Words & Phrases to Exclude From Your Resume

The ones that makes recruiters cringe!

Buzzwords.

We’ve all seen them in resumes and LinkedIn profiles before.

You know . . .

• Demonstrated history of X,
• Proven track record of Y,
• Results-oriented,
• Goal-oriented,
• Go-to person,
• Self-starter,
• Passionate,
• Go-getter,
• Motivated,
• Visionary,
• Creative,
• Driven

Look familiar? Perhaps in your resume?

I have news for you: they’re an immediate turnoff to recruiters and hiring managers.

Why?

Well, we see them so often that, over time, they’ve lost their meaning. They’ve lost their effectiveness in communicating the value you bring to a prospective employer.

And the aforementioned list isn’t exhaustive.

In some instances, the words or phrases we find are self-congratulatory; and this doesn’t help your case if there are no results to back them up.

In other instances, these buzzwords just aren’t accurate. For example, many job seekers tout their “attention to detail” while failing to proofread and correct numerous errors in their resume before submission.

What does “demonstrated history” mean, anyway? Your resume is supposed to demonstrate your successful work history for, at least, the past decade.

That’s the point. So, why state the obvious?

Your “proven track record”? Great, if that track record is so awesome, then show us! Substitute that phrase with specific information that is quantifiable with a number (annual sales volume, increased percentage of X, # of employees trained, # of units sold, etc.).

You’re “motivated.” Really? You should be. Why would an employer hire someone who isn’t motivated to come to work every day and do their absolute best?

As for your “passion”: everyone seems to be “passionate” about their work or career. So, my suggestion, is to find another way to express your interests. Stand out from the pack! If you’d like further inspiration, read this.

The thesaurus is an excellent resource for substituting these overused, meaningless words and phrases.

Instead of telling us you’re a “go-getter”, for example, find another way to express your determination and ambition; most importantly, illustrate it with the actual results you achieved. Oh, you’re “goal-oriented”? Big deal! Instead, show us how your focused activity resulted in the achievement of:

• your individually-assigned goals,
• the goals of your team,
• or the goals of the company.

Briefly tell us how you made a process better, faster, or more efficient.

Did you save the company money? Tell us!

Did you lead projects? Tell us! And, tell us, what was the outcome?

Resumes are supposed to be, among other things, highly efficient in wording and space. So, it’s really a waste of precious resume real estate to use tired, worn-out buzzwords in place of quantifiable results. That’s what we’re really looking for.

Buzzwords get in the way of recruiters and hiring managers having a clear picture of who you are, what you’ve actually achieved, and why you’re a great prospective match for a position.

Save the fluff and just tell us

• what you accomplished (not what you were responsible for) in each position;
• that your proven track record of X, demonstrated history of Y; and
• that your goals should speak for themselves in clear, concise language.

NB: In instances of job descriptions specifically requiring candidates to be goal-oriented, creative, passionate, (etc.), then (and only then) include such words or phrases in your resume; they could be keywords that the Applicant
Tracking System (ATS), recruiters, or hiring managers will scan.