Words to Avoid in Your Resume

Most resume-writing guides focus on "power words" -- words that promise to grab the attention of recruiters as they scan hundreds of resumes -- but few tell you what words to avoid in your resume.

Below is a list of words and word types that your resume would be better without.

Abbreviations and Acronyms

AFPCA, CHIGFET, FIPL, MRSRM, ZWE: Looks like a fresh game of Scrabble, doesn't it?

Too many abbreviations and acronyms in a resume make it unreadable.

As a rule, avoid using abbreviations and acronyms unless they are commonly recognized. If you work in an acronym-heavy industry, such as technology, use acronyms sparingly.

Personal Pronouns

It seems odd to avoid personal pronouns (I, me, my) in your resume -- a document that is all about you.

But, it actually does make sense.

Since your resume is all about you, the addition of "I" or "me" is redundant. Since a resume should contain no unnecessary words, there is no place for the personal pronoun. Your resume, after all, is not a memoir but a concise summary of your skills and experience.

Negative Words

These words spell death for a resume.

Words like "arrested," "boring," "fired," "hate" and "sexist" catch a recruiter's eye like to a two-ton magnet catches a paper clip.

If there are difficult issues you want to raise, save them for the interview.

Keep These Words to a Minimum

There are other words that are sometimes necessary in a resume, but that should nevertheless be kept to a minimum.

Among these:

* Abused words: a, also, an, because, the, very

* Any word you can't define: You may think using these words make you sound smart, but if you use them incorrectly they could kill your chances of landing the job.

* Words that can be embarrassing if spelled wrong: assess, skills