Applying for jobs is a stressful time; you have to go through CV and cover letter writing, then the application itself, and then the interview.
One thing that needs to happen with your job application is that it needs to stand out and not a follow common pattern. In the modern age, businesses sift through hundreds of applications and then conduct many interviews to find the right candidate. Through all of these interviews the business will look for people who offer something different and doesn’t just feed them generic answers that were obviously pulled from Google.
Here, recruitment experts Just Start Jobs share their 5 buzzwords that shouldn’t be used in job applications or interviews.
• “I’m versatile”
• “I’m driven”
• “I’m a self-starter / hustler”
• “I’m a perfectionist”
• “My last company lacked ambition and direction so I’m looking for a new challenge”
“You’ll want to avoid words and phrases that gloss over your skills, companies want to know a candidate’s specific skillsets. If it does not convey depth in expertise in a particular role it won’t give the interviewers confidence in the candidate’s ability for a specific job.
“A hardworking attitude and showing initiative are what companies look for in a candidate, but the act of “hustling” does not convey a person’s skillset. Instead, they’d appreciate specific insights or examples of experience in the candidate’s past work.”
Companies should also avoid certain words and phrases that could turn potential candidates off too. These include “We’re looking for people who are comfortable with ambiguity”, “Someone who is autonomous but works well in a team” and “When the company succeeds, you succeed”.
