Words to AVOID in your Resume

[Tiger]

Resume
Examples of Resume Words to Avoid
“Highly energetic” and other flimsy, fluffy and weak resume phrases
and words to avoid.
Lisa Vaas
Resume

You're highly qualified. You're results focused.

You're also energetic, confident and professional -- and if you put
those words in your resume, you've just caused a hiring professional's
eyes to glaze over.

Why is such language undesirable for resumes? First, it's subjective.
It's the resume subject's own interpretation of herself, and it's
unacceptably vague.

"Words like ‘successfully' are pretty lame and overused. ... [Such
wording] doesn't tell the reader what he wants to know," said Tina
Brasher, a certified professional resume writer who works with
TheLadders and recently rewrote the resume of a 46-year-old technology
executive who used this type of vague, subjective language on his
resume before Brasher reworked the document.

Resume readers want to know specifics relating to the bottom line,
Brasher said. "What they want to get out of a resume is 1) How can you
make the company money? and 2) How can you save the company money?"
she said. "They're looking for a resume not only for that but, ‘Are
you qualified for the job opening I posted?' And, ‘What's your skill
set? How did you make a positive difference in the company you just
left? How are you different and more valuable as an employee from John
Smith whose resume I just read or John Doe whose resume I'm about to
read?' "

Brasher offers the following list of what she calls "fluffy" language:
phrases and words that "resume readers have seen 10 million times" and
that will lose their attention.

* Highly qualified
* Results focused
* Effectual leader
* Has talent for
* Energetic
* Confident
* Professional
* Successfully

Other words to avoid include "competent," and it's a good idea to stay
away from its synonyms: able, capable, fit, good, qualified or
suitable, Brasher said.

The following resume example is from the summary paragraph of the
technology executive's original resume; the weak, subjective words are
rendered in bold underline and shown in the context of how these words
are typically used by far too many people who craft their own resumes:

Highly qualified Executive Manager offering more than 22 years of
software development, consulting services business, product sales and
tech support experiences. Results-focused and effectual leader with
proven ability to turnaround troubled organizations. Has talent for
proactively identifying and resolving problems and building highly
motivated teamwork organization.

The resume example below is Brasher's revision of the technology
executive's summary paragraph. (The executive requested TheLadders
withhold the name of his employer.) While words such as "excellent"
and "seasoned" are subjective, note that they are also backed up by
specific facts (noted in bold underline) that will get noticed by a
hiring professional:

Combine astute strategic, business, and project management skills
with an 11-year track record of business consultancy and analysis that
enables revenue and profit growth. Excellent analytical,
organizational, and leadership skills. Seasoned, collaborative leader
skilled in motivating staff to achieve aggressive goals and
objectives. Global business operational perspective through exposure
to diverse business protocols, particularly in North America, Europe,
Emerging Markets, and Asia Pacific with [technology company name
withheld]; led more than 800 pre-sales technical support staff
organization that supported $7B to $8B in revenue. Skilled in product
development with solid background in IT systems.

In the revised version, the resume summary statement gives readers a
"pretty good understanding of what this person can do," Brasher said.
And that, of course, is far preferable to losing their attention for
good.