150 Business Resume Buzzwords (With Tips)

If you're looking for a new job within the business field, it can be important to have a strong resume that accurately reflects your qualifications. Buzzwords are a great tool to increase the effectiveness of your resume as you search for a position. Reading about the types of buzzwords that you can find on business resumes can help you develop the skills to accurately reflect your fit for a position to a potential employer.

In this article, we describe business resume buzzwords, list 150 key terms you can use on a resume and provide tips to help you get a job in business.

What are business buzzwords?

Business buzzwords are common words and phrases used in business settings to share information or data and build community amongst company stakeholders. These words or phrases can convey information based on shared common knowledge among professionals. They can also describe important processes or actions within the field. While coworkers may use business buzzwords to communicate information with each other, employees may also use them to appeal to customers or clients. For this reason, you may see business buzzwords on resumes, emails, memos or customer-facing marketing materials.

Why is it important to include business buzzwords on your resume?

It's important to include business buzzwords on your resume to demonstrate your knowledge, expertise and experience when you apply for a role. Correctly using buzzwords on a business resume can show an employer that you understand the words' meaning and how to apply them. It can also reflect your experience in engaging with relevant industry vocabulary. When you describe your previous roles, you can use business buzzwords to represent your duties and responsibilities and connect these duties to your fit for the new role. This can show that you're qualified and ready to start a new position in the field.

150 business buzzwords for your resume

Here are some business buzzwords you can include on your resume to help strengthen your credentials:

Action verbs

When describing previous business experiences, consider including action verbs to show what you did in each position. This can demonstrate your effectiveness and ability to work hard toward personal and company goals. Here are some action verbs you can use to bolster your business resume:

1. Accomplished

2. Designed

3. Initiated

4. Supervised

5. Wrote

6. Achieved

7. Acquired

8. Built

9. Calculated

10. Created

11. Lead

12. Improved

13. Provided

14. Reorganized

15. Solved

16. Specialized

17. Trained

18. Transformed

19. Digitized

20. Simplified

21. Distributed

22. Optimized

23. Translated

24. Upgraded

25. Yielded

26. Chose

27. Checked

28. Handled

29. Critiqued

30. Defined

31. Prepared

32. Delegated

33. Generated

34. Increased

35. Illustrated

36. Maintained

37. Managed

38. Negotiated

39. Observed

40. Processed

41. Ran

42. Reached

43. Received

44. Shared

45. Taught

46. Tested

47. Won

48. Volunteered

49. Transcribed

50. Staffed

51. Held

52. Standardized

53. Retrieved

Read more: Why Action Verbs Are Important for Resumes (With Examples)

Company values

When you write a resume, it can be helpful to understand crucial aspects of the company and demonstrate how you match those requirements. As you prepare your resume, consider reading the company's values or its "About Us" page and including buzzwords that reflect the most prominent value statements. This can show that you're a good fit for the company and for the position. Here are some potential company value words you can consider for your resume:

1. Innovate

2. Creative

3. Passion

4. Hardworking

5. Dedication

6. Collaboration

7. Teamwork

8. Customer-oriented

9. Focused

10. Effort

Employee skills

You can also include business buzzwords that describe skills that many employers may like to see on a resume. These basic skills show that you're a competent employee who understands what a position requires. Here are some skill words you can use to help demonstrate your fit for a role:

1. Responsible

2. Leadership

3. Communication

4. Public speaking

5. Service

6. Timely

7. Integrity

8. Problem-solving

9. Time-management

10. People skills

11. Detailed

12. Results-oriented

Position keywords

You can also include buzzwords that relate to the specific position or role. Similar to company-specific buzzwords, this can show that your skills, experiences and personality are a good fit for the role. Consider looking over the position description to locate buzzwords that match your credentials. Here are some examples of position-specific keywords to include on a resume:

1. Trained

2. Integrated

3. Designed

4. Edited

5. Used

6. Analyzed

7. Gathered

8. Reflected

9. Technological skills

10. Performed

Related: 18 Types of Resume Skills for Business Administration Jobs

Industry-specific buzzwords

For a position in business, consider using resume buzzwords that demonstrate your experience in the field. Industry professionals may understand most of these terms, so using them correctly can show an employer that you've gained the necessary exposure and experience. Here are some business-specific keywords to use on a resume:

1. Synergy

2. Customer journey

3. Growth

4. Profit

5. Expenses

6. Marketing

7. Reach

8. Return

9. Investment

10. Rate

11. Impact

12. Ballpark

13. Estimated

14. Plan

15. Customer experience

16. Feedback

17. Deep dive

18. Core competency

19. Branding

20. Sustainability

21. Startup

22. Pain point

23. Slide deck

24. Holistic

25. Long and short-term

26. Alignment

27. Strategy

28. Quota

29. Unpack

30. Contextualize

31. Retarget

32. Expand

33. Bandwidth

34. Incentivize

35. Awareness

36. Content

37. Deliverable

38. Transformation

39. Performance

40. Viral

41. Conversion rate

42. Infographic

43. Hyperlocal

44. Stocks

45. Finance

46. Equity

47. Capital

48. Rate

49. Algorithm

50. Modeling

51. Quarter

52. Goal-setting

Read more: 30 Business Buzzwords and Their Definitions

Common resume terms

You can also include business buzzwords that reflect your desirability as an employee. These commonly used keywords demonstrate your general qualification for a role. Combined with industry-specific words, these terms can create a complete picture of your abilities. Here are some buzzwords you might commonly find on a resume:

1. Experienced

2. Expert

3. Promotion

4. Team building

5. Learned

6. Gained

7. Improved

8. Challenging

9. Rewarding

10. Opportunity

11. Professional

Tips for creating a business resume

Here are some tips you can use when creating your business resume:

Vary your word choice

Consider using a varied collection of buzzwords to demonstrate your complete qualification. You may, for example, want to focus on a few strong keywords for each position, reflecting the most relevant terms for each role. If possible, avoid repeating the same word. It can lessen the effect if one word appears many times in the same document.

Be honest

While you may want to include as many buzzwords as possible on a resume, consider honestly reflecting your experience and skill. Rather than including buzzwords you consider necessary, include buzzwords that accurately match your qualifications. You can demonstrate your genuineness by including context and examples for each buzzword. For example, if you use the buzzword "problem-solving," you can describe situations where you solved problems. You can also include specific data about the results of your solutions.

Proofread

Before submitting a resume, consider proofreading it to find any mistakes or errors. You may want to read your resume aloud to catch any grammatical issues. This can help you determine if you reflected your qualifications accurately and effectively. You can also have someone else read over your resume to locate any other mistakes. Focusing on buzzwords when you proofread can help you determine if you used the proper amount and if you employed them effectively.

Read more: 27 Proofreading Tips That Will Improve Your Resume

Use buzzwords thoughtfully

When you use buzzwords, it can enhance the experiences and skills on your resume. Too many buzzwords can distract from your experiences, though. Consider limiting buzzword use to the most necessary and thoughtful additions. This can vary based on your resume and experience level.