|
Words to Avoid In Your Resume |
Effective word choice is what really appeals to hiring managers—not action verbs and glittery modifiers. Here’s a rundown of some words that hiring managers say detract from the persuasiveness of resumes they see.
| Term | Reasons to avoid | Example | Possible rephrasing | | Assist, assisted | Hiring managers want to
know what you did, not how
you helped. If you’re familiar
enough with a task to put it on
your resume, you can choose
a better word than assist. | Assisted
marketing
director by
researching… | Researched
for marketing
department. | | Experiment | No one wants to hear about
what you tried to do—only
what you have accomplished. | Experimented
with new
management
software. | Tested and
evaluated new
management
software. | Skillfully, effectively,
carefully, quickly,
expert, mastered | Hiring managers often object
to words that describe how
well you do a particular task.
In many cases, it comes
across as boastful—and it’s
unnecessary. “If you aren’t
good at it, why are you putting
it on your resume?” one
recruiter said. | Skillfully
managed
transition from
Windows NT
to Windows
Server 2003 | Migrated
organization from
Windows NT to
Windows Server
2003 with no
downtime during
business hours. | Cutting-edge,
detail-oriented;
coordinate,
facilitate, transform;
proven ability,
synergy, and liaison | Hiring managers say such
words take up space without
communicating much. They’ve
seen them so often that the
words have lost their original
energy. Provide details and
substance, not tired business
jargon. | Detail-oriented
manager with
proven ability
to oversee dayto-
day network
operations and
to implement
major
technology
initiatives. | Supervised an
eight-member
staff; completed
two full-scale
platform migrations;
consolidated
equipment and
resources following
facilities move. |
|
