TIPS: Overused Resume Words

By Frances Chaves
You want your resume to shine, right? Here are the top words that the experts think should be avoided.
This is LinkedIn’s list of the 10 top buzzwords in U.S. professionals’ profiles in 2012:
1.            Creative
2.            Organizational
3.            Effective
4.            Motivated
5.            Extensive experience
6.            Track record
7.            Innovative
8.            Responsible
9.            Analytical
10.          Problem solving
Ways to avoid these overused buzzwords? Get more creative!
Jessica Holbrook Hernandez recommends replacing these hackneyed phrases as follows:
1)      Detail-oriented:  Be specific about how you made a difference.
2)      Proven experience or skilled in: Instead say that you developed and implemented XYZ.
3)      Familiar with or knowledgeable in: Sounds like you really don’t know much about it. If you’ve got it, flaunt it…
4)      Successfully demonstrates: Replace with action-oriented verbs and measurable results.
5)      Results-driven or results-oriented: Provide information about the results themselves.
Forbes doesn’t like these phrases:
1)      Team Leader: Doesn’t really describe the relationship; be more specific.
2)      Effective Communicator: Again be more specific about your communication style and why it was effective.
3)      Coordinated. Used by people who can’t say they were “in charge” or “responsible for.”
4)      Innovator Thinker: I love this quote: “Companies and organizations don’t hire thinkers. They hire experienced doers.”
5)      Pro-actively: Means you did your job which isn’t what interests employers; they want to know how you exceeded the job requirements.
Polish up your resume by replacing these words and phrases with language that addresses your accomplishments clearly and with quantified results. And don’t forget to work in the keywords from the job description.