In a competitive job market, it’s important that your résumé communicate your skills as succinctly as possible.
Some terms are obsolete. Others are too vague. Here are a few words and phrases you can leave off your résumé to save space for key qualifications.
- “Try.” It implies negativity, uncertainty, or lack of commitment.
- “References available upon request.” While it’s just one sentence, potential employers will request that information from you if they need it.
- “Objective.” The objective is landing the job for which you’ve submitted your résumé. Spelling it out on the résumé itself wastes space.
- “Responsibilities include…” Lengthy lists of very basic responsibilities and tasks take up space and bury the important information – your key qualifications for the job.
- Any buzzwords. Expressions such as “innovative”, “team player”, and “results-oriented” have lost their impact because they’re overused. Instead, use the space to be specific about your accomplishments, such as the goals you’ve met or quotas achieved.
Other résumé suggestions:
- Don’t reach too far back into your employment history just for the sake of adding length to your résumé.
- Use quantitative descriptions, rather than qualitative. For example, rather than saying you were “innovative,” describe how you accomplished a specific task in a unique way.
