The JobSync Blog
Seven Words You Don't Want to See on a Resume
November 29, 2011
As a recruiter or hiring manager, you have probably become attuned to "power" words that appear on resumes. Such words convey a sense of confidence, competence, and comprehensiveness, and while their increasingly widespread use may not always necessarily distinguish candidates, they don’t necessarily harm them either. However, there are other frequently used words that do undermine job applicants’ resumes.
And for recruiter Mark Babbitt, there are seven such words on a resume that compel him to disqualify the candidate. As he points out in a blog piece, the following words convey a lack of effort, leadership, and self-assurance and should give recruiters and hiring managers a cause for concern:
1. Approximately. The last thing a company wants to see is someone who lacks knowledge of their achievements. And use of this word seems especially silly when appearing with “detail-oriented” in the same resume.
2. Assisted. Companies like leaders and doers. Yes, with the exception of a CEO, all employees assist in some way, but candidates should spell out specifically what they did in previous jobs.
3. Attempted. Would you prefer to hire an achiever or an attempter? That’s what we thought...
4. Team player. Who doesn't like a team player? But what will a team player do for your company? A savvy candidate will spell out how their collaborative spirit brought success for their employer and their colleagues.
5. Implemented. Similar to “assisted,” all employees implement on some level. What’s more important, however, is that they also implement projects that they conceive and design themselves in addition to those being handed by their superiors for them to execute.
6. Professional. Is it really necessary for applicants to spell this out? Do they really assume recruiters and hiring managers will jump to the conclusion that they weren’t professional unless they indicate it in writing?
7. Hopefully. Yes, the job market and economy are tough. But rather than showing that they are full of hope, candidates can help themselves far more by emphasizing that they are full of confidence.
What words leave you feeling deflated when you see them on a resume?
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