30 Words You Should Never Use in a Resume

A resume is a gateway for a great job. You can create a great first impression while seeking employment in front of the managers with your resume alone. In the queue of many job seekers, you need to stand out with your resume. On average, the hiring managers spend only 5 to 20 seconds while reviewing your resume. Thus, it would help if you are mindful of the words that you must add and the words to avoid in a resume.

While your resume needs to be attractive, it must also contain the information they want to see in the resume. Choosing a fancy or beautiful template is not enough to impress the hiring managers. Now, if you are thinking that how to make a resume, the first thing you need to know is you must be very mindful about what you are adding and how you are choosing your words while creating a professional resume to benefit your job search.

The first thing that you need to do to make an apt resume is to avoid resume writing mistakes. If your resume looks cool but is full of silly mistakes, you can’t make it suitable for the job you are applying to. Instead, you must be focused on creating an error-free resume, even though you stick to a basic looking one.

While there are words you must add to your resume, and there are words to avoid in the resume too. Here is a list of worst words to add to your resume and it will be better if you can avoid using them instead.

Here are 30 words to avoid in a resume and make it appropriate for your job search

1. Unemployed:

Though you are not currently working with any organization and the state of your current working situation merely is “unemployed”, but you still don’t need to use the word in your resume. When you are adding the working span in your previous organization, the hiring managers can find out themselves that you are not working at this moment and is unemployed.

2. Microsoft Office:

Everyone writing a resume to apply for a job tries to add as many skills as they van to their resume. While you alone or along with a professional resume writer, making your list of skills to be added to the resume, try to add skills that are relevant to the job profile you are applying for and not the ones which are not skills at all. Having a command upon Microsoft is not a skill.

3. Hard Worker:

Everyone who is applying for a job promise to work hard for the organization. Also, no one claims themselves to be not so hard working in their last job. Being hardworking is not a skill that you need to be proud of. Being diligent is an ethic that you must have in life, be it your job or your personal life. In the end, the employers need the given task to be completed, either you choose to work hard or work smart instead.

4. Creative:

This is one of the words to avoid in a resume as it can be replaced with something more soothing and useful, like “worked with a team of creative people.” Demanding to be someone creative is a bit more exaggerating.

5. Reference Available upon request:

This is an outdated term that is unnecessary at the same time. If the hiring managers feel that they must have some recommendations from your previous organization, they will ask for it. As per the modern resume writing rules, you don’t mention the term in your resume.

6. I, He, Him, Her:

You must not forget 1st or 3rd person words to avoid in a resume. It is you who have written the resume for yourself and not someone else. Thus, you don’t need to mention phrases like

 “I worked with….”

“I led a team…..” 

7. Expert:

Unless you indeed are an expert in something, you must refrain from using the phrase in your resume. But if you think that you must mention, you must also get prepared with answers to the questions regarding your expertise.

8. Can’t:

You must choose negative words to avoid in a resume. Your resume must demonstrate your skills and must mention things that you can do.

9. Responsible for:

If you are using an online resume builder and are being suggested with the term repeatedly in your resume to demonstrate your scope of work, then this is the high time you stop overusing the word.

10. Result Oriented:

Everyone is result oriented in an organization. You are hired and get paid to get some results for the organization.Thus, being result-oriented is pretty evident for all the job seekers. It is not a skill, and you can replace this term with suitable examples from your previous job experience in your cv writing.

11.  Highly Qualified:

There is not any parameter to justify the term ‘highly qualified.’ There are ample of skills available in this world which you don’t even know. Thus, being highly qualified is unrealistic and among the words to avoid in a resume.

12. Energetic:

You can’t measure your energy in ‘Horsepower’ in your resume. Thus energetic is a term you don’t need to use. You are energetic means absolutely nothing in the professional aspect facet.

13. Out of the box:

This is probably the phrases which have already bored the hiring managers. This phrase is overused, and if you are willing to demonstrate your creative thinking skill with the words, stop and replace the same with something better.

14. Savvy:

‘I am a tech-savvy’ or ‘internet savvy’ – these are the words to avoid in a resume if you want it to look like a professional one.

15. Smart:

Being smart is a personality trait, like being honest is a quality. Your resume must contain relevant information about you. Being smart is not a skill it is given and thus, it will be a smarter option you choose such words to avoid in a resume.

16. Professional:

You can only prove your professionalism once you are hired by an organization or maybe during the interview process. Thus, rather than being self-remarking about you being professional, let your hiring managers decide that.

17. Team Player:

It is hard to prove if you are a team player or not. This term is prevalent, and most of the resume carries this easy to say but hard to prove term. You must have some genuine example where you have worked in a team or have mentored a group of people. As per our resume writing tips, you can better choose some other action verb to replace the term.

18. Honesty:

Honesty is a virtue quality, and the hiring managers have to do nothing with a person who is honest by nature. This is especially the quality of the right people.

19. Punctual:

Punctuality is a professional characteristic that is expected from everyone in the workplace. Thus, if you value your own time, it is a better choice for you and you don’t need to showcase that.

20. Synergy:

This sounds like a trendy term. But your hiring managers can find this to one of the cv buzzwords to avoid. The use of specific action verbs in every place is a must-do thing while writing your resume. If you are “collaborating” or “interacting” with various departments, stick to using those terms only to clarify what you mean to say.

21. Intelligent:

Your intelligence can be tested only when you are dealing with some real-life challenges. The word deserves to be justified rather than just mentioned.

22. Influential:

Many words that you choose can have a negative impact too. This is among the words to avoid in a resume as the hiring managers can misinterpret this term to be challenging for the workplace.

23. Best of Breed:

The word sounds like an annoying one. This is not some club dog show winner we are talking about, but it is you who is being represented.

24. Communication Skills:

You need to have some validated parameters while you are trying to demonstrate any of your skills. While you use the word communication skills on your resume, it sounds to be very self-serving.

25. Talented:

The definition of talent varies from person to person. While something you claim to be your talent may be fundamental to someone else, on another hand, when you demand to have specific expertise, maybe not so required skill for the organization you are applying for. Isn’t it a better idea to let your organization and hiring managers to find you are talented through some examples?

26. Go-getter:

Don’t you think the term is a real cliché? The term is generally used to demonstrate that the job seeker is an initiative taker, but rather than using the term, you must be specific with some examples. Professional resume writing services will suggest you write examples that are way much persuasive than using any word.

27. Strategic Thinker:

Being able to think strategically can help you to have a better life for yourself. Thus, if you are blessed with the skill or have achieved that, it’s a great thing for you and not for the hiring managers to know until you can prove it.

28. Dynamic:

Being dynamic is more a personality trait than a skill to be added to your resume. There is no way you can follow to prove your outgoing personality in your resume. If you think that your dynamic nature can help the organization somehow, try to demonstrate some examples.

29. Detail Oriented:

This is one of the most suggested words to avoid in a resume. You can demonstrate the skill in your resume itself by arranging your resume information in a proper way, rather than just using the phrase. You can use more polished words instead and can also give some examples for the same from your previous work experiences.

30. Bottom Line:

The hiring managers want to know about your achievements in the previous organization. Instead of using the term bottom line, try to quantify your progress in the last organization.

Source: 30 words to avoid in a resume

185 Action Verbs Use In Resume To Make Your Resume Stand Out In The Crowd

Action verbs are the must-have in your resume to make your resume stand out in the crowd of many.

While the powerful verbs for resume work as the affirmations of what you promise to be in an organization, they also can improve the credibility of your resume in front of the employers.

You try to make your resume look attractive and put all the effort to make it the game changer for your career fate. But check once, do your bullets still start with

Managed…

Handled…

Or the same tedious and tiring words?

If yes, then, you need to become a little creative and choose appropriate and powerful verbs for resume. Whatever be the achievement that you want to show off in your resume, here is the list of 185 action verbs to make your resume more exciting.

Where Are Action Verbs Used to Show Accomplishments in Resume?

Your entire resume is all about showing up the skills and achievements that you have bagged in your previous professional trail. Taken from your graduation to your last job and from the certifications that you have chosen to do extra to the awards which are enough to show the managerial skills you want to add them all to attract the hiring managers.

Write all the achievements that you have got to show to the hiring managers in your resume in bullet points to make them readable, look more attractive and organized. But where to put the action verbs?

At the beginning of every sentence of each of the bullet points, you can use the action verbs accordingly, which can help you to establish the authenticity of the statements that you are saying about yourself and who knows that the hiring managers can be a little more impressed by your appropriate choice of words.

What Are the Top and Most Effective Action Verbs Which Can Be Used in Your Resume?

Action Verbs to Demonstrate your work Ethics:

As professional job seekers, you must have individual work ethics. While taking up initiatives comes under your work ethic also completing the given task is also one of the work ethics that the hiring managers expect to see in you.

Here is the list of powerful verbs for a resume that can help you to show how ethical are you towards your responsibility.

1. Achieved

2. Advanced

3. Amplified

4. Established

5. Exceeded

6. Discerned

7. Expanded

8.Enhanced

9. Delivered

10. Generated

11. Gained

12. Boosted

13. Improved

14. Sustained

15. Maximized

16. Stimulated

17. Surpassed

18. Steered

19. Capitalized

20. Endeavored

Action Verbs to demonstrate that you have achieved something:

Professional resume writers can help you to stand out to some extent. The achievements that you choose to mention in your resume show that you have not only reached the goals that you were given in your previous organizations but have also exceeded the level of expectations and bagged successes.

21. Accomplished

22. Reached

23. Assembled

24. Accelerated

25. Finalized

26. Guided

27. Initiated

28. Developed

29. Simplified

30. Produced

31. Expedited

32. Volunteered

33. Instituted

34. Forged

35. Increased

36. Furthered

37. Showcased

38. Earned

39. Completed

40. Awarded

Powerful Verbs for Resume to Demonstrate that you were a person with excellent research skills:

Whether you are a research and development professional or not, every work responsibility takes precise or in-depth analysis for excellence. It is not enough how skilled a person you are; you need to keep yourself updated while researching continuously about your segment and relevant topics. These action verbs can be used while mentioning your research skills in your CV writing.

41. Investigated

42. Researched

43. Calculated

44. Analyzed

45. Explored

46. Discovered

47. Examined

48. Identified

49. Forecasted

50. Audited

51. Evaluated

52. Assessed

53. Interpreted

54. Quantified

55. Measured

56. Surveyed

57. Tested

58. Qualified

59. Mapped

60. Inspected

61. Classified

62. Diversified

Action Verbs to show that you have excellent writing or communication skills on your resume:

Communication and writing skills can be an add on to your resume. Through using the proper action verbs before those skills, you can demonstrate that not only that you have a certain set of skills or have an opinion, but you also have enough capability to implement your skills if needed.

For example, if you have written the HR policy for your organization, you can choose “Documented” to be the word.

63. Composed

64. Performed

65. Spoke

66. Trained

67. Briefed

68. Authored

69. Convinced

70. Conveyed

71. Defined

72. Counseled

73. Documented

74. Edited

75. Promoted

76. Reviewed

77. Publicized

78. Collaborated

79. Enlightened

80. Presented

81. Published

82. Lobbied

83. Proofread

84. Illustrated

85. Conceptualized

86. Drafted

87. Diagramed

88. Translated

89. Intensified

90. Visualized

91. Wrote

92. Described

Powerful Verbs for Resume to show your customer satisfaction skills:

Customer satisfaction is the ultimate goal of every organization. Be it the previous organization where you have worked so far, or the new one which you are applying for; everyone will expect their employees to understand the importance of customer satisfaction.

If you already had attained the trait, use particular and powerful verbs for resume.

93. Educated

94. Advised

95. Advocated

96. Informed

97. Coached

98. Resolved

Powerful Verbs for Resume to Show that you have helped the organization in saving money, time and other resources:

Saving money, time or resources can increase the profitability of a company. If you have improved your organization in doing so with your excellency, don’t let thewords to avoid in resume reduce its credibility. Here are some of the action verbs for the purpose.

99. Decreased

100. Conserved

101. Reserved

102. Deducted

103. Lessened

104. Reduced

105. Yielded

106. Consolidated

107. Reconciled

Powerful Verbs for Resumeto show that you have improved something within the organization:

Improvement is a daily process within an organization and is not a goal. Thus, it is also possible that you have achieved a certain level of improvement within the company. If you have done so, you must let your hiring managers know about it by using these action verbs.

108. Influenced

109. Benefited

110. Redesigned

111. Refined

112. Modified

113. Corrected

114. Checked

115. Customized

116. Clarified

117. Centralized

118. Refocused

119. Reorganized

120. Revamped

121. Revitalized

122. Replaced

123. Rehabilitated

124. Standardized

125. Simplified

126. Updated

127. Merged

128. Overhauled

129. Restructured

130. Transformed

131. Updated

132. Upgraded

133. Streamlined

134. Strengthened

135. Augmented

Powerful Verbs for Resume to show that you have managed a team:

Team management is a quality you can count on in your resume. Either you have managed a team of 10 or maybe 100, the professional resume writing services will always suggest you mention that to your resume. If you were pro at managing your team and make them perform and achieve goals, we have a set of action verbs which you can use for the segment in your resume.

136. Guided

137. Hired

138. Inspired

139. Motivated

140. Directed

141. Cultivated

142. Mentored

143. United

144. Aligned

145. Fostered

146. Supervised

147. Shaped

148. Recruited

149. Facilitated

150. Mobilized

151. Brainstormed

152. Empowered

153. Leveraged

154. Enforced

PowerfulVerbs for Resume for Managerial Positions:

Action verbs can go wrong if not used ideally. The choice of your action verbs may also vary according to the position you were in your previous job responsibility. If you are looking for some higher positioned job and have already served the former organization as one, create a visual resume and use these action verbs wherever needed.

155. Arranged

156. Championed

157. Integrated

158. Ensured

159. Endorsed

160. Renovated

161. Founded

162. Predicted

163. Enabled

164. Partnered

165. Navigated

166. Secured

167. Acquired

168. Forged

169. Planned

170. Programed

171. Envisioned

Powerful Verbs for Resume to Use When You Have Led A Project In The Organization:

If you have been in charge of managing some projects in your previous organization, you need to know what are the action verbs that you can use apart from just “Led”.

172. Executed

173. Headed

174. Generated

175. Operated

176. Chaired

177. Planned

Powerful Verbs for Resumeto Use When You Have Brought A Project to Life:

Not necessarily only the founders and the board members of an organization got all the responsibilities to initiate something for the well being of the company. If you being an employee have been succeeded or got an opportunity to do so, choose these action verbs proudly to mention them all to your resume.

178. Formed

179. Built

180. Devised

181. Formulated

182. Implemented

183. Pioneered

184. Launched

185. Introduced

Resume Writing TipsUsing the Action Verbs and Let Your Resume Shine Manifold:

Here you have resume writing tips using the 185 action verbs that gives your resume a boost and enhance the credibility. But that doesn’t mean that you can pick any of the above lists to any place.

• Make sure that the action verb you are choosing to use must make sense and adds meaning to the sentences you are writing.
• Don’t select so many action verbs together within a single sentence.
• Take care of the tense of the action verb while placing it in a sentence. If you are still working with an organization, you can use the present continuous tense of the action verb too.

Source: 185 Powerful Verbs for Resume to Make Your Resume Stand Out

How to Quantify a Summary of Accomplishments on Your Resume

You will not be surprised to know that many times the applicants are rejected based on their resume alone. The accomplishments on a resume are the first thing to reach to the company you are applying for, even before you want to meet the hiring managers in real and convince them. Thus, your resume needs to do the utmost for you and build the utmost credibility of your skills in front of the interviewers.

I am not trying to scare you at all. Instead, I am trying to teach you that you need to seek the attention of the hiring managers, and you must choose to go to any extent to do so. When you are trying quantifying the accomplishments on resume for a job, adding the numbers to your resume can help your application to get noticed.

For example, if you are working in sales, you can list the quantity of how you exceeded the goal given to you to impress the hiring managers.

Why is it important to add accomplishments on the resume through numbers?

If you want to have the answer to the ‘why’ here, then the first thing I would like to add is because its important. Accomplishments on resume demonstrated through numbers are easy to be seen by employers while going through your resume. The numbers can demonstrate your achievements in a better way to the employers and it becomes easy for them to decide how efficient you can be for an organization.

Adding numbers to your resume is a piece of evidence that you have accomplished some legitimate achievements in your previous job and entire career. If I say that all your achievements must be measured and quantified, then I will be wrong. Because it is quite not possible for any jobseeker to quantify all the performances. But trust me you can try the same with most of them.

While quantifying your accomplishments on a resume or putting them on your resume, you need to prioritize which numbers are significant and can become the foremost game changer for your career.

Including numbers for accomplishments on resume?

If you are till now convinced with the importance of adding numbers on your resume but not finding the appropriate way to add the numbers to your resume, then don’t worry. The resume writing tips help you to go through the key skills required by the organization, the keywords that will help your resume to rank faster in the list.

1. Choose the exact factor (s): Now if you have achieved some quantifiable numbers or achievements in those segments, then you are already a winner. It would help you to avoid resume writing mistakes if you can also find out the suitable factors for measuring success for your department or previous job role. There can be multiple factors like

·   Enhanced user experience

·   Better Customer ratings

·   Cost-saving

·   Augmenting sales

·   Customer Retention

·   Cost reduction

·   Customer satisfaction

·   Response time and many more

You need to be very focused while choosing the factors to show the accomplishments on a resume, which can impact your career the most. The next thing you can do is to select the time frame of the achievement. The time frame can be a year, a quarter, or even a month.

2. Choose the perfect action words: While numbers are going to help you to the maximum extent, choosing the ideal action words are equally important. Use action verbs in a resume like enhanced, Uplifted, augmented, reduced, increased, expanded, added, eliminated, enlarged. They can help you to start better quantifying your achievements.

3. Include some “how-to” causes: It is not only essential to quantify your achievements, but adding some reference to how you achieved what you got impact your resume writing more.

Like if you want to mention your communication skills on your resume differently, then state that you have exceeded the sales target by 15% the way that,

“Increased the sales by 15% after implementing my enhanced communication skills with elite customers and promoting privilege benefit program”

Adding some cause to the statement helps the hiring managers to understand your bits of intelligence and choices of looking at and doing certain things.

4. Writing a resume with bullet points: If you have been working with the same organization for a long time now and you have various achievements within the same organization. You want to demonstrate them all in your resume, choose to have bullet points rather than writing them in some other ways.

After writing your job title and job responsibilities, you can add another subpoint named as an achievement to add those accomplishments on a resume so far.

Bullet points are easy to read and understand, and you don’t need to add long paragraphs to showcase your achievements. You can also add certification in your resume through bullets. You don’t owe any explanation but need to keep your interviewer informed about those achievements. You will get a chance to talk about those during your interview if they need to know more.

5. Choose the better scale: While writing and quantifying the accomplishments on a resume, you need to be very cautious about choosing your scale. Scales in percentage are always better to make the achievement sounds to be real. But it would help if you were very sure that all you are speaking is fact and is not fictitious.

While you talk about growing the overall revenue of the organization, you need to be approximately sure about the total existing revenue of the organization and what it was before you contributed to that.

6. Provide context to the numbers: It is not enough to add numbers to quantify results always. Some numbers are not necessary unless they are compared with others. Taking the monthly sales to 5,00000 is not that clear unless you say from where it started.

Stating the sentence, the way “bolstering the sales from 0 to 5,00000 a month” sound to be more accomplishing and impactful.

7. Put the essential numbers on the top: For example, if you had to work with an organization where you needed to manage 75 employees as a whole and managed the budget of 1.2 crores. It is always better to write your achievements in the way:

·   Managed a team of 75 employees

·   Managed the budget up to 1.2 crore

Takeaway: If you want an informative resume make sure that cv whatever the numbers you choose to mention to your resume be accurate and can be backed by references if required. If you are cynical about how you make the perfect resume with numbers and measurements, you can always seek the help of professional resume writing services.

Source: How to Quantify your Accomplishments on Resume to Enhance Competence?