With competition for employment as fierce as ever, it's critical job candidates leave a lasting impression on their potential employers. Resumes and interviews are the key opportunities job candidates have to make their mark. While no one thing will guarantee a candidate gets hired, here are 10 key words potential employees can use on their resumes or in their interviews that will help them land a job.
Persistence
Potential job candidates should highlight their persistence in always doing the best they can, according to Timothy Wiedman, an assistant professor of management and human resources at Nebraska's Doane College.
"Hiring intelligent employees is a good business practice, but intelligence without persistence rarely leads to long-term success," Wiedman told BusinessNewsDaily. "Persistent employees do not give up so easily and will generally produce superior results."
Recognized
On resumes, Lynne Sarikas, director of Northeastern University's MBA Career Center, believes it is critical for job candidates to highlight the past achievements that have earned them recognition.
"Use this to list special awards at work or in professional associations," Sarikas said. "Employers like to see someone another employer considered a star."
Results
In the end, employers want to know that new hires are going to get the job done, which is why career coach Ronald Kaufman encourages job candidates to use the word "results" in each interview.
"To get the job, you need to make the interviewer believe that you can produce and give them the results they want, in the way they want them," Kaufman said. "To support this belief, be prepared to prove you have the skills and traits they want based on your experience."
Impact
In an interview, employers want to hear from candidates the type of positive impact they will have on the company if hired, according to Jen Strobel, human resources manager for Flagger Force.
"I am interested in knowing the value a candidate will bring to the organization and the impactful ways a candidate will positively influence the organization, especially in relationship to our corporate mission, vision and values," Strobel said.
Competency
Competency is a key word that most candidates don't use, but should, according to Alan Guinn, managing director of The Guinn Consultancy Group.
"I equate responsibility in most cases with competency," Guinn said. "Any employer is seeking candidates who can prove that they can fulfill the job requirements in the position into which they have been or are being slotted."
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Direct
Communication is critical in a successful business, which is why Brennan White, co-founder and managing director of social media marketing firm Pandemic Labs, wants to hear how direct job candidates can be.
"These days, communicating at work is a minefield of emotions, legal issues and technologies," White said. "The ability to cut through the clutter to get things done is a must."
Learned
Career counselor Bruce Hurwitz said employers want to know what potential job candidates have learned from past mistakes and how they are ensuring those same mistakesdon't happen again.
"Everyone has failures," Hurwitz said. "What's important to relate to an employer is how the failure became an educational experience."
Commitment
More than ever, employers are looking for employees who are dedicated to their job and the company. Therapist Nancy Irwin said job candidates consequently would be wise to explain how strongly they would be committed to the organization if hired.
"What are you committed to and how will that commitment serve the company?" Irwin said of questions job candidates should be trying to answer during an interview.
Flexible
In today's fast-paced work environments, flexibility is a key trait that candidates must highlight to prospective employers, according to career coach Andrea Ballard.
"Today's workplace is constantly changing," Ballard said. "It doesn't matter what skills you bring to the office now; stay relevant and successful, you need to be able to change and adapt rapidly."
Solutions
Human resources consultant Delmar Johnson said employers want to hear how potential new hires will solve problems.
"Employers are looking for candidates who are problem-solvers, and are drawn toward those who speak a language that is solutions-based," Johnson said.
This story was provided by BusinessNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. Follow Chad Brooks on Twitter @cbrooks76 or BusinessNewsDaily @BNDarticles. We're also on Facebook & Google+.
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