You Should Delete These Words Off Your Résumé (And Use These Instead)

Whether you’re looking to switch career paths, find a better job, or break into the professional world after graduation, a carefully crafted, thoughtful résumé is key to landing your next big thing. But when it comes to writing such a résumé, well, it can be something of a science.

Because résumés are meant to broadcast information to potential employers, sometimes our focus gets stuck on things like formatting and getting the dates of our past work experience right. But just as important as the details themselves are good writing and sharp keywords that will make that recruiter want to pick up the phone and bring you in for an interview.

So what exactly do recruiters and hiring managers want to see? To be sure, this will vary significantly depending on your industry and ideal career, but one thing is certain: There are some words that you want to avoid, and others that you want to make sure you include.

Start by making a list of keywords from your target job posting and work them into your résumé. Once you've done that, give your résumé a facelift, snipping redundant, empty words and swapping them out with sharp, powerful ones that will leave your reader feeling energized and intrigued.

We spoke with Alisha Miranda of #alishainthebiz, author of Surviving Job Loss: A Millennial's Guide to Unemployment, who coaches women and young people on career pathing, technology leadership, and professional development. Miranda sheds some more light on which résumé words to nix and which to play up, so that you can send off your résumé with confidence.

Miranda advises deleting all words that are empty descriptives, such as 'maven' or 'ninja' or any other tongue-in-cheek phrase that isn’t a real title or professional descriptor. Too often, our vocabularies get saturated by meaningless buzzwords, and they can creep into our CV and cover letters, but these words often make a reader’s eyes glaze over. The risk with using them is that you might not be taken seriously — after all, empty fluff on your CV is never a good look.

Beyond this, Miranda says to avoid terms that could take away credibility from your application. "Don't include words like 'junior' that show your weaknesses," Miranda says, adding that doing so could serve to downplay your qualification for the role. "Instead of saying you're the lowest on the totem pole, show how you 'contributed', 'supported' or 'served' in the best interests of an employer."

Seb Morgan, careers expert at CV Genius, saying speaking in the first person too should be dropped. "Starting every sentence with 'I' makes for tedious reading and conveys poor communication skills."

He says: "Every sentence appears to start in the same way and so the employer has to read closely to appreciate the full breadth of your skills and achievements. Instead, start each sentence with a verb that's worth its real estate: for example, 'Managed the meeting calendars of 10 members of the marketing team'. By capitalising 'managed', a high-value action verb, you draw the employer's eye to your achievements, making your achievements stand out at first glance."

Conversely, one of the best things you can do is to use language that sounds like a solution or action. In other words, use your CV to show, not tell.

Miranda recommends including words like 'built', 'produced' or 'managed' to demonstrate leadership and independence. If you can describe a time when you were the 'first' person to make something new happen at work, this will also help you stand out as an innovative and dedicated employee.

Another way to make your CV pop is to include words that reflect strong personal and professional values. Instead of saying you are a 'team player', Miranda recommends weaving in words that demonstrate this is part of your work ethic, such as 'collaboration', 'partnership' or 'dependable'. It’s easy to say you work well with others; it’s another thing to prove this is the case.

Morgan says the best vocabulary for your CV depends on the opportunity you're pursuing, so you should take tips with a pinch of salt and apply them to your specific industry to see how you can adapt advice. However, he believes universally it's important to add "concise sentences [because they] make any application more compelling by presenting your achievements in straightforward soundbites.

"Personally, I've found this formula to be the most impactful: [Achieved X] in [Y timeframe] by [taking X action]. For example: 'Grew page impressions by 45% in six months through A/B testing of SEO practices.' That might sound a bit Spartan to some, but it's what employers will want to see — a quick, scannable summary of why they should hire you. Trust your accomplishments to speak for themselves, and don't bury them in fancy sentence structures."

Ultimately, your CV gives others their first impression and will determine your chances at snagging a new job. If you’re feeling stuck and aren’t sure of your strengths, Miranda recommends asking someone you trust for help. "If you're having a hard time coming up with words to describe your best employable self, ask friends, peers or coworkers how they would describe you," Miranda adds. "Then work that into your CV."