CNN has an article that covers the 25 worst words you can use in your resume. Why are they so bad? In a nutshell, because:

1. everyone uses them, so there’s no originality, and

2. they don’t really mean anything

Seriously. Read the article and then do something about it. I’ve looked at a couple hundred resumes in the past month or so and this article is spot on. Good advice that needs to be read by all.

Resumes are (or, rather should be) about standing out from the crowd on the merits and saying something real, so take the time to do it well. That’s what the potential employer is looking for.

Oh, and never be your own resume editor. Always rely on a hard-core, ruthless and smart copy editor to point out your flaws. And if that makes you uncomfortable, find a therapist or trusted friend to help you with that character problem and you’ll not only get over that hump, you’ll also probably interview better.