporting research documents, a spreadsheet showing the breakdown of all of your calculations, and an implementation plan to steer action on the next steps of the project.

• Drill Down – after a project summary has been given, this describes the stage of digging into the detail.

Example: you pitch your team on how the client can reduce the costs of their marketing strategy and the manager wants to drill down into the detail so a workable proposal can be developed.

• Engagement/Project/Case – a specific piece of work/problem to solve that a team of consultants is assigned to. Typically these last several weeks to several months.

Further context: your next engagement/project/case might be a value chain improvement strategy for a company that develops agricultural products.

• Facetime – being physically present, especially with a project manager or partner, to demonstrate your ideas and productivity. Facetime may include spending time in the office or at the client site to build relationships.

Further context: you may seek facetime with a partner you’ve heard great things about and would love to work with on your next project.

• Feedback – critique given on your work either verbally or in writing.

Further context: at the end of each project, some consulting firms collect 360-degree feedback from project teams so consultants can improve their performance on the next project.

• Low-Hanging Fruit – the quick wins, the easiest opportunities to address.

Further context: low-hanging fruit for a struggling retailer might be offering discounts to current customers to gain more of their business.

• MECE – an acronym for “Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive” which describes a way of organizing information into categories. The best way of breaking things into categories is to make the categories Mutually Exclusive – there is no overlap between the categories – and Collectively Exhaustive – the items each fit into one and only one category.

Further context: in-depth details and examples can be found in our article on MECE .

• Must Haves – items, information, or requirements that are essential.

Further context: must-haves in a consulting project include an understanding of the client’s goal and required deliverables, a budget and timeline, and details of who the stakeholders are.

• Offline – to take a discussion offline is to meet separately to talk about something that either can’t be solved right away or isn’t directly relevant to the main topic of a meeting.

Further context: the project manager might suggest you take a topic offline so the current discussion can focus on the key deliverables that directly affect the project.

• On the Beach – a term used to describe when you’re in between engagements and, although you’re being paid, you’re not currently allocated to a project.

Further context: when you’re on the beach pending being assigned to your next project, you will frequently be asked to help develop pitches for future client work.

• Peel the Onion (a.k.a. Next-level Thinking) – to delve deeper into the detail or do further analysis to get to the root cause of the problem.

Further context: you might need to listen in on some customer service calls to really understand what differentiates good customer service from poor customer service for an insurance client.

• Pipeline – the list of upcoming or potential projects for consultants.

Further context: you’re excited to learn that there’s an eCommerce project in the pipeline as this is a sector you’ve been keen to learn more about.

• Scope Creep – describes how the requirements of a project can build over time and need to be managed carefully to maintain control of the timeline and budget.

Further context: the project’s manager is concerned about scope creep as the client has requested a meeting to talk about additional requirements which aren’t currently part of the project.

• Sniff Test (a.k.a. Smell Test) – assessing whether something makes sense at a high level before accepting it as the truth or correct. The term comes from a way to check whether fruit is rotten – you don’t need to slice and dice it to figure out it’s gone bad, just sniff.

Further context: your manager asks you to double-check your analysis before presenting it to the team because it doesn’t pass the smell test (doesn’t seem right).

• Strawman – a potential solution or course of action used, not because it is perfect, but just to generate discussion about its advantages and disadvantages so that it can be improved upon. Consultants often prefer to solicit reactions to a strawman than to start a discussion from a totally blank slate, because it is often more efficient.

Further context: a client is experiencing decreasing profits and one strawman proposal may be to expand its product range. The team meets to discuss the benefits of and problems with this option and develops further iterations until a final, workable recommendation is reached.

• Takeaway – the key points intended for an audience to understand, for example, from a presentation.

Further context: a key takeaway from reading this article might be that, love them or hate them, consulting buzzwords are part of the industry’s language and you need to learn them.

• The Weeds – the details, as opposed to the high-level context.

Further context: If you are building a financial model, the partner on the case is unlikely to get into the weeds of how it is built — she will just want the high-level conclusions you are reaching. But your direct manager might get into the weeds to ensure the two of you are aligned on methodology and key assumptions.

• What’s the So-what? – the key implication or real-world usefulness of a piece of analysis. Consulting project managers and clients usually want this ahead of the supporting information on your analysis.

Further context: you’ve discovered that the client sells more of its products in one particular geography, but what does that mean for the client’s overall goal to increase its revenue?

So there you go, 30 consulting buzzwords that you’ve got inside knowledge about.

– – – – –

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A Few More Consulting Buzzwords Because We Can’t Get Enough!

• 20,000-Foot View – to summarise a situation as a whole, without going into the detail.
• Answer First – to put the summary or recommendation ahead of the reasoning or backup detail so that the team or client understands where your argument is going. For more on why this is useful, see our article on the Pyramid Principle .
• AOB – any other business, usually the final point on the agenda of a formal meeting. It’s a catch-all for anything not directly related to the discussion or not previously placed on the agenda.
• As-is / To-be – A common type of deck page in which you show what the client’s business or process looks like now and how it will look once the project is completed.
• At The End of the Day – to close a discussion with a high-level summary of the implications of a detailed discussion.
• Bottoms-Up – to start the analysis at the lowest level or smallest detail and work up. The opposite of Top-Down, where you start with the highest aggregation and complete the analysis by breaking the whole down into relevant parts.
• Circle Back – to say that a topic will be discussed at another time, perhaps because it’s not as important as other discussion points or because further information is needed to make an informed decision.
• Elevator Pitch – a brief statement to cover the key selling points of an idea or project. This statement needs to take no longer than a minute or two – the time you’d have if you met the CEO in the elevator and made the pitch on the ride up.
• Greenfield – a new and promising opportunity or project.
• Hard Stop – the time at which someone is no longer available so needs to stop working or leave a meeting for another commitment.
• Leverage – to give or get support for one’s work. If you delegated a piece of analysis to the new analyst on your team, they would be giving you leverage.
• Let Me Play This Back – used when a consultant wants to re-summarise the key issues to ensure they are understanding them correctly.
• Push Back – questioning the recommendations of a client or team member when they aren’t realistic, manageable, or achievable.
• Rock Star – a term for someone whose work has exceeded expectations.
• Take the Lead On – taking charge of something moving forward.
• White Space – an area of a business that hasn’t yet been explored but could provide a revenue opportunity.

In this article, we’ve covered:

• Why it’s important to learn and understand the key consulting buzzwords.
• Our top 30 consulting buzzwords with context.
• A few more examples of consulting jargon, just for fun.

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Still have questions?

If you have more questions about the consulting buzzwords, leave them in the comments below. One of My Consulting Offer’s recruiters will answer them.

Other people trying to get a handle on consulting terminology found the following pages helpful:

• Consulting Cover Letters .
• Consulting Resumes .
• Management Consultant Salaries .
• MCO Resources for Consulting Recruits.

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Thanks for turning to My Consulting Offer for info on consulting jargon. My Consulting Offer has helped almost 85% of the people we’ve worked with to get a job in management consulting. We want you to be successful in your consulting interviews too. For example, here is how David was able to get his offers from Bain and BCG.

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More From Forbes

Writing Cover Letters For A Career Change: Tips And Examples

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Embarking on a career change is a pivotal moment, fraught with uncertainty but brimming with potential. And especially in cases where your resume might not directly align with the job at hand, your cover letter becomes the narrative that connects the dots. A well-crafted cover can illuminate your strengths, align your past experiences with your future aspirations, and persuade potential employers to see the value you bring.

The Importance Of A Cover Letter In Career Changes

In career transitions, your cover letter is your storyteller. It explains the why and the how of your career change, showcasing your enthusiasm and demonstrating how your background equips you with unique perspectives and transferable skills. It addresses potential concerns about your career shift head-on, presenting your transition as an asset rather than a liability.

Tips For Writing A Career Change Cover Letter

1. Personalize Your Approach : Address the letter to a specific person whenever possible. Doing so demonstrates attention to detail and a genuine interest in the position. You want to show that you’re not conducting a generic job search, but that you’ve done your research. You’ve perused (not skimmed) the company website and you read that 20-page yearly report from the CEO. You’ve even read their blog and can quote freely from it. You’ve educated yourself.

2. Emphasize Transferable Skills : Highlight the skills and experiences from your previous roles that are relevant to the new position. Be specific and quantify achievements where possible.

3. Show Enthusiasm and Commitment : Employers want to know that you are genuinely interested in the new field. Express your passion for the career change and your eagerness to contribute.

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4. Tailor Your Narrative : Connect your past experiences to the job you're applying for, demonstrating how your unique background can bring a fresh perspective to the role.

5. Address Potential Concerns : Be upfront about your career change, framing it as a positive decision guided by clear motivation and a strong understanding of the new field.

6. End with a Strong Call to Action : Conclude by expressing your desire to discuss your application further in an interview, showing proactivity and determination.

7. Use Strategic Language : Avoid clichéd adjectives. Opt for vivid, specific language that paints a clear picture of your capabilities and achievements.

Example: General Career Change Cover Letter

Dear [Hiring Manager's Name],

I am excited to apply for the [Position] at [Company], transitioning from a career in [Current Industry] to [New Industry]. My experience in [Current Industry] has equipped me with valuable skills that I am eager to apply in [New Industry]. For instance, while working as [Previous Position], I developed a keen ability to [transferable skill], resulting in [specific achievement].

In [Current Industry], I honed my skills in [relevant skill] and demonstrated my ability to [relevant achievement], directly benefiting my team by [specific outcome]. I am particularly drawn to [New Industry] because [reason for interest], and I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to bring my [specific skill] and [another skill] to the [Position] at [Company].

[Your Name]

Tweaks For Various Career Stages

Whether you are making a change early in your career or transitioning later, your cover letter should reflect your rationale and excitement for this new path.

Example: Early Career Cover Letter

As someone at the early stages of my career, I am eager to leverage the foundational skills I gained in [Initial Field], such as [specific skill], in [New Field]. My recent role as [Previous Position] allowed me to develop [relevant skills or experiences], which align closely with the requirements of the [Position] at [Company].

Example: Late Career Cover Letter

Transitioning into [New Field] at this point in my career is a deliberate and enthusiastic choice, driven by my deep-seated interest in [aspect of New Field]. With extensive experience in [Previous Field], I bring a wealth of knowledge and a unique perspective that can contribute to innovative solutions and strategies at [Company].

Tweaks For White And Blue-Collar Roles

Transitioning between white and blue-collar roles offers a unique opportunity to highlight diverse skills and experiences.

Example: White To Blue Collar Cover Letter

I am eager to apply the strategic and managerial skills honed in my white-collar career to the hands-on, dynamic environment of [Blue Collar Field]. My experience in [White Collar Role], where I developed [specific skills], aligns well with the challenges and responsibilities of the [Blue Collar Position] at [Company].

Example: Blue To White Collar Cover Letter

Transitioning from [Blue Collar Field] to [White Collar Field], I bring practical, on-the-ground experience that can inform and enhance the strategic decisions in [White Collar Role]. My background in [Blue Collar Role], where I mastered [specific skills], equips me with a unique perspective beneficial for the [White Collar Position] at [Company].

Including A Career Change Statement On Your Resume/CV

While your cover letter is the ideal place to elaborate on your career change, your resume/CV should also reflect this transition. A brief career change statement, positioned at the beginning of your resume, can effectively set the context for your career narrative. This statement should succinctly convey your transition, emphasizing your commitment to the new field and highlighting any transferable skills or relevant experiences.

How To Craft A Career Change Statement For Your Resume

1. Objective Statement : Begin with a clear, concise objective that outlines your career goals and demonstrates your enthusiasm for your new field.

2. Summary of Qualifications : Follow your objective with a brief summary of your most relevant qualifications, focusing on skills and experiences that transition well into your new career.

3. Highlight Transferable Skills : Clearly identify and emphasize any skills from your previous career that are pertinent to your new path. This not only demonstrates your capability but also shows your proactive approach in aligning your skill set with the new role's requirements.

4. Tailor Your Experience : Adjust the descriptions of your past positions to highlight the responsibilities and achievements most relevant to your desired career path. Use quantifiable achievements to underscore your adaptability and impact.

5. Education and Training : If you have pursued any education or training relevant to your new field, highlight this prominently on your resume to illustrate your dedication and commitment to your career change.

Make Your Language Unique

To avoid sounding like everyone else, remember to use distinctive and precise adjectives in your cover letter and resume. For instance:

• Instead of "experienced," try "seasoned" or "accomplished," providing specific examples that demonstrate this experience, like spearheading a successful project or leading a team to exceed its targets.
• Replace "passionate" with "enthused" or "committed," detailing a project or initiative you pursued with zeal, which can resonate more authentically with hiring managers.
• Substitute "results-driven" with "outcome-focused," illustrating this with a particular scenario where your focus on results led to tangible success for your organization.

Your cover letter and resume are your advocates, narrating your professional journey and articulating why you are not just seeking a new job, but embarking on a new career with purpose and passion. By carefully crafting these documents to reflect your individual story, you position yourself as a memorable and compelling candidate, someone who stands out from the crowd.

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