This week I was looking through some of my old CVs whilst having a digital tidy up. It was good to see how my career has developed over time but also interesting to see how the language I decided to use has changed of late. To say that some of the phrases I chose were a little vague and unimaginative would be an understatement!
Don’t be a highly motivated, hardworking, and driven team player
It can be very tempting to cram your CV full of popular buzzwords in the hope of impressing the recruiters but the truth is that using this language in your CV has the opposite effect. Cliches and buzzwords include phrases that are very commonplace or jargon/phrases that are fashionable at a particular point in time. Anyone who reads this newsletter regularly will know that I see your CV as something that reflects you as an individual and sells your skills and experience. Sadly using buzzwords and cliches will do the exact opposite of this.
Research by LinkedIn looked at the top 10 buzzwords you might want to avoid in your CV or profile. If you find yourself looking through your CV and notice phrases like ‘strong communicator, highly motivated, works well in a team and as an individual, you might want to look at alternatives to help your CV stand out.
When it comes to writing your CV, the words you don’t include can be just as important as those you do. To help you out, this guide highlights the clichés and buzzwords you need to avoid and what you can do to impress the recruiter instead.
What are CV clichés and buzzwords?
In a nutshell, CV clichés are words or phrases that are very commonplace, appearing on multiple CVs and therefore preventing you from standing out for all the right reasons. These can also be types of jargon or phrases that are fashionable at a particular point in time.
Your CV is designed to sell you as an individual and highlight why you’re a great fit for the role. This isn’t going to happen by using stale clichés and buzzwords.
Examples of some words or phrases you might want to avoid include:
Thought leader
Results-driven
Works well in a team and as an individual
Creative
Passionate
Dynamic
Highly motivated
Curriculum Vitae
Strong communicator
Always gives 110%
Hardworking
Why should you avoid them?
These phrases are overused, unimaginative and at worst can run the risk of making you look a little bit lazy when applying for roles.
For this reason, you want to try and avoid them as much as possible. Instead, use more persuasive and creative language to show the recruiter why you’re a great match for the role.
That said, writing your CV can be tricky, and having to think twice about the language you use is another box to tick. So next, I’ll look at how you can avoid using these boring buzzwords and what type of language and content you can use to sell yourself instead.
How to avoid using clichés and what to do instead
There are several ways that you can avoid ramming your CV with clichés - the first step is being aware of the fact which is a brilliant starting point. The following steps will help elevate your CV and allow your skills and experience to shine
1. Draft and review
Start by writing an initial draft of your CV and then stepping away from it for half an hour or so, before coming back to review it.
As you read your CV back, highlight any clichés, buzzwords or overused phrases you notice. You might be surprised just how many you have used without consciously thinking about it. And you know what to do next — hit that delete button!
2. How would you describe yourself in real life?
Another great way to avoid clichés and buzzwords is to think about how you would describe yourself in real life. I suspect that you wouldn’t outwardly describe yourself as a results-driven, passionate and motivated team player who always gives 110% so why do it in your CV? So, follow this simple rule: if you wouldn’t say it out loud in real life, then don’t do it on your CV.
3. Quantify your achievements
You must be able to demonstrate your value. Anyone can just write it down a list of skills, but this doesn’t mean they possess them.
Instead of merely listing your skills, use results and achievements to show how you are a team player or a results-driven individual — without having to resort to using exhausted buzzwords. Examples could be a time you increased sales or revenue, solved a complex problem, exceeded your targets or improved efficiency. Whatever your achievements are, it’s helpful to quantify them using figures if possible. You can include these examples your personal profile and in the employment history section of your CV too for more impact.
4. ‘Does this make me stand out?’
Finally, each time you include a phrase that you think could be a bit stale, ask yourself this: does this make me stand out?
If the answer is no, then it might be time to rethink how you’re going to rephrase it to show why you’re the best candidate and what tangible value you can bring to the employer.
Hopefully, this helps to understand why it’s so important to avoid littering your CV with clichés and why it’s time to create something unique and engaging that showcases your individuality. If you want to update your CV and are not sure how to get started, you can book a CV Review call with us today. 60 minutes over Zoom where we will go through your current CV and make recommendations for changes together with a relevant template and worked examples so you can go away and work on the changes yourself. All for £99 - book your review call here
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