How to Empower Routine Words and Phrases on Your CV
Originally published in Glassdoor, US’ leading career website
When it comes to writing resumes, words and phrases that often are touted as no-nos are not necessarily so.
For example, the word “innovative” has been condemned for overuse. If everyone is innovative, then no one is innovative, right? As well, descriptors like “self-starter” and “results-oriented” have made the resume bad-word lists.
Using these words isn’t always a bad thing, especially when you substantiate and energize with stories that show how you put the words into action. Moreover, if you are targeting roles where the job descriptions specifically call out a need for someone who can deliver “innovative” sales and marketing solutions then addressing that requirement with similar – or same – language is okay.
While some words and phrases may sound mundane and obvious, you can add oomph with a more complete story. For example:
- If you say you are a self-starter, then show how you were given a project and then ran with it without having to constantly be managed, including the problems you solved along the way and how you saved time, made money, and so on.
- Results-oriented? Then, pepper your resume with meaty, meaningful results that show (don’t just tell) that you drove measurable outcomes that grew revenue, shortened processes and/or increased shareholder value. Bring real numbers to the table, solidifying results with percentages or dollars.
- Detail-oriented? Articulate stories where your critical eye caught potential public relations issues before a release went to press or where you identified a problem with the numbers on a crucial financial report ahead of an important shareholder’s meeting.
You can apply these types of examples to a host of other words and phrases such as, “inspirational, self-motivated, strategic thinker, hard-working team player” and more. You just have to “think outside the box” in how you combine various ingredients of your resume recipe to ensure a delectable sounding resume story.
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