Words to describe yourself on a CV and in interviews
Updated
The best words to describe yourself are specific, true and backed by an example. Pick three to five that match the job advert — for instance "organised", "calm under pressure" and "analytical" for an operations role — use them in your personal statement or interview answer, and immediately show proof. Below are lists grouped by strength, plus action verbs for your experience bullets.
Words grouped by strength
| Strength | Words |
|---|---|
| Reliability | dependable, consistent, punctual, conscientious, trustworthy, thorough |
| Organisation | organised, methodical, detail-oriented, efficient, structured, meticulous |
| People skills | approachable, diplomatic, empathetic, supportive, persuasive, collaborative |
| Leadership | decisive, motivating, accountable, confident, resourceful, strategic |
| Thinking | analytical, logical, curious, creative, inventive, insightful |
| Drive | ambitious, proactive, determined, self-motivated, resilient, energetic |
| Adaptability | flexible, adaptable, open-minded, quick to learn, versatile, calm under pressure |
| Communication | articulate, clear, persuasive, attentive listener, concise, engaging |
Action verbs for experience bullets
Adjectives describe you; verbs prove it. Start each experience bullet with one of these and add a result.
| Area | Verbs |
|---|---|
| Improving | streamlined, reduced, increased, upgraded, automated, simplified |
| Leading | led, coached, coordinated, delegated, mentored, supervised |
| Creating | designed, launched, built, developed, introduced, wrote |
| Analysing | analysed, assessed, forecast, identified, measured, tested |
| Serving | resolved, advised, supported, handled, assisted, guided |
| Selling | negotiated, secured, won, grew, exceeded, converted |
Turn a word into evidence
| Instead of | Write or say |
|---|---|
| "I'm very organised." | "I plan the rota for 25 staff and have had no uncovered shifts in a year." |
| "I'm a great communicator." | "I explain billing changes to around 60 customers a day and keep a 92% satisfaction score." |
| "I'm a fast learner." | "I learned our new stock system in a week and now train new starters on it." |
"Describe yourself in three words" in an interview
- Choose three words linked to the job advert.
- Say them, then give a one-sentence example for each.
- Keep the whole answer under a minute.
"Reliable, calm and curious. Reliable — in three years I haven't missed a payroll deadline. Calm — during our system migration I kept the team on track when two colleagues were off sick. Curious — I taught myself Power BI to automate our monthly report."
Fictional example.
Words to use carefully
- Overused labels without proof: hard-working, team player, passionate, go-getter.
- Words that may sound negative in context: perfectionist, aggressive, obsessive.
- Anything you could not back up with an example if asked.
Use your chosen words in your CV personal statement and prepare examples with the STAR method.