Hello There,

Recent research results published by LinkedIn revealed the top 10 most used words in resumé writing. We have gone through the words, and it’s a shocker how guilty we all are on using these words. We are pretty sure you are guilty too.

Today, we would reveal what the words are, and how they can be replaced without being removed from our resume.

The overused words are:

1. Extensive Experience
2. Innovative
3. Motivated
4. Result-Oriented
5. Dynamic
6. Proven track record
7. Team Player
8. Fast-paced
9. Problem Solver
10. Entrepreneurial

 

While these words are overused in our resumé writing, you need to understand that there is nothing wrong with these words. They are good words/phrases that describe characteristics most employers want in the staff they eventually hire. However, you do not want your resumé to appear generic, among a pile of numerous resumés.

So, at this point, you would be tempted to ask, “What do I do about them?” . The obvious answer is to replace the words with synonyms, but the problem with that option is that most times, it’s pretty obvious. Instead, you could create your own euphemisms.

A Euphemism is often used to hide unpleasant or displeasing ideas. However, there is another important aspect about euphemisms that people overlook; a euphemism only has meaning to people familiar to their context.

So, thinking through it, a well-used euphemism would successfully hide overused resume words and phrases that appear in a resumé. Consider the following replacements we suggest for the overused words we highlighted earlier:

1. ‘Extensive experience  could be replaced with ‘Expertise’

2. ‘Innovative’ could be replaced with ‘Acknowledged for creating new and alternative ideas’

3. ‘Motivated’ could be replaced with ‘Fast learner and driven to action’

4. ‘Result-oriented’ could be replaced with ‘consistently delivers business results’

5. ‘Dynamic’ could be replaced with ‘Strong influence skills’

6. ‘Proven track record’ could be replaced with ‘Demonstrated success’

7. ‘Team Player’ could be replaced with ‘adapt to ever-changing situations’

8. ‘Fast Paced’ could be replaced with ‘High Performance Culture’

9. ‘Problem Solving Skills’ could be replaced with ‘Demonstrated ability to identify and troubleshoot critical issues’

10. ‘Entrepreneurial’ could be replaced with ‘Take on significant accountability’

Although the replacement phrases might seem cryptic in nature initially, the proposed employer would be able to deduce these important characteristics from these euphemisms. Also note that to some of you, the replacement phrases might seem subtle or obvious, so feel free to replace them or fine-tune them to your taste. Not only would your resumé stand out among others, but also the resumé would seem “catchy” and “impressive” to the human resource personnel that would go through your resumé.

 

Yours Sincerely,

PushCV Content Team.