10 useless résumé words — and 10 eye-catching ones

2012-7-27
From:MSN Careers

quotGeneric hyperbole belongs on cereal boxes, not onreacutesumeacutes,quot says Duncan Mathison, acareer consultantand co-author of quotUnlock the Hidden Job Market: 6 Steps to a Successful Job Search When Times Are Tough.quot quotIf it does not pass the ‘So what, anybody can make that claim’ test, leave it off.quot
Instead of being another candidate professing to be a quothard worker,quot revitalize your application with a little seek-and-replace exercise. Scan your reacutesumeacute for empty, overused words such as the following:
1. Outstanding
2. Effective
3. Strong
4. Exceptional
5. Good
6. Excellent
7. Driven
8. Motivated
9. Seasoned
10. Energetic
quotWatch out for words that are unsupported claims of greatness,quot Mathison says. Adds David Couper, acareer coachand author of quotOutsiders on the Inside: How to Create a Winning Career … Even When You Don’t Fit In,quot quotIf you call yourself an ‘excellentmanager,’ how do we know?quot
The nouns following those subjective adjectives can be equally meaningless. Anyone who has ever had a co-worker can claim to be a quotteam player.quot
A better route to take is describing accomplishments and letting the hirer make his own judgment. Give specific, and preferably quantifiable, accounts of what you’ve done that makes you an quotoutstandingsalesperson.quot Likewise, peruse your performance reviews for quotable material from supervisors that demonstrates why they consider you a quotstrong leader.quot Listing awards or other forms of recognition also can be used as support.
Some words should be avoided because they convey traits that employers consider standard for anybody who wants to be hired. quotYou’re motivated? Hope so. A good worker? So happy to hear that I didn’t want to hire a bad worker,quot Couper says. Don’t take up precious reacutesumeacute space with unnecessary items.
Also on the quotdon’tquot side:words that seek to overcome what you might think are your shortcomings. quotUsing ‘seasoned’ for ‘over 50′ or ‘energetic’ for ‘inexperienced’ looks like spin and smells like spin,quot Mathison says. Keep the focus on what makes you right for the job.
On the flip side, certain words can make hiring managers do a double take. Light up their eyes with these 10 words and phrases:
1. Created
2. Increased
3. Reduced
4. Improved
5. Developed
6. Researched
7. Accomplished
8. Won
9. on time
10. Under budget
quotWe suggest that reacutesumeacute writers include action words to describe their jobs,quot says Susan Ach, a careercounselorat Marymount Manhattan College inNew York City. Verbsproject the image of someone who has the background and initiative to get things done. Employers can clearly comprehend what you’ve accomplished and can use that as a basis for envisioning future success with their company. Think about it: If you were hiring, would you rather take on someone who calls himself a quotproductive managerquot or somebody who states that at his last job he quotincreased company profit by 3 percent,quot quotreduced employee turnover in his department to the best level in five yearsquot and quotimproved brand awareness by implementing a newsocial mediastrategyquot?
Lastly, it can be beneficial to use verbs and nouns that are common to your specific industry. This shows your familiarity with the language of your field and optimizes the chances of getting past an automatic scan for keywords. But remember, too, that all companies tend to speak a universal language: money.
quotTerms such as ‘on time’ and ‘under budget’ are often good. Hiring managers want to know you can get things done with minimum fuss,quot Mathison says. Tell them what makes you the most profitable choice for the job and employers will tell you the best word of all: quothired.quot

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