Your resume is basically a tiny space in which you are expected to fit your entire professional profile as clearly and as convincingly as possible. Unfortunately, when trying to make a resume that stands out, people have a habit of opting for corporate-sounding buzzwords that they think hiring managers want to hear, rather than simply describing their accomplishments.
Here are 3 terms that recruiting managers are tired of seeing on resumes & as a job seeker, you are better off describing what you actually did that represents them than using them. Here we go…
I am “Results-driven”
Okay, GREAT but so is every other degree holder on this pile of 2,000 resumes I need to screen by Friday!! What I want you to tell me is the specific task you took on, what the goals were and how you delivered against those goals—oh and they better be in line with the current job you are applying for because successfully organizing 2 million names in a database has nothing to do with work-place conflict resolution. KEEP it specific & relevant.
I am “highly creative”
Oh really? Then why was it too hard for you to get creative with how you make this point without stating the obvious? For example; simply tell me about the great things you have created & what makes them special like in the case of an administrator; you could have developed interactive user manuals as opposed to the normal booklets. This is a highly creative & uncommon approach to a common task.
I am “highly motivated”
By what? Because a lazy cat can be motivated to run if you light its tail on fire; a lazy employee can be motivated to step up their game if their salary was tied to specific accomplishments. So the modern day recruiter wants to know exactly what motivates you and why not just that you are motivated.
There is a long list of phrases that 80% of job seekers regurgitate; in fact most resumes look a lot alike thanks to the copy &paste culture today. Uniformity will make it hard for you to stand out. Strive to be different. Let your resume land on the recruiter’s desk with a level of weirdness that makes them pay attention. Avoid the “same old” presentation.
Good luck
