Putting together a resume that truly shows off your skills and expertise is tough. Especially with today’s job market, there’s a lot of pressure to be perfect and stand out from all the other applicants. Obviously, a great resume is the first step to landing a new job but remember, simple is better. You aren’t reinventing the wheel so be honest and specific about your accomplishments. Instead of utilizing terms that are self-praising such as “go-getter” or “self-motivated” try using actionable language such as “improved”, “created” or “increased.” Leave out all generic or snappy jargon. Specific skills are what get you an interview. Use the interview to showcase your personality and spunk. Review your resume and make sure these words and phrases don’t show up.
Results-oriented
HR experts will agree that results-oriented is a fluffy phrase that doesn’t mean much. HR professional, Liz D’Aloia agrees, “People use this term in lieu of telling or giving me specifics.” Isn’t everyone results oriented in their work? Who doesn’t hope for results at the end of a project? Don’t be vague about the positives or negatives of a project or work product. Be specific.
High technical aptitude
Using this phrase in your resume makes it seem like you truly don’t understand your skills. According to marketing recruiter Wes Lieser, “It’s just not something that needs to be said. It actually makes me assume that you don’t fully understand what you are doing. This is comparable to a baseball pitcher telling someone that he or she can throw a baseball. It goes without saying.” Once again, be specific about which technical programs you use day to day. Mention training programs or classes you have completed that illustrate your prowess. What projects have you done that utilized your technical skills?
Annoying adjectives and nouns
Getting your resume in front of a hiring manager is the first step; however keeping their eyes on it long enough to see your merit is the second major goal. In a recent survey, CareerBuilder asked 2,200 hiring managers how much time they look at a resume. While 17 percent admitted spending 30 seconds or less, over 68% admitted they scan a resume for longer than two minutes. However, irritating the hiring manager with worthless language and horrible formatting will definitely end with your resume getting pushed aside quicker than you can say “drill bit”. Yes, you want to stand out from all the other applicants for the job but that doesn’t mean going over the top with your job descriptions and titles. Never use “rock star”, “ninja” or “guru” to describe your title. Other words to leave out: synergy, cutting edge, value add, team player, bottom-line, dynamic and think outside the box. By using actionable words and pointing to specific numbers on how you contributed to your last company will increase the time a hiring manager will look at your resume and better your chances of getting an interview.
Responsible for____OR Experience working in____
It’s easy to slip into a listing format when trying to describe your responsibilities. However, the above phrases are something that happened to you, not something you did. They don’t inspire anything but a feeling of substandard work ethic. Use words such as “managed” or “led.” Describe your experience in terms of achievements!
Words that you SHOULD use in your resume
Discussing “shouldn’ts” can get depressing! Here are a few words to help you replace all the above phrases to get your resume into tiptop shape:
I hope that these tips will help you edit your resume to land your next job in oil and gas.
