200+ Good Words To Describe Yourself In Resume & Interview

Christina J Colclough

By Christina Colclough

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It might be difficult to describe oneself, whether you’re drafting your CV profile or preparing for the common interview question, “Tell me about yourself.” It’s important to be truthful, but not harshly so. While making an impression, you don’t want to come across as conceited.

Words To Describe Yourself

After years of working in the labor field, I have curated a list of good adjectives to describe yourself to maximize your chance of being remembered by recruiters.

Why Having A Concise Self-Description Is Crucial

answering questions during an interview

During your job hunt, one of the most crucial steps is to make a good first impression. Hiring managers get a sense of your professional demeanor from your ability to articulate yourself well in job applications and interviews.

Defining your essential characteristics in clear, concise language aids potential employers in assessing your compatibility with the team and your likelihood of succeeding in the new environment. When you discuss your talents with recruiting pros, it’s also critical to speak positively.

It’s a good idea to use strong adjectives and powerful words to describe yourself, even if the interviewer doesn’t ask you to do so explicitly. This will give the interviewer a snapshot of your authentic personality, abilities, and professional attitude.

Ways To Describe Yourself In Different Professional Situations

In Job Interview

Interview Questions

It might be beneficial to prepare your responses ahead of time for an interview, particularly for difficult questions like “Tell me about yourself.” While you should prepare, try to avoid canned or scripted responses to ensure the interview flows naturally.

You can follow this structure to craft the best answer for a self-describing question.

  • Talk about your current skill and professional quality
  • Illustrate how you have applied this trait or ability
  • Why you think this trait or ability will be a right fit for the position you are interviewing for

While it’s crucial to provide a brief and concise response, giving concrete examples or proof of how you have applied this talent or attribute in the real world is just as important. Doing so sets the scene and lends credibility to your argument.

In Professional Resume

You won’t be asked to provide three adjectives that best characterize yourself on your resume. However, you still want to consider the terms you use to characterize yourself on your application. On the other hand, your resume profile does the talking for you before they even call you for the interview. Therefore, the words you use to define yourself may be more significant.

It goes without saying that adding a few descriptive words here and there is insufficient. You must instead learn how to effectively “sell yourself.”

As a professional in the labor field, I suggest you start by adding the appropriate terms to define yourself in your profile. Also, you must choose at least one powerful adjective to define yourself and leave a positive, long-lasting impression, whether it be through a resume goal or summary.

200+ Good Words To Describe Myself

Describing Attitude

Putting a professional spin on your demeanor can assist hiring managers in understanding how you deal with people. Here’s a lengthy list of terms to use when describing your work ethic to prospective employers.

  1. Confident
  2. Kind
  3. Empathetic
  4. Patient
  5. Considerate
  6. Courageous
  7. Genuine
  8. Humble
  9. Dynamic
  10. Independent
  11. Enthusiastic
  12. Direct
  13. Generous
  14. Intelligent
  15. Friendly
  16. Witty
  17. Passionate
  18. Truthful
  19. Straightforward
  20. Sociable
  21. Clever
  22. Considerate
  23. Joyful
  24. Thoughtful
  25. Easygoing
  26. Sincere
  27. Humorous
  28. Tactful
  29. Assertive
  30. Self-reliant
  31. Tolerant
  32. Teachable
  33. Strong-willed
  34. Keen
  35. Observant
  36. Industrious
  37. Tireless
  38. Team-oriented
  39. Respectful

Describing Work Ethic

Your approach to your job at work reveals a lot about your personality. During an interview, use these terms to describe how you carry out your duties and obligations inside a company.

  1. Dedicated
  2. Curious
  3. Ethical
  4. Persistent
  5. Resilient
  6. Disciplined
  7. Practical
  8. Ambitious
  9. Tenacious
  10. Resourceful
  11. Organized
  12. Bold
  13. Respectful
  14. Open-minded
  15. Cooperative
  16. Adaptable
  17. Loyal
  18. Reliable
  19. Inspiring
  20. Self-motivated
  21. Proactive
  22. Hard-working
  23. Attentive
  24. Accountable
  25. Responsible
  26. Thorough
  27. Insightful
  28. Committed
  29. Focused
  30. Engaging
  31. Punctual
  32. Reflective
  33. Mindful

Describing Personal Experience And Ability

When discussing your prior work experience, it’s crucial to utilize detailed words. During the interview, mention your experience from past positions using the following terms.

  1. Skilled
  2. Able
  3. Professional
  4. Experienced
  5. Knowledgeable
  6. Creative
  7. Analytical
  8. Detail-oriented
  9. Adept
  10. Communicative
  11. Strategic
  12. Entrepreneurial
  13. Data-driven
  14. Collaborative
  15. Accomplished
  16. Qualified
  17. Precise
  18. Proficient
  19. Responsive
  20. Technological
  21. Visionary
  22. Decisive
  23. Strategic
  24. Influential
  25. Motivating
  26. Assertive
  27. Confident
  28. Persuasive
  29. Diplomatic
  30. Forward-thinking
  31. Bold
  32. Accountable
  33. Competent
  34. Charismatic
  35. Instrumental
  36. Pioneering

Describing Personality

Businesses are interested in the type of individual they are onboarding. They also want to see if your personality will fit in well with their corporate culture. Thus, my best advice is to keep the corporate culture in mind whenever you respond to this question. Here are the words you can use in this situation.

  1. Adept
  2. Adaptable
  3. Adventurous
  4. Ambitious
  5. Affectionate
  6. Artistic
  7. Attentive
  8. Approachable
  9. Assertive
  10. Authentic
  11. Balanced
  12. Broad-minded
  13. Bright
  14. Candid
  15. Chill
  16. Cheerful
  17. Clever
  18. Compassionate
  19. Communicative
  20. Competitive
  21. Considerate
  22. Constructive
  23. Charismatic
  24. Courageous
  25. Curious
  26. Creative
  27. Dependable
  28. Direct
  29. Determined
  30. Dynamic
  31. Eclectic
  32. Easygoing
  33. Emotional
  34. Enthusiastic
  35. Energetic
  36. Extroverted
  37. Exuberant
  38. Frank
  39. Fearless
  40. Flexible
  41. Forgiving
  42. Friendly
  43. Funny
  44. Genuine
  45. Generous
  46. Joyful
  47. Happy
  48. Honest
  49. Helpful
  50. Independent
  51. Imaginative
  52. Risk-taker
  53. Romantic
  54. Intelligent
  55. Inventive
  56. Intuitive
  57. Inspiring
  58. Kind
  59. Innovative
  60. Knowledgeable
  61. Logical
  62. Loving
  63. Loyal
  64. Mature
  65. Motivated
  66. Modest
  67. Open-minded
  68. Original
  69. Optimistic
  70. Outgoing
  71. Passionate
  72. Perceptive
  73. Patient
  74. Persistent
  75. Practical
  76. Pleasant
  77. Respectful
  78. Reliable
  79. Self-reliant
  80. Responsible
  81. Sensitive
  82. Sensible
  83. Sincere
  84. Socially conscious
  85. Sociable
  86. Straightforward
  87. Successful
  88. Strong
  89. Sympathetic
  90. Thoughtful
  91. Tenacious
  92. Tolerant
  93. Trustworthy
  94. Tough
  95. Upbeat
  96. Understanding
  97. Vibrant
  98. Versatile
  99. Warmhearted

Describing Leadership Skills

Have you ever gone through a leadership audition process? Interviewers look for certain personality traits in job candidates for leadership positions. This time, the only thing that’s different is how strict it is.

  1. Accountable
  2. Assertive
  3. Approachable
  4. Balanced
  5. Businesslike
  6. Collaborative
  7. Comradely
  8. Candid
  9. Composed
  10. Competitive
  11. Devoted
  12. Diplomatic
  13. Inspirational
  14. Warm
  15. Humorous
  16. Helpful
  17. Open-minded
  18. Perceptive
  19. Reasonable
  20. Rational
  21. Risk-taker
  22. Transparent
  23. Potent
  24. Efficient
  25. Systematic
  26. Structured
  27. Methodical
  28. Exhaustive
  29. Amiable
  30. Cooperative
  31. Encouraging
  32. Harmonious
  33. Respectful
  34. Sociable
  35. Supportive
  36. Thoughtful

Words Not To Use For Introducing Yourself Professionally

Naturally, there are some terms you should avoid using when describing yourself, particularly in a professional setting. These adjectives are not inherently terrible, but when used out of context, they could not elicit the desired response. 

Now, it would be perfectly acceptable if a coworker or anybody else put you in this category. But describing oneself as extraordinary to recruiters? Maybe a little too much, without actually making a statement.

Remember that others can say these things about you if they are true. They might come up among the references, through social media, or in private discussions. When you say these yourself, at best, you look foolish and, at worst, like a real narcissist. Here are the words I suggest you avoid.

  1. Amazing
  2. Extraordinary
  3. Awesome
  4. Talented
  5. Unique
  6. Hilarious
  7. Outstanding
  8. Incredible
  9. Marvelous
  10. Prodigious
  11. Likable

Tips For Introducing Yourself Professionally

handshaking at the end of a job interview

By expressing yourself appropriately, you may give the interviewer a good image of your character and level of experience in the field. During a job interview, use the best phrases to express how well you would fit the role. The following tips will help you select words that will best represent who you are to a prospective employer.

Show Confident

Tell proudly and fearlessly of your successes and personal information. To boost your confidence during an interview, be sure you look the interviewer in the eye and speak in a clear, firm tone. Strike a balance between candor and confidence while showcasing your most marketable abilities to prospective employers, demonstrating your ability to both meet and go beyond their demands.

Select Right Words

Making an impact on employers and differentiating your interview from other applicants may be achieved by choosing intriguing and distinctive phrases to represent yourself. Select less widely used terminology and stay away from broad terms that don’t accurately convey your unique set of abilities and characteristics. Try switching to alternatives to overused phrases to be creative with your word choice.

Give Examples

As you employ evocative language, provide instances of how the attributes contributed positively to your past positions. Describe how your positive qualities benefited a previous employer or coworker. Explain how and why your attributes contributed to the organization’s success.

Match The Terms

Review your cover letter and CV before the interview, focusing on the descriptive terms you’ve included in the sections on your experience, talents, and summary. Use some of the same language from your cover letter and resume profile to refresh the interviewer’s memory about your professional background.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Do Employers Ask You To Tell Them About Yourself?

Employers pose this job interview question to learn more about your personality and how well you would fit in the team environment. Your response to this query may also indicate your level of confidence.

How Do I Describe Myself Professionally?

Selecting a strong viewpoint is essential to crafting an impactful response and winning over the interviewer. Remain true to one main point about your professional identity and highlight how it qualifies you for the position.

What Details Are Employers Not Searching For When They Ask You To Tell Them About Yourself?

Details on your personal life are often the information recruiters do not seek, such as your birthplace, where you live, family members, etc. Although this information might sometimes come up in the conversation, I recommend not mentioning it except when the employer asks you about it directly.

The Bottom Line

Now you know which adjectives to use to describe yourself! Human resources personnel may determine whether to advance you in the employment process based on the language you choose to articulate your qualifications and work history.

Try applying the adjectives and descriptive words listed in this post, and you can present your greatest traits and make a fantastic impression in any circumstance.


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Christina J Colclough

Christina J. Colclough

Dr Christina J. Colclough is an expert on The Future World of Work and the politics of digital technology advocating globally for the importance of the workers’ voice. She has extensive regional and global labour movement experience, is a sought-after keynote speaker, coach, and strategist advising progressive governments and worker organisations.

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