When it comes to writing your resume, there’s a fine line between key words that you think look and sound good, and overused phrases that recruiters loathe.
Hiring managers see hundreds of resumes, and after a while, they could begin to look and sound the same. If you want to stand out, you should try to avoid using clichéd lines that have been recycled many times as much as you can.
We understand that resume writing can be a bit tricky; there seem to be so many rules to follow!
We’ve put together a list of lines that could be killing your chances of landing a job.
“I’m a Perfectionist”
This can be interpreted in two ways. Firstly, no one can be perfect all the time so this statement is an exaggeration of your abilities. Secondly, it could actually be detrimental to your chances as some recruiters see a “perfectionist” as someone who is picky or focuses too much on the little things.
Instead, show the recruiters and hiring managers how great your attention to detail and your organizational skills are. This will prove how you like to get everything just right.
“I’m a Hard Worker”
First of all, the hiring manager has no way of telling whether this is true or not, so it’s a relatively empty statement. Secondly, no one is going to send in a resume admitting to being lazy or work-shy.
Give examples of times you worked hard and the results you achieved to show recruiters exactly how you’re a dedicated individual.
“I’m Good at Multi-Tasking”
Much like “hard worker”, good at multi-tasking can be misread and could, in fact, suggest to the recruiter that you’re easily distracted or often have too many things going on at one time.
As an alternative, prove to hiring managers how you can problem solve and handle deadlines efficiently. It will show you’re great in a crisis and an efficient worker.
“I’m a Team Player and I Work Well Individually”
Not only is this phrase boring and overused, but most people work well in a team or alone so it’s unlikely to make you stand out.
Using phrases like this are uninventive and can be seen as lazy and as if you’re trying to cover all bases without putting any real thought in.
A better way to deal with this is to demonstrate times you worked well in a team or individually. Include specific examples to showcase your experiences and the value that you can bring to the role.
“I’m Passionate”
Maybe so, but you could just be saying you’re passionate because you need any old job right now, and you hope it will help your chances.
Recruiters have no way of measuring this statement until they meet and have a discussion with you. If you truly are passionate, this will show through in your interview, so try to keep this phrase off your resume.
“I Have Extensive Experience”
You might well have extensive experience, but there’s no need to write this in your resume for two reasons.
Firstly, your positions of employment will tell the hiring manager how much experience you really have, so writing “extensive experience” is redundant.
Secondly, if you want to write about how you’re a knowledgeable person in the industry, show the recruiter exactly what experience you have by being as specific as possible. Support your claims with numbers, facts, and statistics wherever possible to prove to recruiters that you’re the top talent they need.
Ultimately, recruiters want your resume to give examples of the situations in which you showcased your skills, and then what the results were. Throwing in exhausted buzzwords isn’t going to get you noticed, so try to highlight your skills and then expand on them to demonstrate why these skills will be an asset to their company.
Laura Slingo is Digital Copywriter for the fastest-growing job board in the U.S.,
Resume-Library. For more expert advice on job searches, careers and the workplace, visit their Career Advice pages.
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