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Think of it this way, a resume is a piece of paper containing the information and data about your qualifications for the employer too see, and ultimately will lead to your hiring. Based on this it is imperative that you use the correct words on the resume.
It doesn't have to be a fifty page journal containing all the details of your experience, a two or three hundred word resume would suffice, and more importantly be careful about the words you use on your resume describing your qualifications.
There are a lot of words in your resume that you should avoid. These words are often too general and meaningless, really not showing your capability and achievement. Let me enumerate the top six resume word offenders that will do the most damage to your reputation as an applicant.
"Experience in"
Most of us make the mistake of just writing down our experiences in our resume, which was considered a norm for most applicants in the past, but in today's companies, hiring managers automatically frown on this kind of self propaganda. What you should do instead is be more specific and detailed. Instead of saying "Experienced in web designing", you could say "Designed 3 web pages for a fortune 500 company", and then you could include their URL as part of your resume.
"Responsible for"
This one also shouts vague, uninteresting, empty. We all know you were responsible for something at your previous job, but what hiring managers want to hear are details, numbers, and figures. Instead of saying "Responsible for content writing", you could say "Wrote 200 articles for our 2 month media campaign"
"Excellent written/oral communication skills"
This is one of the most commonly used words in resumes today. You even see this on classified ads, but this word on resumes is worthless in the eyes of hiring managers. Instead of using this cliché, you could instead write "Handled PR relations with foreign clients for a major overseas contract"; this will sound more specific and show that you have good people relation and communication skills.
"Team Player"
What team? Are you trying to sound professional by using this phrase? Well, let me tell you right now that it will not work. Using this generic resume words just shows that you are like everybody else, or maybe you copied this resume template from a friend somewhere. What we want to show is that we are a cut above the rest. So instead of just writing "Team Player" why not say "worked with a large marketing team in coordination with designers to achieve our media marketing campaign goals before set deadlines"
"Hardworking"
Well, of course you need to be hard working, companies won't pay you to slack off, It's really important that you instead write down in detail instances wherein you show how hardworking you are, like "Finished assigned media campaign 2 months before set deadline"
"Creative"
Are you applying as an artist? If not then this resume word really won't help you, why not try to write down what you did that shows why you're creative, why not instead say something like, "designed new campaign banner" or "came up with new programming script that resulted in 15% increase sales"
You probably get the idea now of how you should replace commonly used resume words with more specific examples of your abilities. Here are some additional words you should also avoid and replace with more detailed accounts of actions made showing your qualifications.
- Aggressive
- Competent
- Determined
- Efficient
- Flexible
- Goal-oriented
- Independent
- Innovative
- Knowledgeable
- Motivated
- Meticulous
- Professional
- Resourceful
- Self-motivated
Remember that what hiring managers want to hear are details and specific deeds that show that you are qualified. The secret is not really on the words in your resume used, but the context of the words used. They need to demonstrate your skill, and quantify your qualifications. The words in your resume need to show, not tell. With this in mind, you can now start writing that sizzling hot resume and land that job.
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