Have you googled ‘best resume buzzwords’, implemented them and thought wow, I’m a freaking genius? We’re sorry to break it to you, but this is only adding filler with clichés and overused buzzwords—getting you nowhere but in another lost pile of CVs.

If you want to make it to the top of the stack, then whatever you do avoid these words and phrases:

• The phrase, ‘I’m really good at doing this’

We don’t know about you but if Google stopped spitting out synonyms, we’d be up sh!t’s creek. (It’s also a rabbit hole of weirdness we go down every now and then that sucks the life out of us. Anyone else?)

But it comes in handy. So, next time you can only think of average sentences, use the internet to your advantage with synonyms. That’s what that weird, magical thing is there for, right? Hiring managers will think your resume is superior compared to the other average looking resumes that say ‘really’ after ‘really’, like a broken record. 

• ‘Synergy’

We can probably all agree that this word is just a convoluted buzzword that refuses to die. For some reason it gives us the absolute ick. It’s one of those words that’s either typically misinterpreted or misunderstood—so unless you actually know how to use it (even then), avoid it at all costs.

• Words like ‘guru’, ‘ninja’, and ‘wizard’

And unless you have magical powers or are a trained assassin then it’s probably best not to use these ones. Instead make it seem like you’re super serious by adding long and ambitious words that you haven’t even heard of. If you can make the hiring manager question their own intellectuality, they’ll think you’re a genius they have to interview.

• ‘Dynamic’

Don’t even get Matt Shurey started on this one. 

• ‘Smart’ / ‘Best’ / ‘Good’

These won’t get you too far. Instead act like you’re uber-clever with more striking terms—just remember to keep up the act of using intelligent words in the interview otherwise they’ll catch on and think you’ve plagiarised the whole damn thing. 

• ‘Authentic’

This buzzword has been around for a few years, and it’s safe to say it’s only making you look less authentic. It’s now comically overused and comes across as a cliché, making hiring managers run.

• ‘Detail orientated’

Putting detail orientated as a skill just to have a spelling error somewhere in the resume. We’re all victim to a spelling error. We’ve done it, you’ve done, your dog’s probably done it.

But nothing screams I’m not detail orientated louder than an eror. They’re common—it happens; it’s human.

See? We missed the r on the keyboard—it’s easily done. So, proofread everything.

Also, these are obvious but just in case, don’t:

• List unusual personal hobbies (you’d be surprised by how many have done it).
• Use slang—leave it for slack.
• Write personal threats (you’re looking for a job not to make an enemy).

Want to know some interesting things we’ve seen listed on a resume?

• Listing every salary. They’ve. Ever. Earnt.
• Letting us know if they’re ‘single’ or ‘recently divorced’.
• ‘Dad of three’.
• Ranking every language (both languages of the world and programming languages), they’ve learnt as a percentage to show how proficient they’re with each one (no one’s that proficient).
• Putting 2.1 or 2.8 years of experience.
• Their opinions on past employers (while some are exceptionally amusing, these are probably best left out unless you know your audience).
• Listing every colour they’ve ever dyed their hair.

On a serious note, do you have a question for us? If you’re a job seeker on the lookout for your next role or a hiring manager looking to fill a position, contact us at Just Digital People! We’re here to help you succeed.