Overused Words Every Executive Résumé Should Avoid

Ever fallen in love with a word or phrase, only to discover that everyone else is loving it, too?

A word we all lately seem to be loving a bit too much is "amplify," so it's only a matter of time before it ranks on one of the interweb's "most overused business phrases" lists. 

In case you’re curious, here are just a few of those fun lists:

Even finance has gotten in on the action, with Ben Carlson writing "Words & Phrases That Should Be Banished From Finance." I've shared his post with more than one CFA.

Too many of these lists, and we'll all be staring at blank pages with nothing left to say. But there's merit to rethinking how we communicate.

In my line of work, I walk a sometimes-treacherous line because in some cases a client needs specific keywords and phrases to be ranked properly by an applicant tracking systems. At the same time, s/he really shouldn't sound like every other person in the business world. (If three equally qualified CTOs were lined up alongside each other, all using the same written language, how could we differentiate them?) 

There's something to be said for having a point of view and sticking to it.

That said, I’ve had countless clients present me with a first crack at developing their own professional brand, and even the most pedigreed people in the world will pull out words that are so overused that they've lost their meaning.

It underscores a fairly consistent problem: human beings tend to want to fit in.

As such, we tend to mimic each other, and ultimately fall into patterns.

Those patterns ultimately lack originality, and soon fall on deaf ears.

And then they become fodder for jokes, mockery, and side-eye’d glances.

But before I hop my high horse and present my own list of no-no words, I should mention that I sometimes fall prey to my own favorite words. Which I mention because this post isn't meant to be judgey. I'm simply an idea partner in this bigger thing we call persuasive writing.

And yup, I suspect "idea partner" will someday be a no-no word.

Here's my list of words and phrases leaders (and their résumés) should avoid:

Highly-motivated

If you weren't, you wouldn't be in your current position.

Organized

Same. If you weren't organized, you wouldn't be where you are.

Detail-oriented

Same!

Arguably, some senior leaders are not, but then they shouldn’t be stating it anyway so it behooves all of us to just leave it out. Leave. It. Out. No “detail-oriented” for you! By the way, if a leader isn’t detail-oriented, s/he should have people to take care of the details or be in a role where details don’t matter.

Regardless, “detail-oriented” is better shown than stated.

Results-driven

Show them, rather than tell them.

Demonstrated ability

Again, show don’t tell.

Skilled (or Particularly Skilled)

Just because you say it doesn't make it so. You've got to give more.

Deliver results / optimal results

Again, run a bit farther and show that you’ve optimized team efficiency and productivity. Or whatever shows some of the results you’ve delivered. In all cases, your statement should be quantified and relevant to your broader story, not simply a claim without evidence or context. 

Proven

Trust me, this one makes most recruiters, hiring entities, and résumé writers roll their eyes. Let your breadth of work and contributions to business do the proving. 

Effective

Same.

Accomplished

Do I sound like a broken record yet? Show it, don't state the obvious, or worse, suggest that the opposite is true by showing nothing.

Highly effective

Surely there are more inspiring descriptors.

Multi-tasking

I like using “prioritizing” for this one when it pops up, e.g., “prioritizing and mapping" to business needs.

Demanding environments

I prefer talking about the kind of environments (e.g., public companies, highly regulated practice areas), rather than simply stating that they are comfortable in demanding environments. Demand levels should be self-evident by way of the company’s profile or your seniority. The sheer (and simply expressed) scope of one’s work should say enough.

Impeccable (and other hyperbole)

Yes, your job is to show yourself in the best light, but sometimes things go too far. Even if your career, skill set, and valued insights are beyond reproach, there's something to be said for modesty. If you really love inflated language, have someone else write a recommendation about you and ask them to use words like "impeccable." You might just find that asking someone to write about your impeccability frames the very reason you shouldn't use it. 

Now, you might rightly ask: “If those are your ‘no-no’ words, Jared, why do so many show up in every other job description?” Ah, yes. A classic conundrum when it comes to the hiring world and its weaknesses, and it'd be a huge digression if I addressed it entirely here.

Here's the quick answer:

Remember how human nature eventually leans toward emulating others? Well, job description writing is probably among the lowest-of-the-low when it comes to the world’s most fascinating activities. Consequently, job descriptions are regularly copied and maybe lightly edited from other recycled job descriptions, or written hastily with more regard for the posting deadline than actual substance. (Google, Facebook, and Amazon will post occasional exceptions.)

All of which translates into job descriptions copy that is internally recycled, and then dumped into applicant tracking systems, and finally parroted in candidate résumés—perpetuating a feedback loop that ultimately creates a mighty loud echo chamber. 

Here's what I suggest:

When thinking about including keywords and phrases in your résumé that will satisfy the applicant tracking system, lean toward quantifying the hard skills listed in the job description, rather than descriptors and traits. And when thinking about writing good content for the human reader, be yourself.

Jared RedickCareer Messaging, Branding, Career Transition, Self-awareness, The more you know, Stealth Job Seeker, resume writing