For those who have applied for a job and never heard back, you may want to read on. Whilst you may be convinced your CV is top notch thanks to an array of buzzwords indicating your potential as a prospective employee, it could be these very words that are hindering your chances.
Experts have revealed that using cliché words to describe your talents – such as dubbing yourself a ‘hard-working, reliable team player’ – only sets you up to fall at the first hurdle Dailymail reports.
The experts at PurpleCV.co.uk carried out research to discover what words were the most overused by candidates and underrated by prospective employees.
Topping the list was ‘hardworking’, which a quarter of employees say is the most cliché word you can use on your CV.
Clients also dislike the buzzwords ‘results-driven’ and ‘dedicated’, which, they say, is arguably something that can really only be agreed with once you’ve actually started the job.
They also believe that describing yourself as ‘dynamic’, for example, is bound to make a potential employer roll his or her eyes, as it’s not something you can prove on paper, and is really only for others to judge.
Nearly a fifth of us say we’re ‘reliable’, while just over 11 per cent of us are a ‘team player’. Considering we’ll probably find ourselves working with other people, this should go without saying, argue the experts.
So why should we avoid clichés on our CV? ‘These days it just looks dated, not to mention lazy,’ says Andrew Arkley from the company.
THE WORDS YOU SHOULDN’T BE USING ON YOUR CV
Hard-working
Reliable
Team player
Dedicated
Passionate
Strategic thinker
Results-driven
Dynamic
‘It won’t make you stand out, because it’s what nearly everyone else is saying on their resume.’
So how can we improve our CVs? ‘Firstly, it is imperative there are no spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes,’ he said. ‘This is something almost everybody glosses over and glaring errors are often missed. Likewise with formatting – sending a PDF version of the CV often helps eliminate this risk.
‘While the above may seem obvious, we’re never ceased to be amazed at the number of people who do all the hard work and then let themselves down with basic errors.
‘These days, a generic CV that you blast out to dozens of employers will seldom do the job (pardon the pun!). Employers want to see that you have taken a particular interest in them so research, research, research. Use LinkedIn to see if you can find the hiring manager and tailor your CV / covering letter appropriately.
‘Make sure you read the job specification so you can sprinkle some well-chosen “keywords” from the spec directly into the CV – the more a hiring manager can pair you up with what they’re looking for, the better.
‘Avoid jargon and corporate speak and you’ll be half way to standing out anyway, purely because you’ve avoided using any clichés!’