In today's tough economy, it is imperative to revitalize your résumé by deleting superfluous words and start adding eye-catching words that will make hiring managers do a double take. Duncan Mathison, career consultant and co-author of "Unlock the Hidden Job Market: 6 Steps to a Successful Job Search," gave some exciting insights and tips on how to break away from being just another average candidate in a pool with thousands of others claiming to be "hard workers." Mathison exclaims, "If it does not pass the 'So what, anybody can make that claim' test, leave it off [the résumé]."
Mathison first suggests scanning your résumé and looking for words that can be overused and redundant, as well as words that suggest "unsupported claims of greatness," such as claiming to be "an excellent manager." The top ten words that should be taken out of résumés are: 1. Outstanding 2. Effective 3. Strong 4. Exceptional 5. Good 6. Excellent 7. Driven 8. Motivated 9. Seasoned and 10. Energetic. You may consider yourself to be an 'excellent team player,' but how will your new employer know that?
Instead of using those ten meaningless words, Mathison suggests a better route to captivate your potential employer. "Give specific, and preferably quantifiable, accounts of what you've done that makes you, [for example], an outstanding salesperson," he states. Also, some words, such as the ten above, should be avoided due to the fact that they may imply traits that hiring managers view as standard for anyone who wants to be hired. Instead, boost your résumé with these ten eye-catching words: 1. Created 2. Increased 3. Reduced 4. Improved 5. Developed 6. Researched 7. Accomplished 8. Won 9. On time and 10. Under budget.
One helpful tip that Susan Ach, a career counselor at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, suggests for all résumé writers is to include action words to describe past employment. "Verbs project the image of someone who has the background and the initiative to get things done. Think about it: If you were hiring, would you rather take on someone who calls himself a 'productive manager' or somebody who states that at his last job he 'increased company profit by three percent'?" states Ach. Lastly, she recommends incorporating nouns and verbs that relate to your specific career. By doing so, employers will be able to identify that you are qualified and familiar with the "language" of that specific industry.
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