Recruiters read thousands of resumes a month. Do you know what happens when they read the phrase "detail-oriented team player" for the 400th time that day? Their eyes glaze over, and your application goes into the discard pile.
Buzzwords and clichés take up valuable real estate on your resume while communicating absolutely nothing of value. Here are the worst offenders you need to delete right now, and how to replace them with action.
The "Fluff" Adjectives (Delete Immediately)
These words are purely subjective opinions about yourself. You cannot prove them, so employers ignore them.
- Hard-working
- Passionate
- Detail-oriented
- Self-starter
- Team player
- Dynamic
- Results-driven
The Fix: Don't tell them you are a hard worker; show them. Instead of "Results-driven sales rep," use "Generated $1.2M in net new revenue in Q4, exceeding quota by 140%." The numbers prove the adjective.
The Weak Verbs (Upgrade These)
Language matters. Weak verbs make your contributions sound passive.
- Helped with...
- Assisted in...
- Responsible for...
- Worked on...
- Tasked with...
The Fix: Use powerful, active "Action Verbs."
- Instead of "Helped with new software launch" ➡️ Spearheaded new software launch.
- Instead of "Responsible for team budget" ➡️ Managed $500k departmental budget.
- Instead of "Worked on customer complaints" ➡️ Resolved 50+ tier-3 escalations weekly.
