Words To Avoid and Include on a Resume

You only have a short time to make an impression with your resume. In those moments when a potential employer is scanning your resume for your skill set and experience, it is important to choose words that communicate the value you’ve added in previous roles.

Using common business terms like “wheelhouse” or “go-to person” can seem like the best way to get your qualities across efficiently. Yet, words like these have become so overused they have lost meaning and won’t help you stand out from other applicants. Instead, choose action-oriented phrases that show rather than tell why you’re a good candidate.

In this article, we list the words you should avoid including on a resume, along with the words you should include to help you stand out and get your job application noticed.

Words to avoid on your resume

Here are some categories of words you should avoid including on your resume:

Business lingo:

Choosing overused business jargon can weaken your resume. Using plain, clear language that explains how you’ve delivered value is much more effective. Here are some more examples of business lingo to leave off your resume –

• Bottom line
• Buy-in
• Core competency
• Ecosystem
• Move the needle
• Synergy
• Thought leadership
• Value-add
• Wheelhouse.

General phrases of self-promotion:

Though your resume is a space to showcase your skills and abilities, broad terms and phrases to explain your value can be ineffective. A term like “self-starter,” for example, is a generality that doesn’t specifically explain why or how you might bring value to the role you’re applying for.

Instead, try showing an example of a time you self-started, like “Identified time-waste and implemented a new CMS system, cutting time spent cleaning customer records in half.” Here are more examples of self-promotional phrases to avoid –

• Go-getter
• Go-to-person
• Strategic thinker
• Best of breed
• Think outside the box
• Proactive
• Smart
• Best.

Givens:

There are a few words and phrases you should leave off your resume because they don’t add any new or differentiating information. You don’t have much time or space to show hiring managers why they should consider you, so avoid taking up space with words like “people person.” Nearly every job will require you to work with other people, so unless you have a specific example that shows you’re exceptionally skilled in this area, it’s not worth including.

If this is a critical asset in the position you’re applying for, try using an action statement that shows how you work with others. For example, “I established a monthly workshop that led to increased team collaboration and resulted in three completed projects in the past quarter.”

Here are a few additional examples of phrases hiring managers will expect without needing to see them on your resume –

• Hard worker
• Self-motivated
• Team player.

Words to include on your resume

Examples of your past work give employers clear evidence of your unique qualifications. They’re looking for examples of times you delivered value with numbers to support them whenever possible. For example, instead of saying you’re a “results-driven team player who delivers impactful results,” hiring managers want to see something like, “I developed a streamlined delivery process that reduced revenue slip by 20%.”Consider the following list of words that can be helpful as you develop a resume with action statements that clearly show your skill set and experience:

• Achieved
• Coordinated
• Created
• Developed
• Established
• Improved
• Increased/decreased
• Influenced
• Launched
• Managed
• Negotiated
• Resolved
• Generated revenue/profits
• Trained/mentored
• Delivered under budget
• Volunteered.

When it comes to the interview process, hiring managers want to be able to understand the specific value you’ve provided to predict how you’ll drive value at their company. Your first touchpoint with hiring managers is the resume. So, in place of cliches and generalities, leverage action words to give examples of how exactly you fit the description they’ve written.

Sourced from Indeed: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/words-to-avoid-and-include-on-a-resume