Why You Should Use Power Words in Your Cover Letter
Are you not getting enough response from your cover letter? You may need to strengthen up your content. Action words, also called power words, add direction and persuasiveness to your cover letter. Power words can be verbs or nouns to describe your accomplishments and qualifications. Not only are power words effective, they also help your cover letter sizzle, leaving your mark on the reader.
Communication Skills
Strong communication skills — written, verbal and on the phone — are essential in most jobs. In a cover letter, emphasize your excellent communication skills by using words such as “negotiated,” “addressed,” “persuaded” and “encouraged.” To describe your writing abilities, use words such as “authored,” “corresponded” and “publicized.” Choose words that are logical, concise and reader-friendly.
Management Skills
When applying for administrative and management jobs, choose words to describe your qualifications carefully. Instead of saying, “Was in charge of” or “Was responsible for,” use words such as “managed,” “oversaw,” “supervised” and “administered.” One power word is often more effective than four less-impactful words.
Research Skills
Describe your research skills logically, using powers words to highlight the work you did. Instead of saying, “Looked at data,” use power words such as “examined,” “surveyed,” “investigated,” “analyzed,” and “evaluated” to describe your research qualifications. Other effective words include “systematized,” “inspected,” and “extracted.”
Creative and Technical Skills
To best summarize your creative skills, use words such as “introduced,” “designed,” “founded,” and “integrated.” For example, “I designed and implemented new strategies for data transfer.” For technical skills, use words such as “assembled,” “programmed,” “calculated,” “engineered,” and “upgraded.”
