Introduction

These words will make your resume stand out for all the wrong reasons and might land your resume in the trash bin instead of in front of a potential employer. The way you present yourself on a resume is important, and if you’re not careful, your words can do more than just make the wrong impression. The wrong words could actually get your resume tossed into the trash. And that would be a shame – because no matter how qualified you are for the job, it won’t matter if they never even see your qualifications! So what should you avoid?

First-Person Pronouns

First-person pronouns like “I” or “me.” You want to sound professional and authoritative without sounding vain or self-centered. Replace, "My Experience" with "Experience" or "Work Experience."

For other first-person pronouns like "we," "us," or "our" - Use the third person point of view. For example, "Achieved the goal by partnering with other departments."

Adjectives

Adjectives like “hard-working,” “creative,” and “dynamic.” Replace with verbs that are more concrete and action-oriented. For example, "Managed a team of five employees" or "Created a new marketing strategy."

General terms without context

Remove or rewrite general terms that are not supported with context. For example, "Responsible for managing the company’s social media accounts." Rewrite to be more specific: "Designed and implemented a strategy for increasing company's Facebook page likes by 400% in six months."

Weak verbs

Replace weak verbs with stronger verbs that are more descriptive. Instead of saying, "I was responsible for," say, "Managed." Instead of saying, "I conducted training sessions on," say, "Instructed." Instead of saying, "My duties included," say, "Performed."

Acronyms

Avoid using initials, or acronyms, to describe your career history. Using acronyms can make it difficult for an employer to know what you've actually done. For example, if you have a degree from Harvard University, simply put "Harvard" on your resume rather than using the acronym "HU."

You may also want to avoid abbreviating terms that describe your work history or position titles. In addition, avoid using acronyms when they might not be familiar to everyone, such as in the finance industry. For example, use "Financial Analyst" instead of "FA."

Buzzwords

Using words like "hard-working," "dynamic," and "ambitious" on your resume is a big mistake. You want to use words that describe what you actually did at work, not what you think sounds good on paper.

Stick to using action verbs and concrete details to describe your experience and skills. For example, instead of writing "was responsible for," phrase it as "maintained a backlog of up to 90 invoices." Instead of saying you are an "ambitious self-starter," state that you've been recognized as a top performer three times in the past year.

Conclusion

Resumes are supposed to convince recruiters and hiring managers that you're the best job candidate, but if your resume includes certain words, it will likely do just the opposite. Many of us use too many adjectives and other fluff words, or rely on those we think should be used instead of what's actually correct.

How you can help: If you're not sure if a word belongs on your resume, read it out loud. If the sentence sounds weird or awkward when you say it, then that's probably a sign that it should be removed or changed. After all, this is what hiring managers are looking for -- they want your resume to automatically flow off the tongue when you're being interviewed.

When it comes to your resume, the less said, the better. This is especially true when it comes to using first-person pronouns (I, me, my), adjectives like "hard-working," and general terms without context. These words will make your resume stand out for all the wrong reasons and might land your resume in the trash bin instead of in front of a potential employer.

=>Instead, focus on using action verbs and concrete details to describe your experience and skills. For example, "Managed a team of five employees" or "Created a new marketing strategy."

=>If you're not sure if a word belongs on your resume, read it out loud. If the sentence sounds weird or awkward when you say it, then that's probably a sign that it should be removed or changed. After all, this is what hiring managers are looking for—they want your resume to automatically flow off the tongue when you're being interviewed.

=>You also want to avoid using acronyms and abbreviations, especially if they might not be familiar to everyone in your industry. It's better to just use the common language, rather than making your current or potential employer have to guess at what you mean.

=>Buzzwords are a big resume no-no as well.

=>When it comes to writing your resume, less is definitely more.