Crafting CVs That Lead: Power Words for Women in Leadership

Consider the difference:

  • Before: Managed faculty teams across departments.

  • After: Spearheaded cross-departmental collaboration, fostering academic excellence and strategic cohesion.

And:

  • Before: Taught leadership courses to postgraduate students.

  • After: Delivered high-impact executive education, shaping leadership capacity in postgraduate professionals.

Words matter!

A great CV will get you an interview. It’s as simple as that. And part of making your CV stand out is to use the best words that capture your skills and expertise. I checked in to claude.ai and asked Claude if he could provide me a list of power words for your CV.

So, along with the advice in my blog on how to write a compelling CV, here is what Claude came up with.

Strategic Leadership

  • Visionary - Developed long-term strategic plans

  • Transformational - Led major institutional changes

  • Innovative - Introduced new approaches or technologies

  • Entrepreneurial - Created new revenue streams or programs

  • Collaborative - Built partnerships and coalitions

  • Inclusive - Fostered diverse and equitable environments

Operational Excellence

  • Optimized - Improved processes or systems

  • Streamlined - Made operations more efficient

  • Scaled - Expanded programs or departments

  • Restructured - Reorganized for better outcomes

  • Implemented - Successfully executed major initiatives

  • Accelerated - Increased pace of progress or growth

Financial and Resource Management

  • Secured - Obtained funding or resources

  • Maximized - Achieved optimal use of resources

  • Allocated - Distributed resources strategically

  • Diversified - Expanded funding sources

  • Stewarded - Managed resources responsibly

  • Leveraged - Used resources for maximum impact

People and Culture

  • Mentored - Developed emerging leaders

  • Empowered - Enabled others to succeed

  • Cultivated - Developed talent and culture

  • Championed - Advocated for important causes

  • Influenced - Shaped opinions and decisions

  • Galvanized - Motivated teams toward common goals

Academic and Research Leadership

  • Pioneered - Led groundbreaking work

  • Established - Created new programs or initiatives

  • Elevated - Raised profile or standards

  • Integrated - Combined different elements effectively

  • Sophisticated - Demonstrated advanced expertise

  • Distinguished - Achieved notable recognition

Measurable Impact Words

  • Increased - Use with specific percentages

  • Reduced - Show efficiency improvements

  • Generated - Created value or revenue

  • Achieved - Met or exceeded targets

  • Delivered - Completed projects successfully

  • Exceeded - Surpassed expectations

Communication and Engagement

  • Articulated - Clearly communicated vision

  • Negotiated - Reached beneficial agreements

  • Facilitated - Enabled productive discussions

  • Advocated - Represented interests effectively

  • Influenced - Shaped stakeholder perspectives

  • Mobilized - Organized collective action

Industry-Specific Enhancement Terms

Higher Education Administration

  • Student-centred - Focused on student success

  • Evidence-based - Used data for decision-making

  • Stakeholder engagement - Involved all relevant parties

  • Institutional effectiveness - Improved overall performance

  • Academic excellence - Maintained high standards

  • Shared governance - Worked collaboratively with faculty

Research and Innovation

  • Interdisciplinary - Crossed traditional boundaries

  • Cutting-edge - At the forefront of development

  • Translational - Moved research to application

  • High-impact - Achieved significant influence

  • Peer-reviewed - Maintained academic rigor

  • Competitive - Won contested opportunities

Remember: These keywords should reflect genuine experiences and achievements. The most effective CVs combine strong action words with specific, quantifiable accomplishments that demonstrate real leadership impact.

 

Ready to transform your interview approach and advance your academic career with confidence? Book a clarity session to develop your personalised leadership strategy and discover how to present your expertise with the impact it deserves.

Professor Christina Hughes

Founder and CEO, Women-Space Leadership Limited 

 

 

 

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Crafting Impactful CVs: A Strategic Guide for Women in Universities

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Turn Turbulence Into Triumph: The Mid-Career Woman's Guide to Interview Success