10 words to remove from your resume

Are you sure your resume is not working against you? It would seem, how is this possible? After all, you have correctly stated everything – experience, education, and skills. But it turns out that you can overdo it: some of the popular words and phrases in the resume are best avoided, as they cause negative emotions in recruiters. Here is a list of stop words – rather, remove them from your resume so they don’t hold back your fast-paced career.

Outgoing? Are you resistant to stress? Tell it differently!

Let’s start with the words “sociable” and “stress-resistant”. They are so common that they look hackneyed and pointless, recruiters say.

If you really know how to get along with different people and work in difficult situations, try to describe these qualities differently. Let’s say you are a PR manager – among your achievements, indicate that you have established friendly partnerships with many media, including the federal level. In the section “Key skills”, it is worth remembering your mastery of anti-crisis PR methods – this in itself indicates your stress resistance and ability to negotiate. Thus, you do not just communicate your qualities, but immediately confirm them.

Recruiters should not be taught life!

“Don’t call from 9 to 18”, “Don’t offer low wages”, “Don’t bother recruiting agencies” – these phrases should also be removed from the resume. No matter how much you want to protect yourself from uninteresting offers or calls at the wrong time when looking for a job, it is better to tune in to a positive wave and demonstrate friendliness and openness. Even if a recruiter’s call during working hours is objectively inconvenient for you (for example, you are still working in the same place and do not want to advertise your searches), it is better to pick up the phone and, apologizing, say that now you cannot talk. HR professionals understand the awkwardness of these situations well, so you can easily negotiate a more convenient time to talk.

Forget about easy learning!

We advise you to remove the words “easy to learn” from your resume – according to recruiters, most often these words are written when there is nothing more to say.

This phrase is especially surprising in the resume of specialists with 7-10 years of experience – after all, it would seem that by this time the applicant had long passed the stage of an internship. Of course, at a new job, any specialist will first get involved, but this is not a study, but just an adaptation.

Even if you are yesterday’s student, it is better to convey the information that new knowledge and skills are easy for you to convey to the employer differently, immediately confirming it. For example, tell them that you graduated with honors or are fluent in English. No clear academic achievement? Just delete the phrase about easy learning.

I love cats … I want a lot of money …

“I want / love / have …” – these verbs also have no place in a resume, especially in a distant context from a specific position: “I have an apartment and two children”; “I love people in most of their manifestations, but still a little more cats”; “I want to be a leader.” Such phrases do not matter in terms of assessing your skills and raise doubts about your adequacy.

I can do everything! What exactly?

Phrases like “I am the best”, “I can do everything”, etc. send a clear signal to the recruiter: the candidate has problems with self-esteem, he cannot name his main professional skills. Such an applicant is unlikely to be invited for an interview. We delete this from the summary.

How much money is a lot?

“Big salary”, “A lot of money” are also superfluous words in the resume that work against the candidate, raising doubts about its adequacy. If you are applying for positions with a high salary, please indicate specific numbers in the “Salary expectations” field.

Beauty vs. professionalism

You should not write about your “presentable appearance” or “external attractiveness”. For most jobs, the unearthly beauty of a candidate is far less important than their skills. And if you are applying for a position where it matters (for example, a photo model or an actor/actress), then it is better to attach a photo or portfolio to your resume.

I know how to use a stapler

It makes no sense to report in a resume about completely obvious things, for example, about the ability to use office equipment or about your high responsibility. Nowadays, few candidates for office positions do not know how to approach a computer or phone, so do not waste time on empty words.

No mistakes and exclamations

Now When we have crossed out everything unnecessary from the resume, we will check it for literacy – spelling and punctuation errors do not belong in the resume of a good specialist. Then we will remove all unnecessary exclamation marks: the resume is an official document, so there is hardly a place for emotions in it.

Ready? Send! Good luck with your job search!