comments
25 Resume Words To Avoid
Email
 Print
|
CNN briefly touched on the topic of resumes earlier this month by giving some standard, but useful, advice with respect to what you put on your resume, including twenty five words you should avoid. Essentially they suggest that you should drop general terms about yourself or what you experienced in favor of specific things you did:
Instead of… “Experience working in fast-paced environment”
Try… “Registered 120+ third-shift emergency patients per night”
Personally, I always find it hard to write the Objective part of the resume (mine reads something generic about ‘wanting to find a software development position that utilizes by technical and leadership skills’) and I think they’d give a pass at generic words there but my work experience hardly ever has any ‘personality buzzwords.’ I figured I’ll put what I did and if it’s something they’re looking for, they’ll bring me in and learn about my personality and it seems to have worked out pretty well so far.
As for the words to avoid: Aggressive, Ambitious, Competent, Creative, Detail-oriented, Determined, Efficient, Experienced, Flexible, Goal-oriented, Hard-working, Independent, Innovative, Knowledgeable, Logical, Motivated, Meticulous, People person, Professional, Reliable, Resourceful, Self-motivated, Successful, Team player and Well-organized.
Story via CNN.
{ 5 comments, please add your thoughts now! }
Related Posts
 By Jim |
 Stumble It! Bookmark reddit.comTags: Job Tips, Resume Jan 29, 2006 | Read more in Personal Finance |
Like this article? Get all the latest articles sent to your email for free every day. Enter your email address and click "Subscribe." Your email will only be used for this daily subscription and you can unsubscribe anytime.
Around The Blogs
Let’s see what’s been happening around the blogsphere this week. JLP from AllThingsFinancial describes the TurboTax Gift Reward Program and is still amazed by his sons. Nickel from Five Cent Nickel recommends Kill-a-Watt for lowering electr…
I prefer:
1. Points that start with action words: “Developed, created, led, etc.”
2. Quantifiable results. (i.e. “Led cost-reduction team to delivering unprecedented $2.1 million annual savings.”)
Quantify your skills statements
Qualify your statements
State accomplishments
numbers numbers numbers and what I did for the last company!
*designed and implemented new inventory procedures, reducing labour costs by 32% (verbs and benefit)
*balanced financial transactions in excess of 1.5 million monthly sales (verb , qualifying, implying responsibility and accuratacy)
produced annual stockholders reports utilizing MS Word, Excel and in house database (verb, computer skills, analytical, data compilation)
analyzed current market trends and created new marketing campaign generating revenues in excess of $100,000 (verb, innovative, creative, seeking improvement)
6 years experience staff trainer (accomplishment)
I am an employment counsellor and do resume workshops. Usually by the time I am half way through my workshop, clients are busy modifying their statements to create stronger impact. Their resumes soon reflect what they can do for you, the employer. Get them to think in employer mode, How does this skill benefit me? What sets this statement above all the other mediocre resumes. What have they accomplished in the past that was beneficial to my company.
Get the client to TELL the employer why they are the right candidate, demonstrate exactly how they will add to the company…don’t force the employer to make the connection, answer these questions on paper.
2 words I detest seeing in a resume
Capable
Able to
What do they want me to say? How can I say what my qualifications are without those words when those words have been jammed down my throat by the factory jobs I’ve had? I don’t know how office jobs are but on the manufacturing floor buzz words are shoved at us to get more out of us and create that team work like – cough cough – atmosphere. Why more and more manufacturers are requiring a resume with an application is beyond me. I’m not 20 any more and I’m lost in this new world of job searching. I can write reasonably intelligent sentences but I’m not college educated. Why do they need me to write an award winning resume just to run a machine or clean that machine? I can run, tear down and repair manufacturing machinery but writing a resume and sending it via e-mail scares the hell out of me.