Avoiding the red flag words on your resume

Some words and phrases are guaranteed to make a hiring manager or recruiter yawn and roll their eyes. Uninspiring, cliched, pretty much meaningless, they look as if they’ve been copied and pasted from an out-of-date manual. In fact, they’re more likely to work against you than for you.

Here are some examples of what makes your resume look tired, dated and boring:

“I’m an analytical problem-solver”
“I work well under pressure.”
“I’m a goal-oriented team player”

Employers expect that candidates understand the importance of working in a team, and most assume their employees can solve problems through logic and analysis, rather than relying on intuition. So describing yourself with these attributes is a bit like saying you can get up for work on time.

Here are some more examples of words and phrases which raise the red flag:

creative
flexible
self-starter
motivated
results-driven
people person

So what can you write to show that you are, in fact, results-driven or creative, without resorting to cliche?

1. Make good use of your professional profile or summary

Show your value right from the start of your resume by incorporating concrete details of your accomplishments and abilities.

Example for a sales manager: “Customer-focussed, tenacious sales manager with stellar record of consistently exceeding sales targets by 20% in new markets.”

Increase the “wow” factor by making your profile relevant to the target role or industry. Use keywords (from the job ad or which are specific to the industry) to position yourself to the particular demands of the role.

2. Use quantifiable accomplishments in your career history or Key achievements section

Instead of “responsible for selling books into new markets” show your impact on the bottom line with something like “Increased book sales by 25% in two new market segments.”

Be specific about how what you did got results. So rather than just saying you increased sales, say how much you increased them by using a percentage or monetary figure.

Provide a succinct results-based illustration of your responsibilities, instead of just listing them. For example, rather than using the word “creative” as in “Wrote creative copy for sales materials” go one step further and show the result of your work: “Wrote engaging copy for brochures to increase sales leads by 40%.”

3. Make your words pack a punch

Certain accomplishments are important in practically all industry sectors. If you have succeeded in increasing sales, profits or efficiency; reducing costs, overheads or waste; or improving quality, processes or staff retention, then make sure you mention them.

Eliminate repetitive use of “I” by using action words to bullet point your achievements. Use verbs such as supervise, manage, spearhead, guide, plan, co-ordinate, achieve, increase, expand, restructure, design, build and create. Include descriptive adjectives such as pivotal, key, strategic and crucial.

By choosing your words carefully to reflect your value and achievements, you can avoid the mundane and over-used – and create a more impressive resume.

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