By James Lipuma, Ph.D.

Last reviewed 8/24/2025.

Effective professional communication begins with a deceptively simple decision: which words should I use?

In resumes, cover letters, emails, interviews, and other forms of professional correspondence, word choice influences how clearly others understand our experience and how they evaluate our credibility, confidence, and competence.

This is particularly important during the job-search process. Employers often encounter applicants first through written documents rather than personal interaction. A resume or cover letter therefore does more than report qualifications. It creates an initial professional impression.

In my Effective Communication courses at NJIT, I use career attainment and professional communication as practical contexts for teaching students how language choices influence meaning. This collection brings together several resources on resumes, cover letters, tone, and word choice that students can use when preparing professional materials.

Why Word Choice Matters

Two applicants may have completed essentially the same work but describe that experience very differently.

Consider:

“I was involved in a project.“

compared with:

“I led a project that improved efficiency.“

The first sentence communicates participation. The second identifies responsibility and impact.

Likewise:

“Helped with design work.“

is substantially less informative than:

“Created and developed design concepts using Rhino and Enscape.“

And:

“Responsible for tasks in the office.“

provides less evidence of professional capability than:

“Managed daily office operations and coordinated team tasks.“

The underlying experience may be similar. What changes is the precision with which the experience is communicated.

Effective word choice allows the reader to understand what the applicant actually did.

Strong Verbs Clarify Professional Action

One of the simplest ways to strengthen professional writing is to replace vague descriptions with specific action verbs.

Words such as:

designed, developed, created, organized, coordinated, analyzed, implemented, managed, directed, evaluated, and led

identify actions.

By contrast, phrases such as:

helped with, was involved in, worked on, assisted with, or was responsible for

can sometimes obscure the applicant’s actual contribution.

This does not mean that every sentence should be exaggerated.

The objective is not to make ordinary work sound extraordinary.

The objective is to describe your contribution accurately and specifically.

If you contributed to a project rather than leading it, do not claim leadership. Instead, identify precisely what you contributed:

• “Analyzed survey data for a five-member research team.“
• “Developed three architectural renderings for a residential design proposal.“
• “Coordinated weekly communications among project participants.“

Precision is usually more persuasive than exaggeration.

Word Choice Creates Tone

Professional communication also depends on tone.

Tone is the attitude conveyed through language. Small changes in wording can make a communicator appear confident, uncertain, aggressive, passive, knowledgeable, or unprepared.

Compare:

“I sort of worked on architectural projects.“

with:

“I contributed to architectural design projects with an emphasis on residential buildings.“

The first formulation introduces unnecessary uncertainty. The second provides a clearer description of the experience without overstating it.

Professional tone generally requires a balance between confidence and restraint.

You should communicate accomplishments clearly enough that the reader understands their significance, but you should not inflate responsibilities or make unsupported claims.

Professionalism is not created by using complicated vocabulary.

It is created by choosing language that is clear, precise, credible, and appropriate for the audience.

Choosing the Right Resume

Word choice operates within the larger structure of the resume itself. Different applicants may benefit from different ways of organizing their qualifications.

The following resources introduce common resume formats and explain when they may be appropriate.

Types of Resumes

Filicetti (2020). Different Resume Types and When to Use Them (5 Minute Career Tips)[Video]. YouTube.

This resource introduces several common approaches to organizing a resume.

A chronological resume presents employment history from the most recent experience backward. This format is particularly useful for applicants with relatively consistent employment histories or visible career progression.

A functional resume emphasizes skills and competencies rather than chronology. It may be useful for students, career changers, or applicants whose employment history does not directly reflect the position they are pursuing.

A combination resume integrates characteristics of both formats, allowing applicants to emphasize skills while also documenting relevant professional experience.

The resource also introduces electronic and scannable resumes, reflecting the increasing importance of digital application systems.

The key lesson is that resume organization should not be arbitrary. The structure should help an employer quickly recognize the qualifications most relevant to the position.

Resume Types, Formatting, and Tailoring

LaCivita. (2016). The 4 Sentence Cover Letter That Gets You The Job Interview [Video]. YouTube.

This resource extends the discussion by emphasizing the importance of tailoring a resume to a particular employer and position.

Common resume elements include:

• contact information;
• education;
• professional experience;
• relevant skills; and
• accomplishments.

However, simply including these categories does not automatically produce an effective resume.

Their organization should reflect what the employer needs to know.

Applicants should also examine the language used in the job description. Appropriate terminology and action verbs can help create a clearer connection between the applicant’s experience and the position’s requirements.

This is an important communication principle:

Do not simply describe everything you have done. Emphasize the experiences that help your audience understand why you are appropriate for this particular opportunity.

The Cover Letter Has a Different Job

A cover letter should not be a prose version of the resume.

The resume documents experience.

The cover letter interprets that experience for a particular employer.

Understanding the Cover Letter

A cover letter lets applicants communicate aspects of their candidacy that are hard to convey through resume entries alone.

These may include:

• motivation for applying;
• interest in the organization;
• connections between previous experience and the position;
• relevant professional goals; and
• reasons the applicant believes they can contribute.

A basic cover letter generally contains three parts.

Introduction

Identify the position and establish why you are writing.

Body

Connect your qualifications and experiences with the needs of the employer.

Conclusion

Reinforce your interest and establish an appropriate next step, such as an interview or further conversation.

The strongest cover letters are customized.

Replacing the organization’s name in a generic template is not genuine customization. The letter should demonstrate that the applicant understands the position and can explain how their experience relates to it.

Writing with Clarity, Tone, and Purpose

A second cover-letter resource emphasizes the importance of going beyond information that already appears in the resume.

The introduction should grab attention and state the purpose.

The body should provide evidence of relevant qualifications.

The conclusion should express interest in continuing the conversation.

Across all three sections, the applicant’s language should remain specific and confident.

Word Choice as a Communication Skill

The remaining resources focus specifically on how language influences clarity, professionalism, and persuasion.

5. Introduction to Word Choice

Shmoop. (2014). Word choice by Shmoop [Video]. YouTube.

Word choice affects both meaning and perception.

Specific language helps audiences understand what a communicator means more clearly. It can also influence whether a message appears confident, professional, uncertain, enthusiastic, or unprepared.

This matters especially in resumes, cover letters, presentations, and professional correspondence because these situations often involve evaluation.

Compare:

“I helped with the project.“

with:

“I developed the project’s data-collection protocol.“

The second version does not merely sound stronger. It provides more information.

Good professional writing should therefore move from general participation toward identifiable contribution.

6. Developing Better Word-Choice Skills

Centre for Applied English Studies. (2016). Word choice [Video]. YouTube.

This resource emphasizes economy and specificity.

Professional communication becomes weaker when unnecessary fillers obscure the central action.

Instead of:

“Was responsible for helping to organize…“

consider:

“Organized…“

Instead of:

“Was involved in managing…“

consider:

“Managed…“

These revisions improve clarity because they reduce unnecessary language between the person and the action.

Strong writing often results not from adding more words but from identifying the most accurate word.

7. Tone Through Word Choice

Khan Academy. (2020). Analyzing tone through word choice [Video]. YouTube.

Tone is created partly through the cumulative effect of individual words.

Consider again:

“I successfully led a project.“

versus:

“I kind of helped with a project.“

The first communicates confidence and responsibility.

The second communicates uncertainty and minimizes the applicant’s contribution.

This matters because readers form impressions rapidly.

In professional contexts, applicants should therefore examine not only whether a sentence is grammatically correct but also what the sentence communicates about the writer.

Does the language suggest confidence?

Does it provide evidence?

Does it communicate professionalism?

Does it sound credible?

These are questions of communication, not merely grammar.

Tailor the Language to the Opportunity

An effective resume or cover letter is not written for every employer.

It is written for this employer, considering this position, at this moment.

Begin with the job description.

Identify:

• What skills are emphasized?
• What responsibilities appear repeatedly?
• What terminology does the organization use?
• What problems does this person appear to be expected to solve?

Then examine your experience.

Do not simply copy terminology from the job advertisement. Instead, identify where your actual experience corresponds with those requirements and describe that connection accurately.

For example, if a position emphasizes project coordination, a resume entry that merely says:

“Worked with several departments.“

may miss an opportunity.

If accurate, a more useful description might be:

“Coordinated project activities across three departments to meet shared deadlines.“

The second version helps the employer see the relationship between your past experience and future responsibilities.

From Responsibilities to Accomplishments

Many resumes are written as lists of job descriptions.

That is a missed opportunity.

Employers generally need to know not only what your position was supposed to do but also what you actually contributed.

Instead of writing:

“Responsible for social media.“

consider:

“Developed and scheduled weekly social media content across three platforms.“

If evidence is available, the statement can become stronger:

“Developed and scheduled weekly social media content across three platforms, increasing average engagement by 18%.“

A useful formula is:

Action + Context + Result

Not every resume entry will contain all three components. However, thinking in these terms helps transform vague responsibility statements into evidence of professional activity.

Confidence Is Not Exaggeration

Students sometimes hesitate to use strong language because they worry that doing so sounds arrogant.

That creates an important distinction.

Confidence describes accurately. Exaggeration claims more than the evidence supports.

You do not need to minimize your experience to appear humble.

Likewise, you should not claim ownership of collective accomplishments that you did not independently produce.

For collaborative projects, language can communicate both contribution and collaboration:

• “Co-developed…“
• “Collaborated with a five-person team to…“
• “Led the data-analysis component of…“
• “Coordinated communication among…“

These formulations communicate meaningful contribution while accurately representing the collaborative nature of the work.

Professional Communication Requires Audience Awareness

The principles discussed here extend well beyond resumes and cover letters.

Word choice matters in:

• email;
• interviews;
• presentations;
• proposals;
• reports;
• professional profiles;
• networking;
• recommendations; and
• workplace communication.

In each situation, effective communicators ask the same basic questions:

• Who is my audience?
• What do they need to understand?
• What evidence supports what I am saying?
• What tone is appropriate?
• What action do I want my communication to support?

The specific words should change when the audience and purpose change.

That adaptability is part of communication competence.

A Final Review Before You Submit

Before submitting a resume, cover letter, or professional message, review the document one final time and ask:

• Are my verbs specific?
• Have I accurately identified my contribution?
• Have I removed unnecessary qualifiers and fillers?
• Does the tone communicate confidence without exaggeration?
• Have I tailored the document to this audience?
• Can the reader quickly identify my relevant skills and accomplishments?
• Does each important statement provide useful information?

These questions shift editing away from simply asking whether the grammar is correct.

Grammar matters.

But professional effectiveness requires something more:

Does the language accomplish what I need it to accomplish?

Word Choice Is Professional Identity

A resume and cover letter represent more than employment history.

They are communication artifacts through which an employer begins constructing an understanding of who you are professionally.

Before an interview takes place, your words speak for you.

Effective word choice therefore helps accomplish three things simultaneously:

clarity — the reader understands what you actually did;

credibility — the description appears accurate and supportable; and

professional identity — the language communicates competence, confidence, and awareness of the audience.

The goal is not to make yourself sound impressive through elaborate vocabulary.

The goal is to make your actual experience easy to understand and difficult to overlook.

That is why word choice matters.

About the Resource Annotations

My student Maya Yglesias prepared the summaries in this resource collection as annotated guides to materials used in my Effective Communication course. Her work helps make these resources more accessible to future students and others interested in improving professional communication.

Sources

Centre for Applied English Studies. (2016, March 30). Word Choice [Video recording]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPnzk_8Cov8

Filicetti, D. (2020, September 8). Different Resume Types and When to Use Them (5 Minute Career Tips) [Video recording]. DrivenBy… Co. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMDO8QCajPk

Khan Academy. (2020, July 6). Analyzing tone through word choice | Reading [Video recording]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3yWmXbC36s

LaCivita, A. (2016, August 17). The 4 Sentence Cover Letter That Gets You The Job Interview [Video recording]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfmVSFg_zSI

Shmoop. (2014, September 11). Word Choice by Shmoop [Video recording]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlaeV-TH8WE