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If you’re reading this article, you’ve probably reached that time of your life when you need to start looking for another job. Even if the economy hasn’t fully recovered yet from the recession, it’s not the end of the world. To stand out, you need to get a little creative and stop using those clichés recruiters know by heart and probably avoid.
1. Possesses motivational, leadership and other impressive but common skills
I have used this phrase so much in my past applications that it became a catchphrase I learned by heart. It came to mean very little due to most of people overusing it and I soon realized it didn’t help me at all. Instead, try thinking of other ways to expressing your qualities or simply give real-life examples of how you applied these skills in your past positions.
o stand out, you need to get a little creative and stop using those clichés recruiters know by heart and probably avoid. Your resume is your first and most important marketing tool and here are some words to stop using for a more competitive resume.Click To Tweet2. Assisted with, served as
It might seem like the obvious choice when it comes to describing your tasks for a certain position but it’s certainly not the best. Assistance means you had a secondary role, assisting your supervisor or manager. Instead, write what you actually did, what was your part in the time, what were your exact tasks.
3. Proven track record
This is probably one of those phrases that it’s getting too old too soon. It’s very vague unless you’re adding something on top of that. So for a greater impact, add figures, percentages, and clear activities that justify your skills.
4. Team player
It was probably one of the most common words found in positive reviews 10 years ago but now it has well passed its prime. Try replacing this term with modern words such as “team environment”, “follow leadership directives” or talk about how you contributed to the team.
5. Good communicator
As with other phrases in our list, this one is too very vague and expresses very little. Do you talk a lot with your colleagues or do they understand what you say? To better convey your qualities, try to split them into more specific traits: multilingual communicator, familiar with programmer jargon, and so on.
An excellent 'How-To Guide' for practicing the key skills that will help you identify and overcome communication barriers
6. Successfully
For me, this is the hardest word to avoid, but the most necessary as well. I’m always looking for an adjective to add in my phrases and I often get stuck on this one. “Successfully” should strengthen a description but it does not – it’s unnecessary and often implied by the context. If you weren’t successful in a task, you wouldn’t have put it in
7. Extensive experience
Instead of some vague words, how about you try actually saying how many years of experience you possess in a certain domain? Avoid this cliché and start detailing your experience with facts and figures.
Bonus tip: Here are some more personal phrases to replace or skip altogether: young, energetic, youthful, athletic, dynamic, innovative, motivated, fit, healthy, professional appearance, mature, responsible for, fast-paced.
What are some clichés you are trying to avoid in
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