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In an increasingly-competitive job market, you may be looking for ways to stand out from the pack. Ways to help get your resume to the top of the pile, and hopefully, lead to your next job. But the most well-intentioned resumes can end up being the most-maligned by hiring managers.

Beware the buzzwords!

They may seem like a great idea, but resume (and LinkedIn profile) buzzwords can take your resume from the top of the pile to the recycle bin. Late last year, LinkedIn reviewed its profiles and identified the top 10 most overused buzzwords on its profiles. Take a look at your resume – I’ll bet some of these buzzwords made their way into your resume (it’s okay – it happens to the best of us!).

Keep yourself in the running and create a more effective resume by avoiding our top four overused buzzwords:

1. Extensive Experience
Experience is definitely a good thing. Depending on the position for which you’re applying, you may be required to have a specific amount of experience. But “extensive” doesn’t tell a hiring manager much at all. How many years of direct experience do you have? Do you have relevant experience elsewhere?

2. Results-Oriented
There aren’t too many people who go to work each day determined to accomplish nothing. In particular, it’s a safe bet that people who are searching for work are even more determined to achieve some results. So, you’re not going to set yourself apart from many people by using this bland term. What results have you generated for your previous employers? Did you increase sales by 10 percent? Maybe you increased efficiency by 7 percent. In other words, the question is really, “What did you accomplish,” rather than, “Did you accomplish anything?”

3. Team-Player
Getting along well with others is something we learn at an early age (We’re going all the way back to grade school here!). In what ways did you help your employers by working as part of a team? Or did you take initiative and lead a team? Give concrete examples of your accomplishments, and you’re sure to impress.

4. Problem-Solver
Are you noticing a trend here? Overused buzzwords aren’t buzzwords at all – when you can back them up. Did you encounter a difficult problem, or an area of improvement, and take the opportunity to improve the situation? How did you overcome it? What was the result? The more details you can give, the better.

Searching for your next career opportunity?
Here at Expert Staffing, we help professionals across Houston find jobs with top employers. We’ll work with you to help you achieve your career goals!

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