Words You Should Ban From Your CV

Jul 22, 2020

HR, Services

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 There are a few words and phrases that instantly raise alarm bells for recruiters and employers alike.

While certain words and phrases can be more acceptable from industry to industry, whether you’re washing dishes, driving trucks, or applying for a marketing manager role never put these words on your CV and your chances will be on the up. Below you will find out what words every job seeker should ban from their CVs, including one that could be an instant “career killer”.

The biggest offender? The word “unemployed”. If you have had the odd gap between jobs in your career, the last thing you want to do is highlight it to the world. Perhaps you have been renovating your home, traveling, or caring for a loved one, rather say that but don’t label it as being ‘unemployed’, try, and be more creative.

Two other words you should avoid using are “hardworking” and “honest”. It’s more important to illustrate what you’ve done quantitatively or qualitatively, for example, if you are a nail technician, illustrate how many sets of nails you do in a day. Also, there is no proof in just saying you’re an honest and hardworking person. Recruiters or employers are not going to be excited by those words alone, you need to justify why you’re so hardworking and honest.

Avoid unnecessary personal information such as your date of birth, marital status, ID number, primary school. Your CV is like a sales brochure so don’t include small details that they won’t care about.

Another word to avoid is the word “learn” in relation to an industry’s core skills, as it implies the job seeker isn’t confident or qualified. The majority of cases no employer wants a learner. They want someone who is battle-ready and ready to be productive.

One of the biggest job interview mistakes is the use of the word “hate”. Hate is a strong word, and it is immature and sends a message about you being a difficult or bitter person to deal with and generally not a positive individual.

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