Drop These Words from Your Résumé (And Replace Them with Better Ones)

Drop These Words from Your Rsum (And Replace Them with Better Ones) Drop These Words from Your Rsum (And Replace Them with Better Ones) Take ActionBut what is an action stimmt? Unlike active and passive voice, which are actual grammatical constructs, an action word is just a word that demonstrates an action in a dynamic way. Often, action words are used to spin a mundane task into something more impressive on your resume. Instead of describing yourself as a mailroom clerk, you might say that you managed an interoffice document delivery system.Kerry K. Taylor of Squawkfox cautions against using too many active words in a rsum, however. As in the example above, sometimes when you dress up a mundane task in fancy language, it just looks ridiculous. According to Taylor, too many action words can lead to buzzword overkill and harm, rather than help your chances of landing a job interview. No hiring manager likes a rsum saturated with lots of action and little substance.Cut the FluffHave you ever said a word so many times that it seems to become a meaningless collection of sounds? The phenomenon is called semantic satiation, and something similar happens to written words that you see too often. Hiring managers may have hundreds of rsums to sift through for a single position, and overused words and phrases like self-starter or people person might as well be invisible.Every year since 2009, LinkedIn has compiled a list of the most overused words on rsums repeat offenders include creative, innovative, and effective. According to Time, If the opposite of your descriptive word is obviously negative (i.e. ineffective, impatient), bosses probably assume you have this skill already.UtilizedImpactedSuccess/SuccessfulResults/Results-OrientedInnovated/neuschpfungDrivenCreativeExperiencedResponsiblePatientEffectiveMany of these words are just fancier cousins of more mundane words no one is fooled by substituting utilized for used. The biggest communication mistakes, in my opin ion, come from peoples efforts to appear intelligent, said Toni Bowers, managing editor of TechRepublic.These words are also maddeningly vague. Just like most online dating profiles promise an easy-going personality and sense of humor, most rsums promise some form of personal effectiveness. The problem is, everyone thinks theyre successful or able to produce results, cautions Jessica Holbrook Hernandez. In actuality, not everyone does or can. And by using terms like these on your rsum the only thing youve accomplished is looking like every other job seeker on the market.Tell Your Story with Their WordsThe Purdue verbunden Writing Lab recommends using action words to create concise, persuasive, reader-centered rsums and cover letters. But choosing the right action words is what will set apart your rsum from the rest of the crowd. Jenna Charlton advises jobseekers to use the companys language and tell them your story.By carefully reading and highlighting the keywords in a companys vac ancy notice and website, youll discover what values and worker attributes are important to the business. If it is looking for a dynamic, multi-talented customer service specialist, then thats exactly what youll be.By mirroring their corporate copy in your rsum, not only will you be more likely to make it past any keyword-scanning software, but youll also be more likely to impress the hiring manager. If you do it subtly and skillfully- and make koranvers to weed out any typos with an automated proofreader- prospective employers will see you as the perfect fit the position, and youll be one step closer to your first paycheck.Master the art of closing deals and making placements. Take our Recruiter Certification Program today. Were SHRM certified. Learn at your own pace during this 12-week program. Access over 20 courses. Great for those who want to break into recruiting, or recruiters who want to further their career.