Cut the Clichés: How Refresh Your Résumé

According to a recent Robert Half Technology survey of company managers across North America, the top ten terms that need to be retired from IT résumés include “hard worker”, “self-starter”, “team player”, “highly qualified”, “dynamic”, “problem solver”, “reliable”, “familiar with”, “flexible” and “people person”. Instead of trotting out these overused, shopworn phrases, stock your résumé-writing toolbox with techniques like this:

• Offer meaningful metrics. Instead of touting that you are a “hard worker” or a “self-starter”, let prospective employers know that your efforts for past employers “increased sales by 23%” or “saved $5000 in materials costs”.
• Share illuminating anecdotes. Some skills don’t translate to numbers. But you can replace “team player” with an example of you collaborated with colleagues, or swap “problem-solver” for a story about how you streamlined a workplace process.
• Avoid vagueness and “no-brainers”. To a savvy IT hiring manager, terms like “familiar with”, “knowledge of” and “experience with” translate to surface knowledge instead of real skills. And don’t waste valuable résumé space with terms like “reliable”, “prompt”, “honest”, etc. – those are basic requirement for any job, and nothing to brag about.
• Include keywords, not buzzwords. Business buzzwords such as “optimize” or “leverage” aren’t sophisticated – they’re shifty and pretentious. Keep things straightforward, and get past gatekeepers (electronic or otherwise) by peppering your résumé with meaningful keywords that related to duties, qualifications and certifications. Many of these can be found in the job description.

Of course, replacing corporate clichés with examples and explanations can be a tough balancing act when you’re trying to keep your résumé to the recommended one or two pages. That’s when professional help can come in handy. You can find skilled résumé writing services online, or locally through friend referrals. Another option is to work with an IT staffing specialist like those at Triumph Services. With more than 15 years of technical recruiting experience, we know exactly what employers want to see from IT job seekers – and can help refresh your résumé to land your perfect position! Search our database of open positions, or contact us today to learn more.