How To Write A Resume That Gets Ignored: Use These 5 Words
Here at Entry-Level Rebel we’re all about getting the most out of your career without selling your soul or giving up your individuality. And that extends to your resume. The first document your potential new employer sees from you shouldn’t be a bland recitation of disembodied accomplishments that could have come from any half-competent employee. It should convey you â”- your unique skills, abilities and personality â”- in just one page. Which is why you should avoid space-filling, boilerplate language like these resume-killing words from blog Movin’ On Up:
How Do You Let A Recruiter Know You Are Interested
Give a professional response Make sure to professionally greet the recruiter by using a salutation and thank them for reaching out. Show your excitement and interest in the opportunity by stating what you know about the company and role already. Make sure to answer all the questions that the recruiter asks.
Words To Avoid Using In Your Resume
Buzzwords are really popular terms that have become part of resume language, but can actually come across as generic in your resume.
Simon Bennett, career coach and recruitment consultant at Glide Outplacement and Career Coaching recommends avoiding popular buzzwords such as loyal, energetic, punctual, motivated, enthusiastic, team player, client-focussed or a people person in your resume.
These words are frequently overused and rarely backed up with concrete examples, Bennett says. Yes, almost every employer will be looking for these traits, but anyone can say they possess them.
The problem is not with the words themselves, but how theyre used, Bennett says. People often include the words thinking they are enough to make them sound competent, he says. But employers want to see how you embody these traits.
So, its not enough to simply include buzzwords that say youre enthusiastic or motivated, for example. To really convey your skills to employers, its better to use words that demonstrate how you are motivated and enthusiastic.
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General Phrases Of Self
Though your resume is a space to showcase your skills and abilities, broad terms and phrases to explain your value can be ineffective. A term like self-starter, for example, is a generality that doesnt specifically explain why or how you might be bring value to the role youre applying for.
Instead, try showing an example of a time you self-started, like Identified time-waste and implemented a new CMS system, cutting time spent on cleaning customer records in half. Here are more examples of self-promotional phrases to avoid:
- Go-getter
- Proactive
Do You Have Transferable Skills
Often times we think that we may not qualify for a certain industry because we havent had direct exposure to it. Some struggle to craft appropriate resumes when they switch industries, thinking that all the skills they have built would be irrelevant.
For example, how would concierge experience possibly apply to finance? As it turns out, industries that look completely opposite at first glance may have a lot in common.
identify your transferable skills
A transferable skill is your ability to do something that can be applied to various fields.
Here are some examples of transferrable skills:
Analytics | |
Hospitality | Team Management |
Customer Service – being able to listen actively and demonstrate empathy is super important in any industry that has to do with people. If you’ve worked as a sales rep or have done cold calls, this will also be useful when applying for a job as a personal banker. While the two may not seem related at first, you will be using your ability to connect with others in both cases.
Design and illustration – knowing how to design logos and create images is a great skill you can transfer from your position as a graphic designer to a new one as a marketing executive. Since you’ll already be familiar with the creative process, you will be one step ahead of those who only have the business idea in mind.
Find out How and Why To Tailor Your Resume to the Job .
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Get Comfortable With Ways To Say Fast Learner
There are several ways to convey the skills implied by the term fast learner. One practice includes using words that are practically synonymous to the term. Another requires you to break down what it means to be a fast learner into actionable skills for your resume.
First, analyze what it means to be a fast learner and make a list of similar terms you can use so you dont repeat yourself on your resume and cover letter:
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Adept: This term implies being quickly and efficiently able to gain knowledge in a skill category.
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Capable: Instead of saying fast learner you can call yourself a capable employee and convey the same message as adept people.
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Receptive: If someone is receptive to training, the term suggests a strong ability to take in directions and learn.
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Versatile: People who are versatile can do a lot of things, so if youre a fast learner thats often synonymous with being a versatile employee.
You can also use phrases as ways to say “fast learner.” Consider active statements like Able to grasp new concepts quickly, Excellent capacity to retain new things, or I can assimilate new ideas efficiently.
- Being resourceful
- Strong listening and communication skills
- Strategic planner
- Knowledge of project management tools
- Proficient in grammaror any subject matter where you tend to gain skills more quickly
Is Punctuality A Value
Punctuality is a virtue that leads to great achievements in life. A punctual person will be respected by everyone. One who is punctual is reliable and people believe punctual people because they do not miss to perform a task. So, in any place, be it school, college or workplace, punctuality matters a lot.
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Skills To Mention On A Resume: The Complete List
in this guide, we will teach you:
- How to select your strongest skills and use them strategically on your resume
- How to choose the keywords recruiters look for
- How to figure out what your transferable skills are
- What the commonalities are between different industries in order to create a versatile resume
- How to use strong, clear language and avoid vague terms
- Which action words to include
- What the benefits of your skill section are
When listing skills on your resume, remember always to be honest about your level of ability. Include the Skills section after Experience.
For example, if you’re a beginner at Photoshop, tell the truth. You don’t want to end up in an awkward situation and be fired for lying.
Use the descriptors:
Design | Transferable Skills |
Be sure to cover these key categories on your resume. Combined, they will make your candidacy credible and desirable.
If you arent an expert in all of the categories yet, dont worry. This guide will give you tips on how to improve and how to most accurately present your current level of expertise.
‘nyse’ And All Other Acronyms
Vicky Oliver, author of “Power Sales Words” and “301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions,” told Business Insider that you should spell out any acronyms first and put the initials in parentheses.
For example, “NYSE” would read “New York Stock Exchange .”
“For starters, acronyms are capitalized, and all caps are harder to read than upper and lower case,” Oliver said. “It’s also really difficult to wade through a piece of paper that resembles alphabet soup.”
Everyone wants to claim they’re a team player. So no hiring manager will be impressed by a candidate who throws out this buzzword.
“Instead, use an example of how you saved a company time, money, and resources on a team project or in collaboration with others,” McDonald said.
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What Does Attention To Detail Look Like In Me
The recruiter and HR manager are probably referring back to a job competency sheet. It will list off characteristics such as:
- Provides accurate, consistent numbers
- Provides information in a usable form and on a timely basis
- Maintains lists and schedules to ensure details are not overlooked
- Able to manage tasks in compliance with company policies and operating procedures
- Writes down important details so the details are not lost or forgotten
- Able to notice patterns in data and turn them into useful insights
- Work requires little or no checking
We can boil all this down to a couple of key ideas. First, you are capable of carefully reviewing your work to find mistakes. Furthermore, you can spot when something is out of place and figure out why it is important. Above all, you are trustworthy: you can be relied upon to follow orders and complete your work within the expected time.
Checking Your Work
Process Management
The second idea, organizing policies and processes, gets into how can you ensure you are delivering quality work on an ongoing basis. This set of organizational skills is particularly important if you are going to be regularly managing large and complicated projects. It also is an important requirement for managers, since you must think about how to check your teams work . Experience is helpful here, but any sort of management duties are good to showcase.
Insightfulness
I admire the attention to detail that went into those disgusting floors.
Trust
Teamwork Skills On Your Resume: List And Examples
Teamwork skills in the workplace are essential for the vast majority of jobs. Employers expect their employees to be able to work effectively together. Being a team player typically appears on both job postings and resumes nowadays.
Employers try to assess a candidates collaborative teamwork skills during interviews and when they look through resumes. Group interviews, designed to measure an individuals group work skills, are becoming increasingly common.
However, just to reach the all-important interview stage, its important to convince a recruiter that you have strong teamwork skills and will be able to work in harmony with your future colleagues. However, just adding buzzwords to your resume isnt enough, you need to understand how to convey teamwork on your resume.
Remember, teamwork skills should be treated no differently to the rest of your abilities. Your resume should be tailored to meet the needs of the job. Using resume templates are an effective way of doing this quickly.
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Proactive Fundamental Skill Set:
- Demonstrate an ability to think ahead, plan long-term decisions, and anticipate outcomes
- Talk about situations where you controlled the outcome rather than waited to respond after something happened
- Provide examples of times youâve anticipated problems and how you prevented those problems from occurring
- Demonstrate how you actively participate at work, in meetings, and in client communication
- Give examples of times youâve prevented a problem from occurring
Replace Buzzwords With Keywords
Many companies now use Applicant Tracking Systems to scan and sort resumes, Williamson says. This software will search your resume for keywords associated with the job. Therefore, its really important to mirror the keywords that are contained within the job description.
Refer back to the job ad, and pick out any specialist skills, action words and other important terms you can see. Then, include these words throughout your resume where theyre relevant to you.
According to Williamson, an organisation is more likely to search for a specialist skill they desire as opposed to searching for candidates who have described themselves as enthusiastic or hardworking. It is far better to use facts and figures where possible, provide evidence of where you have used skills or had achievements so the reader can gain a comprehensive overview of your previous roles and responsibilities, says Williamson. This will add far more value than sprinkling overused buzzwords in your resume.
Resumes are all about making a great impression to employers and summarising your skills and experience in a way thats relevant to the job. It can be tempting to include descriptive words you think employers want to read, such as team player or good communicator. But choosing words to actually show you have the skills and qualities employers are looking for will make an even better impression, and reinforce what you can bring to the role.
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What Does It Mean To Be A Fast Learner
A fast learner is someone who embodies the skills of being a strategic thinker and a good listener and applies them to learning quickly. A strategic thinker can come up with several solutions to solve a problem and will analyze them quickly to determine the best course of action. Likewise, a good listener gets things done because they only have to be told once how to do them.
Being a fast learner is a broad skill category that includes many hard skills that may be valuable for your resume in the following areas:
- Communication
- Research, planning and organizing
- Project management
When talking about being a fast learner its important to understand there are a number of ways to discuss it and choosing the right way for your particular industry or career path may require a little extra thought.
How Would I List Being Good At Deadlines In A Resume
Related
While nearly all jobs require good time management skills, some professions require strict adherence to deadlines, like roles in the media, project management and event planning. If you’re applying for a job in which this critical type of skill is required, there are a variety of ways to showcase your abilities and describe your professional attributes in a resume.
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Verbal And Written Communication Skills
Whether it be by phone, email, or face-to-face, being able to clearly communicate your ideas to other people is an important part of most jobs. People with poor communication skills are difficult to work with and can be a nightmare to manage. This is one of the key areas employers assess during job interviews.
Writing A Resume Can Be Complicated Here’s A Chart To Help You Navigate The Process
Writing a resume is a complicated and often frustrating process. Every detail counts, and there is no shortage of conflicting information on what employers actually want to see, like an objective statement, your college GPA, hard and soft skills, or hobbies.
While you probably won’t be rejected because you mentioned a love for knitting, it is true that what’s on your resume can make or break your candidacy. To help you out, this infographic contains everything you need to know about producing an impressive resume.
Need some more guidance? Here’s a breakdown of some important elements you should include on your resume, as well as a few other dos and don’ts.
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How Do You Describe Availability
I am available to work Monday through Friday, and I am very flexible about the start and end times on those days. Im willing to make occasional additional hours work with my schedule. I really value my weekend time with my family. Im more than willing to go above and beyond during the standard work week.
Reasons Why Punctuality At The Workplace Is Priceless
It doesnt matter how smart, capable and competent you are. If youre habitually late, be it to work or on deadlines, you run the risk of undermining your professional reputation.
Chronic lateness is frowned upon in the Gulf and it was apparent when His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, recently made surprise visits to local government offices. The Shaikh is known for his early-morning excursions to get up to speed firsthand on whether the offices are working up to Dubais globally-admired standards.As his office tweeted later: Timeliness starts at the top and we wont go after employees when their bosses arent there.
Punctuality isnt a courtesy its a must at the workplace. We give you seven reasons for being on time, every time:
It shows that you are a true professionalMost professionals, be they employees or managers, have one thing in common: they make punctuality a priority. This one habit helps you stand out as a reliable and trustworthy person, one whos dependable and can be relied on to deliver on time.
It increases your credibilityYou may think your job security is based on your performance but thats not the only thing that matters. Benjamin Franklin said it all when speaking to an employee who was always late but always ready with an excuse: I have generally found that the man who is good at an excuse is good for nothing else.
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It Pays To Be Punctual
Theres no shortage of reasons for why being on time is a valuable soft skill to have. Exhibiting your consistent punctuality will show youre reliable and serious, and will always play a positive role should you want to be considered for more senior positions. It also has the following positive effects:
It shows youre dedicated and serious about your work
Are you always first in the meeting room helping a presenter set up? Do you make time to have an opportunity to read over your notes while you wait in reception for an external meeting? Being punctual will show colleagues and stakeholders that youre committed to the work you do, and the people your organisation serves. It shows youre dedicated not just to doing the job, but doing a great job, and that you understand that a reputation matters. Colleagues will feel supported and encouraged by your consistent preparedness, and you may find youre asked to help with more senior projects as a result of your punctuality.
It exhibits respect to your colleagues, managers and stakeholders
If youre always running late , then meetings, briefings and presentations wont get started on time. And if one meeting spills overtime, then you can bet any meetings that follow after will have to start late too. Expect colleagues and stakeholders to be neither pleased nor productive at such disruption.
You appear organised and professional
It reduces stress