Phrases You Should Never Include on Your Résumé
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Best of Breed
(mentioned by 38% of employers) The "show, don't tell" rule demands that you speak specifically about what distinguishes your job accomplishments. -
Go-Getter
(mentioned by 27% of employers) Employers prefer to read about the actual steps you took to pursue projects in a proactive, self-directed way. -
Think Outside the Box
(mentioned by 26% of employers) Every professional should be able to do this and then find ways to incorporate such thinking in inside-the-box strategies. -
Synergy
(mentioned by 22% of employers) This made-up term for "combined energies" is a regular on the top 10 corporate cliché list. -
Go-to Person
(mentioned by 22% of employers) Use strong examples to define how you're able to achieve results that go beyond expectations. -
Thought Leadership
(mentioned by 16% of employers) We once referred to thought leaders with a less showy but more conversational term: expert. -
Value Add
(mentioned by 16% of employers) You'll make a stronger case by describing how your organization benefitted from your added value. -
Results-Driven
(mentioned by 16% of employers) Performance results are a given, so focus on demonstrating the impact of your efforts—with metrics. -
Team Player
(mentioned by 15% of employers) Unless you work for yourself in a one-employee shop, you're expected to work well with others. -
Bottom Line
(mentioned by 14% of employers) In today's business speak, this term appears to have given way to various uses of ROI.
So you think you've written a definitive résumé? Well, don't hit "send" until you check it for the following overused résumé turn-offs, which were compiled by CareerBuilder. Job candidates have very little time to make a positive impression with their résumé. In fact, 68 percent of hiring managers spend less than two minutes reviewing a résumé, and 17 percent spend 30 seconds or less. If they open up a document that's littered with clichéd phrases, they're far more likely to quickly move on to the next applicant. And be sure to keep the "show, don't tell" rule in mind: It's always better to demonstrate what you've accomplished in clear, concrete terms rather than describing your work with vague phrases such as "hard worker" and "major contributor." Employers prefer "strong action words that define specific experience, skills and accomplishments," says Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. "Subjective terms and clichés are seen as negative because they don't convey real information. For instance, don't say you are 'results-driven.' Show the employer your actual results." And definitely avoid the following 10 phrases, which surveyed employers said were worn-out. More than 2,200 hiring managers and HR professionals took part in the research.