26 Words and Phrases to Never Use in a Resume

Resumes are tricky things. The tried-and-true resume tropes of old no longer make the cut in today’s competitive market.

Odds are good that your resume will go through an applicant tracking system scan to determine whether it contains the right keywords before it even hits a hiring manager’s desk. But let’s assume you’ve passed that test and your resume is awaiting review. The difference between getting an interview and getting a thanks-but-no-thanks email (or no acknowledgement at all) could come down to the words or phrases you used in your resume. Here are twenty-six of them to eradicate.

Avoid cliches like the plague.

Google’s dictionary defines a cliche as “a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.” The last thing you want to display on a document meant to dazzle an employer is a lack of original thought. Here are a few offenders to watch for.

1Best-of-breed

If you’re a prize standard poodle and you’ve recently scored a prestigious win at Crufts, then by all means use this term. Otherwise, thirty-eight percent of employers who responded to a CareerBuilder survey think you should slash it from your resume immediately.

2Think outside the box

There’s a certain irony in using a played-out expression to say that you’re a creative, original thinker. This one’s almost certain to make a hiring manager groan, or at least roll her eyes.

3Go-to person

You want to show that your colleagues rely on you for answers. Unfortunately, this trite phrase is more likely to make it seem like they rely on you as a source of antiquated tropes.

4Track record

Yeah, we get it, Seabiscuit—you’re always charging over that finish line, proving that you’re the fastest and the brightest. But the fastest and the brightest could find a better way to express that than “track record,” don’t you think?

5Win-win

No-no. This term has had its day. Let it fade from existence gracefully.

Buzzwords are beastly.

Office jargon—we love to hate it, don’t we? You probably wouldn’t have to think very long to come up with five stock words or phrases from office culture that make you cringe (at least inwardly) every time you hear them. Unfortunately, these words and phrases are pervasive. It’s all too easy to find yourself throwing them into your resume without a second thought. Time to send these beastly buzzwords out to pasture.

6Synergy

We bet you can’t find even one person who’ll defend the use of the term “synergy” in business culture, but you’re welcome to try. Go ahead. We’ll wait. Twenty-two percent of CareerBuilder survey respondents rated this one a deal breaker.

7Action (used as a verb)

You didn’t “action” that major project. Although verbs describe action, the word action itself is a noun. Please use it that way.

8Dynamic

Don’t get us wrong, dynamic is a solid word. It refers to a force that stimulates change or progress, or a system or process characterized by constant change and progress. All good things! But this word is so good that it’s become played out. These days, it’s a red flag signifying that you can’t think of a better way to express yourself.

9Going forward

You may want to show that you single-handedly led a project in a more positive direction, but if you say that the changes your team implemented “going forward” were successful, you may find hiring managers twitching rather than applauding.

10Thought leadership

Of course hiring managers are looking for people whose ideas are authoritative and influential. But if you use a tired phrase like “thought leader” to describe yourself, you’re likely to come across as lacking vision rather than having it.

Filler is useless.

Every word counts when you’re trying to keep your resume lean. Many people include stock filler words and phrases simply because they seem like part of a time-honored tradition. But your resume is a place to stand out from the pack, not merge with it.

11Responsible for

Boooo-ring. Use active verbs to describe your responsibilities. “Responsible for leading a committee” should become “Led a committee.”

12Salary negotiable

Yes, yes, the recruiter knows that you’ll negotiate your salary. But you have to be offered a position first. With this phrase on your resume, your odds of that are decidedly slimmer.

13References upon request

It’s assumed that if you’re asked to provide references you’ll give them. This phrase just takes up space.

14Phone and/or Email

Of course you should put your phone number and email address on your resume. But no, you don’t have to identify them as such with the words Phone and Email.

And twelve more words to eliminate . . .

The words and phrases above are some of the biggest resume offenders. Here are twelve more words and phrases you can also obliterate with impunity.

• Go-getter
• Value add
• Results-driven
• Team player
• Ambitious
• Proactive
• Hard worker
• Seasoned
• Strategic thinker
• Self-motivated
• Problem-solver
• Detail-oriented

“Show, don’t tell” is the golden rule.

When you’re creating or updating your resume, remember that showing is more powerful than telling. Instead of saying that you “think outside the box” say that you “envisioned and designed an innovative social media strategy that increased engagement by eighty-nine percent in three months.”

Remember to give concrete examples of your skills and successes—while avoiding cliches, buzzwords and filler—and your resume will shine like a beacon to recruiters and hiring managers everywhere.

10 Words Brits Use That Americans No Longer Do

A quick example of the bleeding obvious: people speak differently in the UK and the US. If you’re an American fan of British TV shows—the originals, not the American remakes—you’re probably very aware that once in a while, the characters will utter a word that you won’t hear on the streets of your hometown.

But you may be surprised to know that some of the words we consider distinctly British today were once fairly common in the United States. Read on:

1 Tetchy, adjective Someone who is tetchy is someone with a bad temper:

You can’t even talk with him these days; he’s just too tetchy.

2 Amongst, preposition While amongst is less favored than among in British English, it’s rarely seen at all in American English.

There’s a grammar pedant amongst us, and I intend to find out who he is.

3 Marvelous, adjective Sure, you can use amazing instead, but marvelous sounds so much more . . . marvelous:

We had a marvelous time during that holiday retreat.

4 Fortnight, noun Something that happens once every fortnight is something that happens every two weeks:

We try to get together for a family meal once a fortnight.

5 Cheers, exclamation In British English, cheers isn’t something you’d say when it’s time to have a drink. It’s a casual way to say “thank you”:

Cheers Thom, I really needed that paper today.

6 Rubbish, noun, adjective You know this one, it has the same meaning as garbage. Plus, rubbish can be used as an adjective when you want to say that something is really bad:

I bought a new keyboard today, but it’s rubbish so I’ll give it to my brother.

7 Blimey, exclamation If you ever get tired of saying “wow,” you might make an effort to bring blimey back:

Blimey, that escalated quickly!

8 Hoover, noun A hoover is a device that uses suction to clean surfaces—a vacuum cleaner:

The hoover broke because it’s not supposed to be used to clean up spilled water.

9 Bespoke, adjective Before things were custom-made, they were bespoke, especially if they were suits:

A bespoke suit is expensive, but it’s a good investment if you want to look professional.

10 Chap, noun Chap is an informal way of referring to a male person, sort of like “dude”:

See that chap wearing a yellow bow-tie? That’s my biology professor.

What are your favorite British words?

Is the Cover Letter Dead?

The cover letter was once a valuable tool for all job seekers hoping to get by the HR gatekeeper. However, the rise of innovative tech, social media, millennials, and good old-fashioned networking is killing the cover letter.

The only thing missing from the decline of the cover letter is a time of death. In fact, chances are your cover letter won’t even be read, according to Fortune. Nearly 90 percent of hiring managers admit to never reading cover letters.

Interestingly, most job posts require a cover letter despite the unlikeliness of it getting more than a quick glance. Studies have found, however, that cover letters still get read if submitted with a resume.

The cover letter is as out of fashion as Hammer pants and Beanie Babies. Unless a cover letter is explicitly required, it is a waste of time and effort. Here’s why.

Your Social Media Accounts Are the New Cover Letter

It may not come as a surprise, but your social media presence is very accessible. Recruiters know this and they will check out your profiles and activity. Social media is, in effect, the new cover letter, and at times the new resume.

This can be an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on your digital footprint. When recruiters want to know something about potential candidates, they simply Google them or check their Twitter accounts. Your Facebook photos are far more compelling and revealing about who you are compared to a thoughtfully scripted cover letter.

Old-Fashioned Networking Is Another Cover Letter Killer

Your cover letter may include all the traditional pleasantries, but there is always a more effective way to put your best foot forward. Networking is often far more effective than a cover letter.

In fact, 70 to 80 percent of jobs are never posted online, Matt Youngquist, president of Career Horizons, told NPR. This makes the cover letter a time-consuming effort with little return. Networking is possibly the best and fastest way to land the job you want.

Freelancers Have Saturated the Job Market

Companies large and small, including fresh startups, have all gone the route of the freelancer. Often, a cover letter is not part of the equation when hiring for contract positions.

An estimated 34 percent of the American workforce is composed of freelancers, according to a study conducted by the Freelancers Union. And this is expected to rise to 50 percent by 2020.

The wide range and availability of freelancers has made the cover letter irrelevant. Why bring in new employees on a salary when a freelancer will do the work on a project basis? Freelancers are often more economical for companies as well.

Professional Online Platforms Are a Recruiter’s Dream

If a recruiter needs to fill a position fast, why take the time reading endless cover letters? All the information they need is on a potential candidate’s professional online profile such as LinkedIn. In fact, nearly 93 percent of recruiters use LinkedIn to fill their company’s talent pool.

Professional online platforms like LinkedIn are not only killing the cover letter, they are also putting the resume to rest as well. Many companies even permit potential candidates to apply to a job with their LinkedIn profile.

Don’t toss your cover letter just yet. There is still a place for it in your job hunt as it takes its last fleeting breaths of life. Though the cover letter is nearly dead, it is still required for the many jobs still posted online. However, focusing on your professional digital footprint more than your cover letter may prove to be time better spent.

---

Vera Marie Reed is freelance writer living in Glendale, California. This mother of two specializes in education and parenting content. When she’s not delivering expert advice, you can find her reading, writing, going to museums, and doing craft projects with her children.

How to Write Interesting Stories

April 27 is Tell a Story Day, a great time for writers at all levels to finally share the stories that they’ve been keeping to themselves. But, what if the story you want to tell isn’t quite ready for its debut?

We encourage you to find a different story to tell! How, you ask? Read on . . .

Famous writers approached their writing in different ways, but one commonality involved extracting stories from real life experiences. The characters and settings may have received some embellishment, but the premise of their stories mirrored what they experienced during their lives. Hemingway wrote about armed conflicts that he covered as a reporter, Faulkner brought to life the southern culture he remembered from the early portion of the 20th century, and Jane Austin vividly described the scenes of 18th century English society.

Although the ideas for their stories derived from real life experiences, famous writers had different ways of developing story ideas. Hemingway often talked about how he worked out story ideas on the go. Faulkner believed that “You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.” Only through pushing the boundaries was he able to develop complex story ideas. Austin took the power of observation to another level in the development of her story lines.

Novice writers often complain that their well of story ideas has run dry. They do not have to follow the lead of a famous writer to develop compelling story ideas. Instead, they can stimulate their own creative process by following a few writing tips.

Open Up to New Experiences

Experiencing different cultures, people, and places enriches the idea machine that often lies dormant within your mind. The more you diversify your experiences, the more fertile the idea machine becomes. Try different foods, travel to distant lands, and above all, read the works of authors who cover a wide variety of genres. Famous authors such as Hemingway and Faulkner mention how much reading helped them to develop story ideas. “Writing in the voice of me” helps writers expound on their expanded horizons.

Eliminate Self-Doubt

Writers may represent the most self-critical professionals. The lack of story ideas can turn a once confident writer into someone who begins to limit his or her belief in the capacity to churn out creative story ideas. Writers need to acquire the patience to face the inevitable impasses that derail the story idea development process. Believe in yourself and your story ideas should flow like a graceful river.

Every Idea Counts

Instead of trying to focus on developing great story ideas, strive for quantity over quality. Entertain every story idea until the feasibility of the idea wanes. What appears to be a stupid story line today may be the next best selling story idea of tomorrow. Record all of your story ideas in a notebook or in a computer file and revisit each idea periodically to expand on its premise. Time does a wonderful job of forming some story ideas into powerful novels. Record every idea the moment it pops into your head. Once again, reading a wide variety of writing genres helps you generate story ideas.

Avoid Convention

Famous writers often defied writing convention to bring their unique ideas to life. They thought outside of the writing box by creating characters and developing story lines that appeared to have no chance of gaining popularity. Who would have thought the musings of an illiterate adolescent would make for a powerful story idea in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Obviously, Mark Twain did not follow the writing norm in creating his captivating main character.

Walk a Mile or Two in Your Shoes

The writing process can stagnate whenever you stare blankly at your computer screen and silently curse your current state of writer’s block. You can shake writer’s block and stimulate story ideas by working story lines out as you walk. Too many novice writers sit down and immediately expect story ideas to pop in their heads. Famous writers such as Hemingway walked until they developed the foundation for a story idea. Once you develop the structure of your story idea, the words should fly from your fingertips whenever you decide to sit down to write the story.

Remember that, at times, even the most polished writers have trouble developing ideas for interesting stories. What differentiates them from the novice writer is that they implement strategies to set their creative wheels in motion. Follow the examples set by famous writers and open yourself up to new experiences; entertaining every idea you think of; avoid convention; eliminate self-doubt; and if all else fails, take a walk! You’ll be writing again in no time.

What is your best strategy to counteract writer’s block? Share in the comments!

Watch Your Language in Corporate Emails

We are “devolving” into lackadaisical proofreaders.

Even senior management and professionals with advanced degrees and experience no longer show the stamina or desire to ensure that their written words convey exactly what they are meant to–and our carelessness is coming to a head.

This is compounded by the fact that, more than ever, human beings are being judged on word choice. In large part, this is a result of our increasing reliance on written communication to conduct both business and personal relationships.

When writing for a specific purpose–whether it’s personal or professional–think about these three tips before you hit “send.”

Watch Your Tone

In written communication, it is especially important to watch your tone. For example, short replies to emails (sure, fine, ok, etc.) may come across as abrupt or angry. Excessive use of punctuation or CAPS LOCK could also suggest excitement–with both positive and negative connotations.

Ensure that every email you send in a professional environment is purposeful and that it includes relevant and actionable information. CAPS LOCK is rarely appropriate, and multiple exclamation points or question marks may send readers the wrong message. Wasn’t it Mark Twain who tried to explain that exclamation points should be used ever so sparingly (as in shouting “Fire!” in a crowded theater), or omitted from one’s work entirely?

Proofread!

Aside from watching your tone, here are some proofreading tips that can help you to avoid potentially damaging emails:

• Read your email out loud. Even middle school students are taught this strategy. It’s an easy way to catch your mistakes, i.e., typos, and tone down or polish your language.
• Check for clarity. Is your meaning clear? Does your word choice accurately reflect your feelings or point of view? Don’t write “Call me at once,” if you mean “Please contact me at your earliest convenience. This deal’s important, Joe. Thanks.”
• Check for fluency. Newspapers are typically written at a fifth- or sixth-grade level. Writing at a sixth-grade level doesn’t necessarily mean you write like a sixth-grader; it just means that a sixth-grader would be able to comprehend what you’ve written. It also means that adult readers will be able to quickly and easily absorb what you’re trying to tell them.
• Organize your thoughts. Does your argument unfold intelligently? Is your word choice persuasive? If you are drafting several paragraphs, do you use a topic sentence for each one and include evidence to support it?
• Elaborate. Have you explained your position fully? Or will the reader have lingering questions?
• Proof for mechanics. Check your capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and syntax (the order of the words in your sentence). For gosh sakes, get yourself a grammar book if you don’t have one already, and keep it at your elbow. Writing crisp emails makes you shine. Lean on the latest edition of Strunk & White or the AP Stylebook for support. Either will do.

Strain Your Brain: Conclude with a Powerful Thought

As any great author will advise, your last line should sing. Before writing it, ask yourself, “What do I want to leave the reader thinking?” The answer to that question is the last line itself.