When it comes to your resume, word choice is key. The fact is, your resume needs to communicate a lot of information in a limited amount of time and space.* So what you choose to include has to pack a punch!

An article from CareerBuilder suggests steering clear of “subjective terms and clichés…because they don’t convey real information.” Managers who do the hiring prefer “strong action words that...define specific experience, skills and accomplishments.” 

CareerBuilder and Julie Jansen, one of our career coaches, suggest avoiding the following terms, which are often on an employer’s “do not call” list:

• Results-driven
• Self-motivated
• Detail-oriented
• Hard worker
• Dynamic

Instead, focus on verbs, such as:

• Achieved
• Improved
• Trained/mentored
• Managed
• Created

For help with crafting a top-notch resume... 

1. Read our article on how to “Write Your Best Resume.” 

2. Then get free, personalized feedback from a professional career coach by submitting it to our Resume Review Service.

If you’ve been unemployed for a period of time, learn strategies for dealing with a gap on your resume and fielding related questions during a job interview.

More useful tips can be found in our Job Search Tools section, which also includes sample resumes and a comprehensive list of Sample Keywords.

* According to CareerBuilder.com, most hiring managers spend less than two minutes reading a resume. Executive career coach Julie Jansen recommends that resumes be no more than two pages in length.