Nezda Daily
Updates on Trends and News About Nezda and The Recruitment Industry

Nezda Daily
Updates on Trends and News About Nezda and The Recruitment Industry
Blog topics here
Seven Words You Must Avoid Saying In A Resume
Oct 20, 2020
by: Cherra Yebron, Marketing & Communications Associate
Seven Words You Must Avoid Saying In A Resume
Oct 20, 2020
by: Cherra Yebron, Marketing & Communications Associate
Your whole career journey starts with a simple piece of document, a resume. Actually, it is more than just a document. Think of it as a tool for marketing yourself, where you highlight your background, skills, and education so that a potential employer can quickly and easily see how your experiences can contribute to their company's success. However, if your resume is like that of most people, it's honestly going to need a makeover.
Most resumes are made up of unnecessarily long filler words, phrases that are quite cliché, overly profound terms, and recycled buzzwords. Just imagine how tired recruiters and HR folks are from sifting through all these resumes with words being used time and time again like a never-ending déjà vu!
Before writing a resume, take a moment to remember that it is just one of many that are being reviewed for the position, so try make it as short and concise as possible for the reader. You would not want to get your resume thrown out in the “rejected” pile. The first tip you got to do is take note of these 7 words you cannot say in a resume and what they really mean.
Responsible for
Words like this, as well as "oversight of," and "duties included," are unnecessarily complicated. Aim to always be straightforward, concise, and use active verbs to describe your abilities and accomplishments. Instead of putting, "Responsible for mentoring interns" simply write, "Mentored interns"
Writing this word on your resume makes it look like you were put in a situation that you did not exactly want to fulfill and just want to get it over with. It does not mean that when you put this in a resume, it automatically changes its meaning. It still means that you have owned up to the consequences of your wrong decisions. So, all in all, it does not sound appealing and is definitely a wrong usage of the word “Responsible for”. You can also replace this word with phrases like “managed,” “led,” “supervised,” etc.
Skillful
This has got to be one of the most used words that you will ever see in generic resumes. Putting the word “skillful” inside your resume is quite redundant because a resume is literally a big list of all your skill sets.
Overusing this word would be such a drag to recruiters and potential employers to read. Thus, keeping it simple and highlighting only the skills that are relevant to which position you are applying for is a way to go.
Hard-working
Don’t get us wrong, there is nothing wrong with being hard-working. Recruiters do look out for hard workers. However, proving that you are a hard worker is so much more than putting in on your resume. You must perform and stand by it. It is much more important that you can show and not just tell.
Most industries look at creativity, focus, or expertise as more valuable. You do not even need to be a hard worker to get the job done. Try finding terms that would still imply that you are indeed a hard worker but in a way that counts because anyone can label themselves as a hard worker. Your resume will be a lot more convincing if you were to list out concrete details on what hard work you have done.
Assisted
The word “assisted” will seem like you are downplaying your contribution to corporate projects. Always keep in mind that, in creating your resume, you must aim to stand out among the rest and take pride in what accomplishments that you have made. Saying that you only “assisted” in doing something in a project might imply that you just stood there while others were doing all the important work. It would be better to say that you have “contributed to,” “facilitated in,” or “collaborated with.” instead.
Ambitious
While you obviously want to display some level of ambition in the hiring process, putting focus in the word “ambitious” can be a deal breaker to some. It may imply that you are just settling for the given position at the moment but then be quickly dissatisfied and want more in the long run, rather than aiming to excel and gain expertise in the position you were given.
Slang or casual texting words
Avoid using internet slang or casual texting language in your resume at all costs. It would be passable if you were to create a resume for a creatives position or enter the advertising industry. However, a resume must be formal and professional because this is the first impression a recruiter or potential employer has of you. Do not use words such as lit, cool, highkey or lowkey, etc. As much as it brings character to the resume, there is just a time a place for all that quirkiness. Your professionalism should reflect on your resume.
Personal pronouns
Your resume should always be written in first person, but you do not necessarily need to put in “I.” In some cases, other people would repeatedly put “I” in every sentence in their resume. For example, instead of writing “I proposed and implemented a new process,” just write “Proposed and implemented a new process.” As much as possible, avoid constantly using personal pronouns like I, me, my, we, or our.
These words will not entirely ruin your chances in getting noticed by a recruiter or potential employer, but these tips do help in making your resume polished and well thought through. Good enough is never enough if it can be better!
If you ever need more advice in being presented as the best candidate out there, Nezda is here to guide you through your job application experience! We will help you in fine-tuning your resume and walk you through all the processes in getting the job that you want. Shoot us a message at our official Facebook page or send us an email at PHjobs@nezdaglobal.com to find out more!