25 Words and Phrases to Avoid on Your CV

I read and help write a lot of CVs, and I keep a list of the words that are ‘red flags’ for me.

Your CV is your first impression. You cannot waste any words or miss any opportunities to maximise your impact.

Avoiding overused or vague terms can make it more impactful.

Here are 25 of the words and phrases from my list to steer clear of, along with reasons why:

25 Words and Phrases to Avoid on Your CV

1. Motivated. Overused; demonstrate motivation through achievements.
2. Hard-working. This is an expected trait; show your dedication via results. 
3. Team player. Too generic; illustrate your work in a team with specific examples. 
4. Detail Oriented. Commonplace; prove attention to detail through error-free work.
5. Results-driven. Vague; quantify outcomes to showcase effectiveness.
6. Strategic thinker. Abstract; provide examples of strategic decisions and projects executed.
7. Go-getter. Informal; highlight proactive initiatives undertaken.
8. Synergy. Buzzword that lacks clarity; specify collaborative successes. 
9. Think outside the box. Heavily overused; demonstrate your creativity with unique problem-solving examples.
10. Best of breed. Jargon that can seem boastful; focus on specific skills and achievements.
11. Ninja. Informal and unprofessional; use standard job titles (unless you are actually a Ninja!)
12. Rockstar. Colloquial; opt for conventional descriptors of expertise (same caveat…)
13. Guru. Can appear arrogant; let your experience speak for itself.
14. Seasoned. May imply age; specify years of experience instead. (I had this on my CV for a while, and learned my lesson).
15. Dynamic. Ambiguous; describe specific actions that show adaptability & flexibility.
16. Self-starter. Expected trait in most organisations; illustrate this with examples of initiative.
17. Proactive. Too generic; detail proactive measures that you have implemented.
18. Problem solver. Too broad; lay out specific problems resolved.
19. Assisted. Minimises your role; clarify the specific contributions you made.
20. Responsible for. Passive; use active verbs to describe duties.
21. Utilised. Overcomplicated; simpler verbs like ‘used’ are clearer.
22. References available upon request. Redundant; it’s assumed you’ll provide them if asked.
23. Objective. Outdated; replace with a concise professional summary.
24. I, me, my. Avoid personal pronouns; write in a professional tone.
25. Unpaid. Diminishes the value of volunteer work; focus on the experience gained.

By eliminating these overused or vague terms and focusing on specific, quantifiable achievements, you can create a more compelling and effective CV.

By focusing on clear, specific, and quantifiable achievements, your CV will stand out to potential employers.

My Career Boost Playbook has CV exercises, and much more to help you on your way to the role of your dreams.