So, you’ve recently graduated from university and feel like the world’s your oyster.. And why shouldn’t you? You can choose to do whatever you want, be whoever you want to be and make yourself a career in an industry of your preference. If you’re looking to get a foot in the door, what better place to start than at Adzuna? Our data geeks have trawled the web to find every graduate job there is in the UK and found there to be over 69,762 options for you to choose from!
Unfortunately, with that many vacancies come that much more competition. According to the UK’s youth programme – National Citizen Service – employers have been faced with double the pressure to get through hundreds of CVs for entry level jobs, which means that less time is being spent on a prospective employee’s initial application. While you may spend hours working on your CV, the employer on average spends less than a minute reviewing a CV – giving you barely any time to grab their attention.
Your resume is your platform to communicate to the employer what your accomplishments are and to give you a chance to rise above other job applicants. Often times, graduates get so caught up trying to present themselves in a certain light, they end up peppering their resumes with buzzwords most hiring managers are tired of seeing. Apart from being vague, buzzwords can be a red flag to employers who may feel like you’re trying to exaggerate your qualifications or hide gaps in knowledge.
The problem with buzzwords is that they have been used to death and highlight an alarming lack of original thought on the candidate’s behalf. They’re generic and do nothing to differentiate you from the 300 other candidates who have applied for the same job. Instead of throwing words on your CV, employers prefer when you show what results you achieved and how you achieved them aka what makes you a great ‘team player’. The next time you’re working on your CV, remember this golden rule – Show. Don’t tell.
Without further ado, here are 10 words you should avoid on your CV:
- Results driven
- Best of breed
- Team Player
- Hard worker
- Go-Getter
- Detail-Oriented
- Responsible For
- Ambitious
- Think outside the box
- Go-to person
If you’ve used any of these words on your CV, you’ve probably been a snooze fest to that hiring manager. Instead, opt for words that allow you to differentiate yourself without plugging in a substitute you found for the buzzword through a thesaurus. The best way to do this is to take those words and turn them into specific examples of how you lived up to them. Giving it context in a creative way increases chances your CV standing out.
Here are ten words to use on your CV instead:
- Achieved
- Improved
- Created
- Influenced
- Negotiated
- Trained/Mentored
- Managed
- Volunteered
- Resolved
- Managed
Ps – Before you get on that job hunt, you might want to find out what your CV is worth. Adzuna’s ValueMyCV tool is a unique, free tool, which calculates how much your skills and experiences are worth based on your CV, matches you to relevant jobs based on your skills and creates an interactive career pathway based on your job title. We highly recommend you give it a try!
And in the meantime, if you’re looking for an exciting opportunity to kick-start your career, Adzuna has launched the fifth edition of its Graduate of the year 2016 competition, which is bigger and better than before with tons of new opportunities. Some of the prizes include – an internship with a top UK company (including eBay, L’Oreal, Sony and Google), a cash prize of £1000 and a CV clinic with a top UK entrepreneur. You can apply here.