The Best And Worst Words To Use On Your Résumé

One recent study showed that recruiters spend all of 6.25 seconds looking at a candidate’s résumé before deciding whether he or she is fit for a job. A new survey of 2,200 hiring managers and human resource staffers by jobs website CareerBuilder shows that your résumé may get a bit more time before being cast aside. While some 17% of hiring managers said they spend 30 seconds or less, 68% said they scan a résumé for as long as two minutes before putting it aside. Still, that’s hardly any time to impress someone who could determine your employment future.
To help maximize the punch your résumé gives in such a short amount of time, CareerBuilder also asked
survey-takers to list terms they consider turn-offs, and to offer advice about the words that make them view a candidate favorably. The message: Don’t include sweeping terms of self-praise, like “team player,” “go-getter” and “self-motivated.” Rather describe your accomplishments specifically with words like “improved,” “created” and “increased” and a specific explanation of exactly what you did, including numbers whenever possible. For instance, instead of saying you added value to your sales team by your dynamic, results-driven efforts to proactively boost sales, say you improved every monthly sales target in the last six months by 40%. In other words, instead of saying you are results-driven, show the results you’ve achieved.
I’ll list the results of the CareerBuilder survey below. But I have to make one comment: The top turn-off term, “best of breed,” strikes me as odd. I’ve never seen it on a résumé and wonder if CareerBuilder crossed its wires with a dog show description.
The worst words to use on your résumé:
1. Best of breed
2. Go-getter
3. Think outside of the box
4. Synergy
5. Go-to person
6. Thought leadership
7. Value add
8. Results-driven
9. Team player
10. Bottom-line
11. Hard worker
12. Strategic thinker
13. Dynamic
14. Self-motivate
15. Detail-oriented
16. Proactively
17. Track record
The words hiring managers want to see:

1. Achieved
2. Improved
3. Trained/mentored
4. Managed
5. Created
6. Resolved
7. Volunteered
8. Influenced
9. Increased/decreased
10. Ideas
11. Negotiated
12. Launched
13. Revenue/profits
14. Under budget
15. Won