Insights
Cliché Words To Leave Off Your CV
Glassdoor Team
Glassdoor Team | Author & Career Expert at Glassdoor | 11 Jun 2020
No one can say writing a CV is easy. Condensing a lifetime’s worth of skills, experience and qualifications into two pages and trying to make it interesting and informative enough so you’re selected for an interview, can cause some people sleepless nights.
Everyday we use words like ‘flexible’ and ‘passionate’ and while they hold meaning in certain contexts, they should be left off your CV. Firstly, because lots of other people have them on their CV, and you don’t want to sound like everyone else! Secondly, the recruiter or hiring manager will assume you have these attributes already.
So, if you shouldn’t use these cliché words on your CV, what should you be using? Let’s find out…
Related [Avoid The Most Common CV Mistakes With This Simple Checklist]
5 cliché words to avoid putting on your CV:
Hardworking
You may think that by stating you’re hardworking you’re showing the recruiter you’re dedicated to getting the job done. To them, it’s a word that’s bounded around a lot. If you want your application to proceed you need to show them proof that you’re capable of getting things done.
Consider replacing hardworking with ‘achieved’, and backing it up with solid examples. For instance, instead of writing “As a hardworking member of the sales team, sales increased each quarter.” Change it to “As a member of the sales team, I achieved a 15% increase in sales each quarter.”
This quantifiable example allows the hirer to see the type of results you may be able to achieve for their organisation.
Responsible
While you may feel the word ‘responsible’ shows off your leadership skills, it can leave the recruiter or hiring manager wondering what tasks you were specifically in charge of.
When writing your CV don’t think a vague statement like “I was responsible for launching the new global website” will impress the hirer. You need to tell them exactly what your role was. A statement like “I directed the design and the functionality of the new website as well as managing the freelance copywriter who wrote the content for the website” makes it clear what your responsibilities were.
Flexible
What are you trying to get across by describing yourself as flexible? Maybe, you’re trying to say that you’re open to new ideas or that you aren't stuck in one mindset? But to a recruiter or hiring manager, describing yourself as flexible may seem like you aren’t capable of standing firm in your beliefs or that you’re easily persuaded to change your mind.
Consider swapping the word flexible for ‘adaptable’ and follow it up with a scenario where you had to take onboard new theories or ways of working and what the result of this was. For example, “Following a merger, I was moved to a new department using a different operating system. I worked with my line manager and training department so I could grasp the new system quickly.”
This shows the company who is interested in hiring you that you’re comfortable with changes in working procedures.
Passionate
We all have interests or things that we care about, and while demonstrating this on your CV is important it’s hard to do without sounding cliche. Simply writing “I’m passionate about x,y,z…” won’t have much impact as it’s a phrase that’s frequently overused.
It’s much easier to show enthusiasm with examples, like “Even though at times it was hard to get the answers I needed as managers were busy. With grit and determination, I persisted and got the information I needed to submit the tender on time.”
Expert
Proclaiming yourself as an expert is a bold statement to make, and while you may see it as you’re telling the recruiter you’re the best in your field. They may see it as ‘you’re bigging yourself up’. And, if you’re aren’t truly an expert, you’re opening yourself up to criticism and questions if something you’re working on fails.
To show off your skills and experience, focus on the results you’ve achieved in previous positions. For example, “I delivered a presentation to 20 potential investors and following this five signed up, bringing in £1 million of capital to the firm.” Or, “By spotting inefficiencies in the engineering I delivered a restructuring programme that reduced costs by 20%.”
Related [64 Action Words That Will Take Your CV From Blah To Brilliant]
Choose the right language for your CV
Language is incredibly powerful and emotive. It can change people’s opinions and it can also sway their actions. Considering this, you’ll have a greater chance of being selected for an interview if the language you use on your CV reflects that used by the hiring company.
If the job is advertised through a recruitment agency, it’s likely that the job description will be written by a recruiter. This isn’t an issue as the recruiter will know what attributes the company is seeking in potential candidates. On the other hand, the company may be hiring directly for the role.
In both instances, carefully read through the job description, and any other company literature available and highlight keywords or phrases that appear throughout. Next, consider how you can weave these words into your CV either in your personal statement section or in your work responsibilities summary section.
Related [How To Write A Personal Statement For Your CV]
Doing this will increase your chances of your CV being picked by the recruiter’s ATS (Applicant Tracking System) as a good match for the role. It will also help to convince the recruiter or hiring team that they should take your application further, either as an initial introductory chat or as a first-stage interview.
After you’ve written your CV get someone you trust, such as a friend, family member or a career mentor to check over it. They may be able to spot a word or phrase that you’ve used that doesn’t seem right for some reason. Having a second pair of eyes look over your CV is also valuable in that they may spot a spelling or grammar mistake - a red flag for recruiters and one of the top reasons why CVs get added to the ‘No’ pile.
Related [7 CV Points That Instantly Grab A Recruiter’s Attention]
Glassdoor Team
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