Words that Sabotage Your CV

Alesia Benedict, CVGetInterviews.co.uk 

Creating a winning CV is a feat of strategy involving focus, wording, design, and content selection. To achieve a career marketing document that wins interviews, all areas of the strategy must be spot-on and consciously used in the most effective manner. One of the most common mistakes job candidates make when writing their CVs is the mistake of not paying attention to strategy and word selection.  

There are actually words that are commonly used on CVs that can have a detrimental impact on the effectiveness of the CV. When most job candidates write their own CVs, they don’t consider word choice because they are primarily worried about getting down the basic information. Verbiage is critical and the wrong word choice can sabotage your CV.  

The average agent and/or hiring manager sees hundreds of CVs from qualified candidates. CVs begin to look and sound the same to them. Here are some words and phrases to avoid: 

SOFT-SKILL DESCRIPTIONS

Job seekers feel they need to communicate their soft-skills to the employer because they believe they are the traits that make them unique. There is nothing further from the truth. Soft-skills are so common that hiring managers pay no attention to them.  

Soft-skill phrases to avoid or severely limit:

• Excellent communication skills
• Strong work ethic
• Personable presenter
• Detail-oriented

 Do not bore the reader to tears with these trite, overused and tired phrases. After all, no one will write that he/she takes long lunches, is lazy, and argues a lot with peers. Hence, it is much more effective to write description that is action-based and demonstrates these abilities rather than just laying claim to them. For example, rather than just stating you are an “excellent presenter,” you could say “Developed and presented 50+ multi-media presentations to prospects resulting in 35 new accounts totalling €300,000 in new revenues.”  

AGE, HEALTH, APPEARANCE

Many seasoned job seekers are facing that scary time warp known as pre-retirement and fear age discrimination. They feel they can counter this perceived hurdle by giving description of their age or health. Such description can be death to a CV because rather than helping, it significantly hurts. Age, health, appearance phrases to avoid:

• Youthful
• Athletic
• Fit
• Healthy
• Mature

PASSIVE VOICE

Many people write in passive voice because that is how we’ve been taught to write “formally” in lower school composition. The problem with passive voice, however, is that it is just that – passive! A CV needs to have punch and sparkle. Passive voice does not accomplish that.

Indicators of the passive voice:

• Responsible for
• Duties included
• Served as
• Actions encompassed

 

Rather than saying “Responsible for management of three direct reports” change it up to “Managed 3 direct reports.” It is a shorter, more direct mode of writing and adds impact to the way the CV reads.  

On the flip side, whilst action verbs are great, don’t overdo it.  I have actually seen: 

• Smashed numbers through the roof
• Electrified sales team to produce
• Pushed close rate by 10%

CONSIDER YOUR WORD CHOICE IN A CV

A CV is a marketing document for your career just as a brochure is a marketing document for a product or service. Companies put careful thought and consideration into each and every word that goes into marketing copy and you should do the same in your CV. These words stand in your place with the employer and need to showcase you in a powerful way.  In a perfect world, these things would not matter, but in the reality of job search today, they matter a great deal.  Be wise -- stop and give some thought to the words you choose.  
 

About the Author 

Alesia Benedict, Certified Professional CV Writer and Job and Career Transition Coach (JCTC) is the President of CVGetInterviews.co.uk, a CV writing firm that provides job seekers with customised, branded CVs and career marketing documents. The staff’s credentials include being cited by JIST Publications as one of the "best CV writers”, honoured by the PARW as the #1 CV Writer, and published in 25+ career books.  All CV writers are certified writers and have the insight needed to develop successful CVs.  Established in 1994, the firm has aided more than 95,000 job seekers to date. Alesia is a former executive recruiter and an internationally recognised expert on CVs and job search for the new millennium workplace. The firm offers a free CV critique and their services come with a wonderful guarantee -- interviews in 30 days or they'll rewrite for free!

Comments

[Paul]

Does anyone have some really good cv writing tips?

[Andy H]

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[Andy H]

Really useful CV writing tips, thanks. CV writing

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There is nothing further from the truth. Soft-skills are so common that hiring managers pay no attention to them.

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