105 describing words for resumés and interviews
Good communication skills are essential to success in and out of the workplace. But effective communication isn’t about how many fancy words you can use; it’s about choosing the right words and phrases and using them to inform and influence your audience.
Mastering describing words, or adjectives, can enhance your ability to express ideas, create vivid imagery, and connect with others. Using the right adjectives for job applications and interview interactions can help you get the position you’re going for.
There are thousands of adjectives in the English language, so it’s important to know which are the best ones to add to your resumé or use during interviews. In this article, we explore various types of describing words for professions, what they mean, and how to use them effectively.
Table of contents
105 powerful describing words for your resumé and interviews
Examples of how to incorporate describing words into a resumé
Examples of how to incorporate describing words into an interview
Why describing words matter in job applications
Positive describing words can change the tone and impact of your job applications, resumés and interview. Here’s how:
Resumé impact: they’re a great way to convey skills and achievements in your resumé
Interview success: you can use them to impress employers, by articulating your strengths and personal traits/qualities in a persuasive manner.
Differentiation: using positive describing words can help you stand out.
What are describing words? Types and functions
A describing word provides more detail about a noun, pronoun, or other word. Different types of describing words include adjectives, adverbs, and participles. Here are some examples:
- Adjectives: these words describe nouns. Examples are beautiful, clever, and colourful.
Adverbs: these words modify a verb, an adjective, or several other parts of speech. An adverb can express place, time, or circumstance. For instance, quickly, slowly, yesterday, last week, never, extremely, or yearly are all adverbs.
Participles: these are words formed from a verb and then used as an adjective. Examples include amazing, scared, asked, eaten, seen, and gone.
Describing words add depth and clarity to communication. They’re essential in effective writing and speaking, giving a sense of place, time, and feelings. Mastering them is key to crafting compelling resumés, job applications, and interview techniques.
There are several subtypes within the broader class of adjectives, many of which you probably already use without knowing it. Below is a more in-depth look at these adjectives.
Possessive adjectives
This is an adjective to modify a noun, used to show who owns or possesses it. For example, in the sentence "Helen lost her work phone", the word ‘her’ is a possessive adjective that indicates the work phone belongs to Helen.
Interrogative adjectives
We use interrogative adjectives when we modify a noun or pronoun to ask a question. Examples are what, which, and whose, as in "Which company did James work for previously?"
Demonstrative adjectives
A demonstrative adjective indicates a noun's position in space or time or emphasises something. Typical examples are this, that, and these. They work as shown here when we use them in a sentence: "This job description is interesting."
Compound adjectives
These adjectives are combinations of words that work together to describe a noun or pronoun. We often hyphenate them. For instance, you might say, "The project Hannah completed shows how hard-working she is." Hard-working is a good phrase to describe an employee.
Appositive adjectives
These are a series of adjectives or a single adjective that appear after a noun – commas or dashes set them off. An example would be: "Emma was a charismatic co-worker: proud, intelligent and sensitive all at the same time." Proud, intelligent, and sensitive are the adjectives that describe Emma.
Participial adjectives
This type of adjective has the same form as a participle. They're verbs ending in -ing or -ed/-en. There are two types used in English. We form present participle adjectives by adding an -ing ending. They have a progressive or active meaning. Examples are boring, interesting, amazing, and exciting. We create past participle adjectives using an -ed or -d ending. For example, "Ewan's attitude to work disappointed me." Here, disappointed is the past participle adjective.
Proper adjectives
Proper adjectives come from proper nouns. We use them to indicate origin. Examples might be someone's nationality, name, or a place name. An example in a sentence could be, "We visited the New Zealand Embassy in London for work." New Zealand is the proper adjective.
Denominal adjectives
These are adjectives derived from a noun, often with a suffix added. Think about words such as childish, hopeless, or dastardly. You might use these as in this sentence, "Ruth's tireless efforts led the company to win the award for Most Outstanding Business of 2024." Tireless is the denominal adjective in this instance.
Positive adjectives
Positive adjectives are descriptive words that convey a favourable quality or trait, such as describing someone as admirable or affectionate. How would this work in a sentence? You might say: "Everyone agreed that the way Simon handled the tricky situation during the conference call was compassionate." The positive adjective, in this case, is compassionate.
Negative adjectives
These adjectives express criticism or pessimism about the noun they describe. For example, you might describe someone as lazy, arrogant, or cruel. They could appear in a sentence like "The CEO's callous interrogation of Suzanne left us all shaken." In this case, callous is the negative adjective.
105 powerful describing words for your resumé and interviews
When you sit down to write your resumé or get ready to attend an interview, it helps to have some ideas of how to use describing words to make yourself stand out. These words can provide some context.
Leadership and management: innovative, decisive, collaborative, determined, disciplined, reliable, inspiring, confident, proactive, commanding, principled, dynamic, influential, assured
Problem solving: analytical, resourceful, strategic, inventive, imaginative, unconventional, intelligent, understanding, perceptive, astute, savvy, systematic, inquiring, decision-making.
Communication: articulate, persuasive, engaging, assertive, diplomatic, respectful, positive, balanced, inclusive, diverse, eloquent, knowledgeable, personable, clear, sincere, direct
Work ethic: reliable, diligent, proactive, dependable, adaptable, considerate, ethical, dedicated, driven, focused, motivated, accountable, present, persistent, conscientious, industrious
Creativity and innovation: pioneering, inquisitive, trailblazer, fresh, novel, advanced, design-led, forward-thinking, unique, dynamic, original, prolific, productive, ambitious, idealistic, technical, artistic
Results-oriented: goal-driven, disciplined, successful, determined, methodical, purposeful, structured, earnest, impactful, efficient, committed, purposeful, earnest, meticulous, devoted, groundbreaking,
Interpersonal skills: collaborator, negotiator, positive, empathetic, approachable, motivating, communicative, good listener, active, attentive, reliable, amiable
How to incorporate describing words into a resumé
Here's how to use some of the above words in resumés and incorporate good describing words in cover letters:
I successfully collaborated with cross-functional teams to deliver innovative marketing campaigns.
My role involved proactively identifying opportunities to streamline workflows, boosting efficiency by 15%.
My response to work challenges is always to take an empathetic, forward-thinking approach and listen to all opinions.
I am a strategic thinker and work hard to analyse problems effectively.
How to incorporate describing words into an interview
You might want to use describing words in a job interview when you meet new company employees for the first time. Here are some ideas of how to use these words in such a situation:
I'm a resourceful problem solver. For instance, in my previous role, I…
I'm an enthusiastic team player, bringing a positive energy to group work…
I consider myself to be an approachable person, always a keen listener…
When managing budgets, I am strategic and economic with company finances. I demonstrated this when I…
How to use describing words strategically
It's essential to understand how to use describing words so that they convey the right meaning. Many employers now use ATS software to scan and check applications. This means that your resumé needs to include relevant keywords to match, some of which may be describing words. When putting together your resumé, think about the following:
Start with a clear intent: before writing your resumé, write a checklist of the most important words and phrases pertinent to your job. An estimated 11% of job descriptions now mention communication as a desirable skill. You may want to consider using that as one of your main keywords.
Be specific about your skills: use specific words to describe your experience precisely. You might want to mention that you have astute negotiation skills or you're an innovative team leader.
Consider context carefully: examine the job description and choose appropriate adjectives to match it and your skill set. It’s a good idea to tailor your resumé to the position you’re applying for.
Review your resumé: thoroughly check and fix any inconsistencies or errors, tailor it to different job markets and situations, and update it as you gain new skills and experience
Avoiding overuse and clichés
Always use describing words with care. Overusing descriptive language and relying on clichés can be off-putting for employers. Balance compelling description words with clear, concise statements. Phrases like the following are some example clichés to avoid.
"I'm a go-getter."
"I think outside the box."
"I'm a people person."
Here are some words to avoid in professional contexts:
Amazing
Awesome
Best
Exceptional
Genius
Incredible
Perfect
Rock star
Superstar
Unique
Instead of saying "I'm an all-around awesome listener and the best at communicating." Instead, say "I'm an attentive listener and respectful communicator."
Show and tell
A key element of good resume writing with positive describing words is the ability to back up your claims by providing real-world examples of your skills in action.
You can do this by following up a describing word with a specific example that demonstrates it in action. For example: "I delivered an innovative solution in the form of a creative newsletter design that increased click-through rates by 20%."
In this example, you're using an effective describing word – in this case “innovative” – then showing what was innovative and tying it directly to a positive outcome. This lends credibility to your statement.
Common mistakes to avoid
There are some common pitfalls to avoid when using describing words – here are a few examples.
Generic words: avoid overused terms such as “hard-working” to describe yourself unless you can back them up with strong evidence.
Exaggeration: never embellish your resumé with flowery language that overstates your abilities or achievements.
Clutter: keep sentences concise and focused. A few well-chosen descriptive words are better than long, repetitive paragraphs.
Overuse: build up your vocabulary to help improve your resume writing and interview skills with enough words so you don’t need to overuse certain terms.
Incorrect use: always ensure you understand the definition of the word you're using.
How to avoid making common mistakes
Read more: the more you read, the greater the variety of describing words you’ll learn. Work papers, industry news, books and magazines, thought pieces – they all help you become more knowledgable.
Keeping a word list: jot down words or phrases and their meanings to help you remember their definitions.
Using thesauruses and online resources: get ideas for new describing words online and never be afraid to look something up if you're unsure what it means.
Practising descriptive writing exercises: write descriptive passages for different things. Imagine putting yourself up for auction on an online marketplace. Choose positive, succinct language to describe yourself and your best interpersonal attributes. This kind of exercise focuses your attention on choosing words carefully and meaningfully.
Using powerful describing words to highlight your skills is one of the best ways to make sure your resumé stands out from the crowd. Not only that, but they’ll also help you sound confident and persuasive when you’re in an interview situation.
The next time you need to fine-tune your resumé, don’t forget to include some of these all-important terms. Use them to frame your skills, experience and achievements in the most compelling way possible.
FAQs
What are the best descriptive words to use in a resumé?
The best descriptive words to use in a resumé depends on the type of job you're applying for and what you want to convey. Always choose words that describe valued traits, some examples are: resourceful, diligent, determined and innovative.
How can describing words make a cover letter better?
Describing words make a cover letter better by accentuating your skills and attributes, and making your statements more persuasive and impactful. They add more depth and emotion to your tone.
What are powerful descriptive words to use during a job interview?
Powerful descriptive words to use during a job interview are those that fit the job description and role requirements, and should be tailored to every position you apply for. Words such as adaptable, dependable, and flexible are usually great describing words to use in an interview situation.
What are the different types of describing words in English grammar?
Different types of describing words in English are: adjectives, adverbs, and participles. These parts of speech convey meaning and can modify a noun or a verb.
How frequently should descriptive words appear in professional writing?
Descriptive words appear in professional writing sparingly and in the proper context. You should use them to describe positive personal attributes, skills, and work-related achievements.
What are common mistakes when using describing words in resumés and interviews?
Common mistakes when using describing words in resumes and interviews include using clichéd phrases, such as “hard-working” and using slang words like “awesome”.
How can I choose the right words to describe different professional contexts?
To choose the right words to describe different professional contexts, read through examples on the internet, ask for advice from a coworker or friend, consult reference books, and even try asking AI. Get help from a mentor, if you have one.
How can I choose the best describing words for my resumé?
To choose the best describing words for a resumé, first think carefully about your skill set and the required skills for the job, then look for words that convey your abilities relevant to the job. If the job description and criteria use describing words, mirror them in your resumé and cover letter. If you’re not sure which describing words match your skills and experience, you might consider consulting a professional resume-writing service.
