You're hired! Avoid THESE CV buzzwords to boost your employability prospects

With many businesses severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, sadly many people will find themselves facing redundancy and unemployment for the first time in years.

This will inevitably mean digging out the curriculum vitae to update and send off to prospective employers, but with competition likely to be fierce, it pays to avoid anything that could risk irritating potential employers,

Resume.io, which provides resources for job hunters, consulted 562 hiring managers across several popular industries in the UK, to discover the commonly used words on CVs they most dislike seeing.

A surprising 71 per cent of hiring managers are not a fan of candidates using the word 'motivated' on their CV.

Employers disliked the word 'best' the most, with 76 per cent advising applicants not to have the word on their resume

Words to avoid on your CV: 1. Best 76 per cent of employers dislike 2. Motivated 71 per cent of employers dislike 3. Passionate Over 50 per cent of employers dislike 4. Excellent 54 per cent of employers dislike 5. Hard-working 43 per cent of employers dislike 6. Dedicated 69 per cent of employers advise against using the word 7. Proven A surprising 65 per cent of employers dislike Advertisement

With nearly 4,000 uses of the word on CVs from Resume.io's database, applicants might fare better with alternative options such as driven or goal oriented.

Meanwhile While 'best' was found to be the word employers hate seeing the most, because it indicates a strong ego and sense of self-importance.

'Passionate' was also on the banned list, With over 4,000 appearances each on the CVs analysed, over 50 per cent would rather candidates sway away from the word.

And although you may indeed be 'excellent', given that a lot of individuals (4,207) are crediting some of their skills and accolades as 'excellent', you might be better off not doing so. One in two (54 per cent) hiring managers don't look too fondly at the adjective on a CV.

Interestingly, 43 per cent of employers would prefer it if candidates didn't use the cliché 'hard-working' to describe their work ethic.

A significant proportion of employers, 69 per cent, disapprove of 'dedicated' being used on a CV.

And lastly a surprising 65 per cent of employers advise against using the word proven.

Menno Olsthoorn, a spokesperson from Resume.io commented: 'In a turbulent job market, candidates need to do everything possible to make themselves unique.

'To do so, they need to break away from the exhausted buzzwords that tend to overwhelm their CV as well as those of competing applicants.

'This research highlights the commonly used buzzwords that British employers can't stand seeing on CVs.

'Whilst they might take issue with some words more than others, individuals are encouraged to give examples of their achievements as opposed to just using buzzwords and stating skills.

'If they can get into the habit of doing this, they will become a much more desirable proposition to potential employers'.'

Resume.io consulted 562 hiring managers across several popular industries in the UK, to discover the commonly used words on CVs they most dislike seeing

So how can you cut down on using these hated buzzwords?

Don't overstate

It is a competitive job market, so you might feel the need to describe your skills better than they are.

But saying you are 'great' at a skill when you are only at a 'good' level is only going to cause you grief. Especially, if you get a job and your employer sees you're not as great as you claimed to be.

Don't be over-reliant on adjectives

Having a text-heavy CV does not automatically make you a better candidate, it's all about quality over quantity.

So, don't feel the need to pack your CV with as many flattering adjectives as possible. Use them where you think they will truly give you a competitive advantage.

Give examples of achievements

It's easy just to list a ton of skills without any evidence and in doing so, an employer might wonder if you are just making it up.

So, instead of pinning all your hopes on buzzwords to solely boost your skills, use results and achievements from past professional and personal experiences to showcase those 'excellent communication skills', 'proven sales record' and 'great team-working skills'.