Stop using these words in your CV. Seriously

11 years ago | Posted in: Education | 712 Views

ARE you a creative, motivated and responsible employee with a proven track record?

Well that’s great, but the problem is, so is everybody else.

“Creative” is the most overused buzzword in LinkedIn profiles in Australia, the social networking site says, followed by “effective”, “motivated” and “extensive experience”.

Career expert David Schwarz said using buzzwords not only makes your CV generic, but it can give the impression that you are trying to mislead your prospective employer.

“They create almost a sense of misleading because they gloss over the detail,” said Mr Schwarz, a principal consultant at career management firm Board Portfolio.

Mr Schwarz said everything you put in a resume needs to be backed up with proof.
“If you can’t put a metric or a statistic next to that statement shouldn’t have it in your CV,” he said.

He added that you should never include aspiration statements in your resume.

“‘I want to be, or my goal is, or in the future I want’, they’re all massive red flags because they all basically say you’re not qualified to do the job you’re doing now,” he said.

The top 10 buzzwords that appear most in Aussie profiles:

1. Creative
2. Effective
3. Motivated
4. Extensive experience
5. Track record
6. Innovative
7. Responsible
8. Analytical
9. Communication skills
10. Positive

The most overused buzzwords worldwide:

Australia: Creative
Brazil: Experimental
Canada: Creative
Egypt: Multinational
France: Responsible
Germany: Creative
India: Effective
Indonesia: Multinational
Italy: Responsible
Malaysia: Motivated
Netherlands: Creative
New Zealand: Creative
Saudi Arabia: Motivated
Singapore: Creative
South Africa: Motivated
Spain: Specialised
Sweden: Creative
Switzerland: Analytical
United Arab Emirates: Motivated
United Kingdom: Motivated
United States: Creative

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