5 words to avoid when putting together a great CV.

A CV or resume is our first chance to make a good impression when applying for a job. Employers and recruiters often receive tons of applications, so how do you make your CV stand out more? By avoiding these overused words that we think sound good, but aren't really helpful.

1. Hardworking

Everyone says this on a CV and although it may seem like a good thing to say, recruiters don't care about it. They don't want you to say that you are hardworking, they want to know why you say that. So instead of saying that you are hardworking, rather say what makes you a hard worker. For example; consistently met deadlines, put in overtime when it was needed to complete a project.

2. Team player

Another commonly used phrase in CVs. It's always better to keep personal characteristics like this for the actual interview, that way you can explain in detail why you say that you are a team player. Remember a CV should be a short summary of your achievements and work experience.

3. Problem-solver

When writing a CV that's going to stand out, you want to avoid vague words like this. Rather give an actual example of how you solved a problem, and maybe use words like managed, spearheaded or successfully implemented instead.

4. Punctual

To say that you are punctual or have good time management skills won't help you sell yourself on a CV. These skills are expected of everyone, so you're not really saying anything that is going to help you stand out. A better thing to say is consistently met deadlines for example.

5. Good communications skills

The main reason why this is not taken very seriously by recruiters is because it is often a matter of opinion. I may think that I communicate very well, but my colleague might disagree. It is better to show that you have good communications skills by putting together a CV that is well thought out and avoids the things that recruiters are not interested in.

Recruiters often get tons of CVs for every job that they post, you want yours to stand out by avoiding the common words and phrases that are seen in every CV. By avoiding the words that are used often in CVs, you'll have a better chance of standing out.