In today’s competitive job market, standing out is everything. But too often, resumes are filled with the same tired buzzwords—’detail-oriented,’ ‘team player,’ ‘results-driven’—that offer little insight into who a candidate truly is or what they’ve accomplished. If you’re relying on jargon to get your foot in the door, you might be falling into the buzzword trap.
To really capture a hiring manager’s attention, your resume needs more substance. It’s not enough to tell employers what you’re like—you need to show them what you’ve done. Let’s break down why focusing on skills and concrete achievements will make your resume stand out, and how you can avoid the buzzword trap.
1. Buzzwords Are Vague—Your Skills Aren’t
Buzzwords like ‘self-motivated’ or ‘hardworking’ are vague descriptors that don’t give employers any real information about your capabilities. These words might sound impressive, but they lack the depth that hiring managers need to make informed decisions.
- The Problem: Anyone can claim to be ‘innovative’ or ‘goal-oriented,’ but without context or proof, these words mean very little. Buzzwords are also so overused that they become background noise to recruiters who see them in hundreds of resumes each week.
- The Solution: Focus on your skills instead. What can you actually do? Be specific. For example, if you’re a project manager, don’t just say ‘excellent project management skills.’ Highlight the specific tools you’ve mastered (e.g., ‘Skilled in Asana, Trello, and Jira’) and the concrete outcomes you’ve achieved (‘Managed a team of 10 to deliver a $500,000 project 3 months ahead of schedule’).
Key takeaway: Replace buzzwords with skills that are measurable and verifiable.
2. Concrete Achievements Tell Your Story
Hiring managers aren’t just interested in what you did—they want to know how well you did it. If your resume is packed with buzzwords and generic responsibilities, it’s not telling the story of your achievements.
- The Problem: Describing your previous roles in vague terms like ‘responsible for managing teams’ or ‘tasked with improving processes’ doesn’t give a clear picture of what you actually accomplished.
- The Solution: Focus on results. Use quantifiable metrics to demonstrate the impact you had in your previous roles. Numbers are hard to argue with—they provide concrete evidence of your capabilities. Instead of saying ‘improved team efficiency,’ say ‘Increased team efficiency by 30% over a 6-month period through the implementation of new workflow strategies.’
Key takeaway: Always ask yourself, ‘What did I achieve in this role?’ rather than just listing your responsibilities.
3. Customization Beats Keyword Stuffing
A lot of job seekers try to tailor their resumes for applicant tracking systems (ATS) by stuffing them with keywords they think will get them past automated filters. While it’s important to include relevant keywords, this tactic can backfire if your resume lacks depth.
- The Problem: Keyword stuffing can make your resume look artificial and disconnected from your actual experience. Worse, it can confuse ATS algorithms if there’s no real context for the keywords you’re using.
- The Solution: Customize your resume for each job, but don’t sacrifice substance for the sake of keywords. Instead of cramming in every possible industry term, focus on aligning your skills and achievements with the job description. Use keywords organically by integrating them into your accomplishments, so it’s clear why those skills are relevant.
Key takeaway: Customize your resume for the role by aligning your real skills with the job description, not by overloading it with keywords.
4. Your Soft Skills Need Context
Soft skills like communication, teamwork, and adaptability are critical, but mentioning them without context doesn’t tell the full story. Recruiters want to know how you applied these skills in a real-world setting.
- The Problem: Phrases like ‘excellent communication skills’ or ‘team player’ are too generic to be meaningful without examples of how these skills were used effectively.
- The Solution: Provide context for your soft skills by explaining how you used them to achieve specific outcomes. For example, instead of saying ‘strong leadership skills,’ say ‘Led a cross-functional team of 15 people, facilitating collaboration between departments and reducing project turnaround times by 25%.’
Key takeaway: Back up your soft skills with examples of real situations where those skills made a difference.
5. Action Verbs Over Buzzwords
Buzzwords often hide behind passive language, which can make your resume sound less dynamic. Action verbs, on the other hand, bring your accomplishments to life and make your role in your achievements clear.
- The Problem: Phrases like ‘was responsible for’ or ‘worked on’ don’t highlight what you did—they just describe what happened around you. This type of language can make your role seem passive, even if you played a significant part.
- The Solution: Use action verbs to start your bullet points. Words like ‘led,’ ‘developed,’ ‘implemented,’ ‘executed,’ and ‘designed’ not only demonstrate what you did but also convey leadership, initiative, and responsibility. For example, replace ‘Responsible for managing client relationships’ with ‘Developed and maintained client relationships, resulting in a 20% increase in contract renewals.’
Key takeaway: Use strong action verbs to make your achievements stand out and give clarity to your role in those successes.
Final Thoughts: Substance Over Style
In 2024, the job market is competitive, and standing out is critical. But buzzwords won’t set you apart—substance will. Focus on your skills, concrete achievements, and real-world results to make your resume more compelling. Remember, hiring managers want to see what you can do, not just what you claim to be.
By focusing on tangible outcomes and specific skills, you can break free from the buzzword trap and create a resume that truly reflects your value.
Need more resume tips or advice on how to stand out in today’s market? Connect with me on LinkedIn or subscribe to my newsletter for ongoing career advice.
