I’ve used a few choice words in my life. You probably have too? However, when the wrong words appear on your resume, it sucks and could be damaging to your next career move. These suckie words are not of the four-letter variety. These words are very common. They are accepted. They cover the average resume with buzz worthy words badness. Hiring managers can identify sucky words in seconds, leaving your resume work worthless. So how do you write a wicked resume without the suck? How do you turn the wrong words into right? To help you land the job interview, here’s how to spin the 6 sucky resume words into skills that sizzle.
1. Responsible For
I frown when I read “Responsible For” on a resume. Of course you’re responsible for something. But, how many? How long? Who? What? When? Rather than waste the hiring manager’s time reading a vague list of responsibilities, be specific and back up your cited skills and accomplishments. Employers want the best that explains your accomplishments. Be specific to get the point across quickly. Prove you have the skills to get hired. The resume that avoids vague “responsibilities” and sticks to facts detailing skills, growth, reduced costs, and number of people managed, budget size, etc gets the job interview.
2. Experienced
Are you experienced? Rather than cite Jimi Hendrix on your resume, pleeease just say what your experience entails. Saying you’re experienced at something and giving the facts on that experience are two very different approaches.
3. Excellent written communication skills
Yes, I realize this isn’t a single word it’s rather a phrase. This phrase must die. It’s on most resumes. Is it on yours? If you’ve got writing skills, do say what you write and how you communicate. Are you writing email campaigns, marketing materials, or user documentation? Are you word smiting legal contracts, business plans, or proposing proposals? However you wrap your words, be sure to give the details.
4. Team Player
Are we playing football here? Unless you want to be benched with the other unemployed “team players” then get some hard facts behind your job pitch. If you want to make a touchdown then do explicitly say what teams you play on and qualify the teams’ achievements.
5. Detail Oriented
What does detail oriented mean? Give the specifics to the details with which you are oriented. Please, orient your reader to the details. If you have the details, do share them with the hiring manager. Give the facts, the numbers, the time lines, the dollar figure, and the quantitative data that sells your skills and disorients the competition.
6. Successful
Hopefully you only list the successes on your resume. So if everything is a success, then why write the s-word? Stick to showing your success by giving concrete examples of what you’ve done to be successful! Let your skills, qualifications, and achievements speak for you. When it comes to your successes, please don’t be shy. Boast your best, sing your praises, and sell your skills.
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