Liz Ryan has compiled ten ‘boilerplate phrases’ that she says many job seekers plug into their resume time and time again as meaningless fillers.
She writes in the San Francisco Chronicle, “Stodgy boilerplate phrases in your resume today mark you as uncreative and vocabulary challenged. You can make your resume more compelling and human-sounding by rooting out and replacing the boring corporate-speak phrases that litter it, and replacing them with human language – things that people like you or I would actually say.”
Here are the culprits:
. Results-oriented professional
. Cross-functional teams
. More than [x] years of progressively responsible experience
. Superior (or excellent) communication skills
. Strong work ethic
. Met or exceeded expectations
. Proven track record of success
. Works well with all levels of staff
. Team player
. Bottom-line orientation
Popularity: 5% [?]
August 24th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
I think resume templates foster the use (and certainly overuse) of boilerplate phrases. A template is nothing more than an outline. It is what’s inside the outline (marketable value proposition) that makes one a clear and compelling candidate.
Cindy Kraft, the CFO-Coach
August 24th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
These phrases are overused in the actual job description also, and when one has been unemployed for 8+ months, I’ve seen it all plus the scams. I have no idea what to put in the resume anymore that doesn’t sound like a load of B.S., human or hot air speak, I ‘m not using templates, it’s a tough market and very frustrating.
Took a look at a friends resume done by a pro, still alot of “phrases” etc.
I think my next will just state “I Need job”, maybe they’ll call to see if I’m really serious.
August 25th, 2009 at 1:46 am
This is a good reason why you should get a knowledgeable friend to look over your résumé and offer suggestions. And here are some other reasons (prepare to chuckle): http://www.resumania.com
August 25th, 2009 at 10:01 am
100% in agreement with Cindy.
These all have that same “canned” feel that employers just skim and put back in the pile. The way to stand out is to be creative – use your brain.
August 25th, 2009 at 11:57 am
With the current job market being as it is, its no surprise to learn that countless people are coming up with more and more ridiculous terms to put on their resumee in order to get noticed. Evidence shows that falling victim to this just blends jobseekers into the amassing crowds, making them seem uncreative and vocabulary challenged!
August 26th, 2009 at 6:49 am
Timing also matters here if not the most scary element because we have no control over it, only the hiring managers and employer. A good rule of thumb is to keep your resume template professional and up to date. Take away the objective since this is obsolete, use a well polish summary instead. Don’t be vague with your job description, use figures to be specific. Don’t use I and me pronouns. I think these are the most important thing, if you need more help I found a great free resume wizard which saves a lot of time without sacrificing quality, it’s worth checking.