Resume Action Words to Avoid

Digging through more resume writing advice, facts, and myths, we find out that while the use of fancy action words is typically encouraged by most career advisers, too much of a good thing can be counter-productive. This article from TechRepublic.com reveals that hiring managers prefer applicants use action words that effectively describe their experiences rather than fancy words that simply make you sound good. While this article was directed to those seeking jobs in Information Technology, it provides that sort of candid, insider advice that's really applicable to anyone and can give you an edge as a college student or college grad applying for internships or entry-level positions. You can read their article for the full list but, here are a few of the examples they pointed out...

Assist, assisted

• Reasons to avoid: Hiring managers want to know what you did, not how you helped. If you're familiar enough with a task to put it on your resume, you can choose a better word than assist.
• Example: Assisted marketing director by researching PDAs.
• Possible rephrasing: Researched PDAs for marketing department.

Cutting-edge, detail-oriented; coordinate, facilitate, transform; proven ability, synergy, and liaison

• Reasons to avoid: Hiring managers say such words take up space without communicating much. They've seen them so often that the words have lost their original energy.
• Example: Detail-oriented manager with proven ability to oversee day-to-day network operations and to implement major technology initiatives.
• Possible rephrasing: Supervised an eight-member IS staff; completed two full-scale platform migrations; consolidated equipment and resources following facilities move.

- Source: "Nineteen words that don't belong in your resume", TechRepublic.com