Blog & News 1 min read

Clichés That Should Not Be On Your CV

Everybody wants to be hired for the great skills and experience they have showcased in their career up to a point and their application. Being solution-oriented, a great team-player, a fast-learner and hard-worker, plus having interpersonal skills as well as good communication skills is perfect. However, is it now not enough anymore to impress hiring managers? Has this all too common of a personality description become redundant and is now considered a cliché?

Companies will always want to hire the best candidates but first, you need to stand out from the crowd, as to who is the most motivated, dynamic and suitable candidate for the job!

How can you stand out from the crowd

– Don’t be “result-driven”. Describe how you have driven results in your last position(s), for example, give a percentage increase in sales.
– Don’t be “a great team player”. Explain what you have done in a team that made you successful.
– Don’t be “highly motivated”. Prove your motivation in a sentence that sums up why you want this job and not another one.
– Don’t be “passionate about”. Say that you have developed skills in the industry that interests you, which makes you now an expert in this field.
– Don’t be “a good communicator”. Describe the way you have impressed clients with a sales pitch for example.
– Don’t be “a fast-learner”. Try not to use the word “learn”, which can make the employer think that you still need to learn and you lack experience.
– Don’t be “creative” or “innovative”. Use examples to show your creative skills. You may sound overconfident or arrogant by introducing yourself as a creative thinker.
– Don’t be “eager to gain experience”. Show off your ability to do the required tasks without mentioning that you need to increase your know-how or practice. Everything you do in life brings you more and more experience.

Finally, make sure all the information you give is accurate and relevant for the position you are applying to. Concerning your hobbies, avoid the classic ones that won’t add value to your future job position.

Are you currently looking for a new role? Our consultants will be delighted to help you stand out from a busy candidate market, by showcasing your profile to the best companies.

Visit our job board here to find the best position across HR, IT and Change sectors, on which Annapurna is specialised.

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