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We all know the importance of a well written CV – it’s our opportunity to make a good first impression with an employer and our chance to bag that all-important interview. So at a time when candidates are keener than ever to demonstrate their unique attributes and individuality, clichés should be avoided.

With applications per job still running at a particularly high ratio, it’s never been more important to ensure your CV stands out. But, according to a study undertaken by LinkedIn, attempts to sell yourself could do more harm than good if you use the most overused buzzwords.

So if you tell an employer that you’re a ‘dynamic and proactive problem solver’ with ‘an excellent skill set’, chances are they will groan and put your CV straight to the bottom of the pile –along with all the other dynamic problem solvers!

As Lindsey Pollak, career and workplace expert, claims “phrases like ‘extensive experience’ and ‘proven track record’ can appear empty to a potential employer and may do more harm than good when you include them in your profile or CV.” The problem is that these words alone fail to tell the employer enough about you or your career to date and Pollak suggests a more explicit approach when describing your past triumphs.

If you are using any of these 10 terms ensure that you are able to qualify them. Note that you have eight to ten years of experience or that you increased sales by 300 percent. Include meaningful phrases that apply specifically to highlights you’ve achieved in your career.

Remember, it’s about what you can do, what you have done in the past and what sets you apart from the other applicants, so always back up the claims you make with real life examples. To put it simply, employers are more interested in hot prospects than hot air.

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