8 Words and Phrases to Ban from Your Job Applications

Need to update your resume? Take this opportunity to review the terminology used and eliminate all those pre-formatted expressions, often meaningless, that recruiters can no longer stand to see in application files. Here are 8 clichés that impress no one and that you should eliminate as quickly as possible if you want to be credible.

1. "Negotiable Salary"
Don't waste a line on your resume stating the obvious! However, if the desired amount of compensation is not negotiable, do not indicate it on your resume; it would be a shame to deprive yourself of an opportunity that could ultimately interest you...

2. "References Available Upon Request"
Another obvious statement that doesn't deserve to appear on your resume.

3. "In charge of ______"
Having been in charge of a task or mission does not mean that you carried it out successfully, let alone that you excelled! Prefer sentence structures that imply the importance of your participation in the project's success: you ensured 'the management of a mission', 'the management of a project'...

4. "Experience in the field of ______"
Experience is something that happened to you - not something you accomplished! Describe your background in terms of successes and tangible contributions to the success of a project.

5. "Detail-oriented"
So, you pay attention to detail? Like everyone else, in short! Don't you have other strengths to highlight to recruiters, which will really allow you to stand out from other candidates?

6. "Strong work ethic"
Don't say it, show it! Everyone can boast of having a strong work ethic.... You will convince your reader by describing the contexts in which your strong work ethic benefited your employer, using concrete details!

7. "Team player"
Don't say it, show it, again. There are very few positions that don't require working together with others. Give examples of successful collaborations in your resume. Specify the types of teams you have worked with, and how this helped achieve results.

8. "Proactive"
Another buzzword that has had its day. There is no need to specify to your potential future employer that you are not part of the waiting (pro-passive?) family and that you don't need anyone to move forward, propose, and act. Unless you prove it by arguing and highlighting what, in this area, is really to your... credit! 


Posted on September 3, 2011.

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