Words to Share and Avoid When Describing Your Career

By Martin Buckland - Executive Career Management Professional

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It`s all about the words when describing your career, and particularly when trying to attract the attention of a future employer.

If you follow my social media postings or blogs, you may be tired of hearing me talk about the importance of using action verbs to describe your career achievements. Interestingly enough, I recently came across an infographic entitled The Surprising Words That Get Content Shared on Social Media (http://brandongaille.com/27-words-that-get-the-most-shares-on-social-media/) breaking down the best words to use when sharing content on various social media sites.

You’ll notice the majority of the 10 best words to share on LinkedIn are action verbs – Create, Increase, Reduce, Improve, Develop, etc… Look further down the infographic where the #1 most overused buzzword on LinkedIn is “Responsible”.

The same concept of using the best words to stand out as the #1 job candidate should be applied when writing your resume. It’s all about selling yourself to a future employer. Hiring managers will tell you they hate the word “Responsible”. Write compelling career achievements using what I call the STAR story concept (https://www.social-hire.com/career--interview-advice/4877/how-to-write-a-star-resume).

Start each story with an action verb and never repeat the same action verb twice. Take advantage of the online Thesaurus to uncover alternate words or visit my website to download my free e-book containing 2015 action verbs (http://aneliteresume.com/resume-action-verbs-2/).

Let me stir thought and provide you with some ideas on how you can use 3 of the 10 best action words to promote yourself in your resume.

Created a new revenue stream, updating the website to include an online store with an initial 50 products generating $500,000 in sales within 6 months of launch.

Improved productivity utilizing Six Sigma and lean methodologies contributing to a 20% output increase equating to an additional 250 parts per shift with zero financial investment.

Won a competitive $750,000 contract previously held by the competition for a decade receiving accolades for persistence in conquering all obstacles and satisfying all stakeholders.

Now, aren’t these examples far more interesting to read than “responsible for”? It’s a new year; why not add some new words to your LinkedIn profile and resume to ignite action from a potential employer.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Martin Buckland, President of Elite Resumes, is a leading resume writer, career coach and job search strategist with a global clientele. Martin currently holds the following certifications: Certified Professional Branding Strategist, Certified Professional Resume Writer, Certified Employment Interview Professional, Job and Career Transition Coach, Certified Job Search Trainer and Co-Pilot Executive Coach. Visit my website at www.aneliteresume.com

 

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