Alright, so today I finally put this idea into action that I’ve been mulling over for weeks. You know how sometimes you see those job postings or talent spotlights, and they just feel… blah? Words like “responsible for” or “experience in”… ugh, snoozefest. I wanted something punchier for highlighting new talent, something that actually makes you sit up.
The Starting Point: Frustration
It all started last month. I was looking at profiles, resumes, even my own old stuff. Felt like garbage. So many weak words! “Helped with,” “involved in”… what does that even mean? Seriously. I needed verbs that kick butt, verbs that show someone actually doing stuff and owning it.
Diving Into The Mess
So, here’s what I did first: I opened a blank doc. Yeah, super high-tech. Then, I just started brain-dumping every single action verb I could think of that felt powerful, not weak sauce. Smashed my keyboard for a solid hour:
- Spearheaded
- Architected
- Optimized
- Negotiated
- Launched
- Engineered
- Transformed
The list got stupid long, like 50+. Way too much. Overwhelm city. Needed focus.
Chopping Down The Jungle
This was the painful bit. I had to slash and burn. My rule? The word HAD to be strong, clear, and something you could picture someone actively doing. No fluff. “Synergized”? Gone. “Facilitated”? Meh, maybe… still too soft. Axed it. “Leveraged”? Sounds like corporate jargon barf. Out. I was brutal. Words that survived the cut:
- Forged (like creating something new, solid)
- Slash (cutting costs/time, aggressive)
- Scale (growing things, impactful)
- Secure (protecting assets, vital)
Kept going back and forth. Did I need “Developed”? Too common. “Built”? Better, more hands-on. Settled on it.
Hitting The Magic 17
After grinding it out, rearranging like puzzle pieces, I finally got there. Seventeen words. Each one had to pack a wallop. The core idea was making them instantly visible for spotting top talent. You see “Pioneered” or “Secured”? Boom. You know that person didn’t just sit around.
My final verb arsenal looks like this now:
- Build
- Scale
- Launch
- Forge
- Secure
- Negotiate
- Boost
- Drive
- Cut
- Slash
- Engineer
- Transform
- Optimize
- Pioneer
- Automate
- Convert
- Capture
Why Bother? The Payoff
Tried this little list out just yesterday. Rewrote a few bullet points on a mentee’s resume using these verbs instead of the weak junk they had. Difference was NIGHT AND DAY. Suddenly, it wasn’t just a list; it screamed capability. “Boosted engagement by 30%” sounds way stronger than “Helped increase engagement.” No contest.
The whole point? Cut the noise. Find talent fast. See those action verbs right up front? That’s the signal. Those 17 words are like a cheat code. Took some serious grinding to nail them down, but damn, feels worth it now. Stop using sleepy words. This little list? Must see.
