Looking for “passion” synonyms to put in your resume?
Sometimes, it can feel like there is no better word than “passion” to fit a certain definition.
And, when you finish crafting your resume, you realize you might have gotten a little too carried away with that word.
Okay, so how can you find another word for “passion” that still communicates exactly what you want in your resume?
In this article, you'll find more than just a list of synonyms: you'll also find examples of how to phrase these words in each section of your resume.
At the end of this article, I'll share a secret tip on how to level up your resume writing.
You can read this piece from top to bottom or jump to the specific sections below:
- What Does It Mean To Be “Passionate” On A Resume?
- 10+ Synonyms For “Passion” To Put In Your Resume
- How To Use “Passion” Synonyms On Your Resume (With Examples)
- How To Take Your Resume Writing To The Next Level (With Free Resources!)
- Taking Your Resume To The Next Level: Final Steps
- Key Takeaways To Writing a Job-Winning Resume
Let's get started!
What Does It Mean To Be “Passionate” On A Resume?
The word “passionate” is one of the most overused resume buzzwords. And, while it may feel like a positive, it can actually backfire. Recruiters have seen it so often that it can come across as vague or even disingenuous.
That said, hiring managers still want to see your enthusiasm, dedication, and alignment with the role. The key is to replace “passionate” with action-driven, specific language that shows (rather than tells) your commitment.
For example, instead of saying “I’m passionate about marketing,” you could say:
- “Led a team of 5 to launch a multi-channel marketing campaign, increasing qualified leads by 35%.”
- “Completed HubSpot and Google Ads certifications to deepen knowledge of digital campaigns.”
These examples demonstrate drive and initiative without using filler words. In this article, we’ll share 10 high-impact synonyms for ‘passionate’ you can use across different sections of your resume, from your summary to bullet points. You’ll also find real-world examples for each word to help you stand out and land more interviews.
And remember: the best synonym is the one that matches your role, industry, and specific achievement. So, as you explore the list, look for options that align with the job description and reflect measurable results from your experience.
10+ Synonyms For “Passion” To Put In Your Resume
Below, you can find a list of 10 synonyms for “passion” to add to your resume:
1. Enthusiasm: Implies energy and eagerness.
2. Dedication: Conveys commitment and loyalty.
3. Zeal: Highlights intense interest and fervor.
4. Devotion: Emphasizes strong love and loyalty.
5. Drive: Suggests motivation and ambition.
6. Commitment: Implies steadfastness and reliability.
7. Eagerness: Suggests a keen interest and willingness.
8. Excitement: Focuses on high energy and anticipation.
9. Interest: Indicates curiosity and attention.
10. Fervor: Conveys an intense interest.
How To Use “Passion” Synonyms On Your Resume (With Examples)
Now that you've seen the top 10 synonyms for “passion,” here's how you can phrase them in a sentence:
1. Using “enthusiasm” as another word for “passion”:
You can use the past tense of “enthusiasm” (“enthusiastic”) to suggest a strong interest. Here's an example:
Using “passion”:
Passion for developing automated workflows that reduce processing time by 30%.
Using “enthusiasm”:
Enthusiasm for developing automated workflows that reduce processing time by 30%.
“Enthusiasm” suggests a high level of interest, enhancing the perception of engagement.
2. Using “dedication” as another word for “passion”:
“Dedication”, or “dedicated”, is ideal for roles requiring commitment and perseverance. Here's an example:
Using “passion”:
Passion for developing new marketing strategies that increase customer engagement by 40% within six months.
Using “dedication”:
Dedication to developing new marketing strategies that increase customer engagement by 40% within six months.
“Dedication” implies a strong commitment, suggesting reliability and loyalty.
3. Using “zeal” as another word for “passion”:
“Zeal” can be a great choice of word when you work in a role that involves intense enthusiasm. Here's an example:
Using “passion”:
Passion for designing user interfaces that improve customer satisfaction scores by 25%.
Using “zeal”:
Zeal for designing user interfaces that improve customer satisfaction scores by 25%.
“Zeal” focuses more on intense enthusiasm, suitable for roles that require high energy and fervor.
4. Using “devotion” as another word for “passion”:
“Devotion” is a great synonym for “passion” when you want to showcase strong love and loyalty. Here's an example:
Using “passion”:
Passion for team-building in marketing and sales, helping achieve a 50% increase in revenue over two years.
Using “devotion”:
Devotion for team-building in marketing and sales, helping achieve a 50% increase in revenue over two years.
“Devotion” emphasizes strong love and loyalty, conveying the idea of unwavering commitment.
5. Using “drive” as another word for “passion”:
“Drive” can be a good synonym to convey motivation and ambition. Here's an example:
Using “passion”:
Passion for crafting marketing strategies, helping achieve 20% growth in market share.
Using “drive”:
Drive for crafting marketing strategies, helping achieve 20% growth in market share.
“Drive” implies a strong motivation and ambition, highlighting determination and initiative.
6. Using “commitment” as another word for “passion”:
“Commitment”, or “committed”, is a great synonym to describe roles that require steadfastness and reliability. Here's an example:
Using “passion”:
Passion for crafting customer service protocols that reduce complaints by 15%.
Using “commitment”:
Commitment to crafting customer service protocols that reduce complaints by 15%.
“Commitment” conveys a strong sense of responsibility and reliability.
7. Using “eagerness” as another word for “passion”:
“Eagerness” is a versatile synonym for “passion” that suits many roles. Here's an example:
Using “passion”:
Passion for creating award-winning campaigns that increase brand visibility by 200%.
Using “eagerness”:
Eagerness to creating award-winning campaigns that increase brand visibility by 200%.
“Eagerness” implies a keen interest and willingness, suitable for roles requiring active engagement.
8. Using “excitement” as another word for “passion”:
“Excitement” is suitable for roles that involve high energy and anticipation. Here's an example:
Using “passion”:
Passion for developing new inventory management systems that decrease costs by 20%.
Using “excitement”:
Excitement about developing new inventory management systems that decrease costs by 20%.
“Excitement” highlights high energy and anticipation, suitable for roles that require enthusiasm.
9. Using “interest” as another word for “passion”:
“Interest” is great for roles that focus on curiosity and attention. Here's an example:
Using “passion”:
Passion for enhancing the company’s web portal, which boosted user time on site by 50%.
Using “interest”:
Interest in enhancing the company’s web portal, which boosted user time on site by 50%.
“Interest” specifically highlights curiosity and attention, suggesting a focus on continuous improvement.
10. Using “fervor” as another word for “passion”:
“Fervor” can be a great synonym for “passion” for roles involving intense interest.
Using “passion”:
Passion for orchestrating the merger of two departments, which led to a 30% increase in operational efficiency.
Using “fervor”:
Fervor for orchestrating the merger of two departments, which led to a 30% increase in operational efficiency.
In this context, “fervor” implies intense interest, enhancing the perception of dedication.
Want To Take Your Resume Writing To The Next Level?
Writing a resume isn't just about listing your work experience, education, and skills. You need to sell it!
This means you'll need to craft compelling resume bullets that really grab the recruiters' attention.
Sure, you could go with something like: Marketing Manager with 10+ years of experience.
Or, you could go with something like this:
Marketing Manager with 10+ years of experience crafting compelling B2B campaigns that increased brand recognition by 25%.
Much better, right?
That's because I used a secret formula that includes a reasonable amount of hard and soft skills, action words, measurable results, and common words:
You can use ResyBullet.io to scan, score, and upgrade your resume bullets in a few seconds. Here's what I scored for the resume bullet above:
To scan and improve your resume bullet, simply head over to ResyBullet.io or copy and paste your resume bullet below:
Aim at a >60 score, and you'll be good to go!
Not sure what metrics to include in your resume? This post from Austin's LinkedIn brings 5 ways you can uncover metrics for any role:
To recap, here's a video that walks through the entire process of writing a job-winning resume bullet:
Taking Your Resume To The Next Level: Final Steps
Finding the right words for your resume can go a long way when you're applying online. Not only do you want to use compelling language, but you also want your resume to get past ATS filters. To do this, you'll need to match the keywords in your resume with the ones in the target job description.
The best way to do this is by using a resume scanner like ResyMatch.io to scan and score your resume with your target job in just a few clicks. Simply upload your resume and paste the job description below:
Scanning...
If you're a visual learner, here's a video walking through the entire process so you can follow along:
After you've optimized your resume with the right keywords, how about ramping it up with a job-winning resume template? Pick one of the templates below from ResyBuild.io to get started:
Free Job-Winning Resume Templates, Build Yours In No Time.
Choose a resume template below to get started:
How To Use AI To Automatically Personalize Your Resume (& Cover Letter)
Hopefully your resume is starting to feel a little more dynamic after injecting a few of these synonyms! But I know it's also exhausting to constantly be updating your resume with new keywords, skills, and personalizing it for every role.
Thankfully, AI can help you do some of the heavy lifting. I recorded this entire video on how you can leverage Custom GPTs to automate the personalization of your resume and cover letter. The best part?
It only takes two minutes to set up and doesn't require any coding or technical knowledge. You can control every part of it too, including instructions like, “If I used a word like “Passion” more than 3 times, swap it out with anther compelling synonym.” Check it out here:
Key Takeaways To Writing a Job-Winning Resume
Now that we've gone through the best synonyms for “passion” to put in your resume, here are my final takeaways for writing a job-winning resume:
- Review every instance of “passion” in your resume
- Review the list of synonyms in this article and update your resume so you don't have more than 2-3 instances of “passion”
- Run each of your resume bullets through ResyBullet.io and make sure they score >60
- Run your entire resume through ResyMatch.io and make sure it's optimized for the roles you are targeting
- Ramp up your resume with one of our job-winning resume templates from ResyBuild.io
Follow these steps, and you'll surely end with a job-winning resume!
Good luck out there!
