10 Phrases That Can Sink Your Resume

If you're job-hunting today, you know that employers are looking for sharp, self-motivated people. Paradoxically, just about the worst way to convey your talent and motivation is to say in your resume or cover letter, "I'm self-motivated." Anyone can say that! The phrase falls flat. You can't afford to let done-to-death boilerplate language sink your resume like a boat anchor.


Resume cliches like "self-motivated individual" and "results-oriented professional" are out of date in 2010. You can do a better job of letting hiring managers know how you solve problems on-the-fly or leap over tall buildings in a single bound.


http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-experts-10_phrases_that_can_sink_your_resume-115

Dark Knight said:

If you're job-hunting today, you know that employers are looking for sharp, self-motivated people. Paradoxically, just about the worst way to convey your talent and motivation is to say in your resume or cover letter, "I'm self-motivated." Anyone can say that! The phrase falls flat. You can't afford to let done-to-death boilerplate language sink your resume like a boat anchor.


Resume cliches like "self-motivated individual" and "results-oriented professional" are out of date in 2010. You can do a better job of letting hiring managers know how you solve problems on-the-fly or leap over tall buildings in a single bound.


http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-experts-10_phrases_that_can_sink_your_resume-115

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The Resume Goddess likes this article!!

I hope you are doing well, DK!

Ditto the shout-out to DK!

I don't think we'll ever know how many readers are helped by the very useful links he brings here.

Nova said:

Ditto the shout-out to DK!

I don't think we'll ever know how many readers are helped by the very useful links he brings here.

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Nova??? Is that you???

angelmom said:

nova??? Is that you???

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lol!!!!!!

THANK YOU for posting this. I saw the article then later went to read it and couldn't find it.

I have reviewed over 30 resumes in the past 2 days and what this article says isn't the part that makes me put a resume on the "No" pile.

On one resume, the cover letter was very well written and was actually excited to see what I would discover on the resume. I wasn't extremely impressed, but put it in the "maybe" pile. After a few more resumes, I come to one that made me stop and look back at the "maybe" pile. It was the EXACT same cover letter - word for word (except for the name and address). If you're going to use the internet to help write a cover letter, don't copy it word for word, make it your own. Because of this, they both went into the "no" pile.

Another thing that puts them in the "no" pile is formatting. Many of them use bullet points to explain duties at previous jobs (mine has that as well). This is great....but make sure everything is the same. One indented, one not. And if you don't have anything for that bullet point (or it didn't pertain to the job you were applying for) remove the bullet, don't just remove the writing.

I need an assistant who is detail orientated and creative. If you can't format a resume you plan to send out, how can I be sure you can format a letter? On the "no" pile they go. Ugh...

angelmom said:

Nova??? Is that you???

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A hit and run!

angelmom said:

Nova??? Is that you???

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C'est moi.

Nova said:

C'est moi.

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Vraiment?