Consider Deleting These Words From Your Resume

Nancy Anderson
Posted by in Career Advice


Contrary to popular belief, hiring managers don't read every resume they receive in detail. Instead, they take a few seconds to scan each resume and determine if the applicant might be a good fit. This is why using the right resume words is so important for job seekers. If you still use outdated buzzwords, follow these resume tips to ensure your resume captures the attention of hiring managers.

Most people use the resume words "responsible for" somewhere in their application documents. These two words are a waste of space because they don't tell hiring managers about your professional achievements. If you use these resume words, you probably follow them with a laundry list of duties. Instead of listing your duties, you should be telling hiring managers what you have accomplished. If you saved your company thousands of dollars or developed a new system that improved efficiency by 25 percent, list those achievements instead of outlining your responsibilities.

"Good" is another commonly used resume word that doesn't really say anything about you as a professional. Hiring managers are usually looking for outstanding candidates, not applicants who consider themselves just good enough to fill open positions. Instead of using weak resume words like "good" and "great," provide information about projects you've managed or teams you've led to prove you have what it takes to succeed in a competitive industry.

Even if you consider yourself to be a "transformational leader," delete the phrase from your resume. This is one of those resume words that doesn't really say anything about your worth as an applicant. If you really are a transformational leader, explain how you identified necessary changes, created a vision to help implement those changes and executed the vision with good results.

Many applicants use specific resume words to describe their proficiency with technology. Unfortunately, including outdated buzzwords can actually hurt you. Don't be tempted to list Microsoft Office as one of your skills. Employers expect applicants to have basic computer skills, so listing this software doesn't really distinguish you from other candidates. Instead, talk about your experience building a software program from scratch or using macros to improve efficiency.

When you write a resume, you only have one or two pages to convince a hiring manager to interview you. Don't waste valuable space by including the phrase "References available upon request." Employers assume you will provide references if you make it to the interview stage of the hiring process, so including this phrase does nothing to help you.

If you are concerned about how your resume is perceived by hiring managers, follow these resume tips to enhance your chances of getting more favorable responses. Instead of using resume words that don't tell hiring managers about your professional achievements, fill your resume with information that sets you apart from other applicants and can help you land a rewarding job in your industry.


Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

Comment

Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.

  • Stephen White
    Stephen White

    This advice makes great sense to me. I am revising my resume accordingly.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Peter, Beyond offers a resume writing service for a nominal fee. Check our site should you be interested.

  • Peter D.
    Peter D.

    Very helpful career advice information , I believe I need some help to in my resume , Some one out there for help !

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @John, I think you might be right. They are covering all of their bases. But, even as an engineer, you need to be able to write reports and white papers, etc. So you would need to know how to use word at least!

  • John K.
    John K.

    I have to chuckle a little bit whenever I see on a job description that goes out of its way to say you need to be proficient in word and excel for an engineering position. I guess some people want to cover all bases, and don't want a good engineer who's afraid of computers.

    I don't put it on my resume, but if it's brought up in the description I'll add it to my cover letter.

  • Sheila H.
    Sheila H.

    Very helpful.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    Thanks @Judith. Appreciate your insight. @Jessica and Kimberly, there are many resume writing services out there. We offer one here @Beyond.com. If finances are an issue, try doing a search for sample resumes for your particular industry or position. This will help give you an idea what you might want to use and what you definitely do not want to show on your resume. Best of luck.

  • Judith Brissette
    Judith Brissette

    As a resume screener I disagree with you that you should leave off that you have Microsoft Office skills. You would be surprised at how many people do not! I don't want to guess, I want to be sure of the software that my candidates have experience with. And I'm not going to ask.... if I don't see it. The more programs the candidate lists the better. It shows me that they are willing to learn and grow.

  • Jessica  C.
    Jessica C.

    How can I get help on improvement to making a better resume?

  • Kimberly D.
    Kimberly D.

    Yes I would like help

Jobs to Watch