10 CV clichés to avoid

10 CV clichés to avoid Are you a solution-focussed, dynamic problem solver with excellent team-working skills and an inspirational leadership style? Oh dear. Thats another rejection you can look forward to. If theres one thing guaranteed to set employers on edge its the CV cliché. Well, I say CV but it applies equally well to cover letters, applications and interviews. Avoid clichéd phrasing at ALL costs. At best it sounds like meaningless waffle and at worst, it comes dangerously close to megalomania. A lose-lose approach. Its easy to see why this tendency has taken hold: management speak, reality shows, self-help guides everyone and everything is telling us to be bigger, better, faster. Youve only got to tune into The Apprentice once in a while to observe some pretty shameless self-promotion on display.  Thats not to say you shouldnt promote yourself: if you dont no-one else will. But strive for content, not cliché. Now those of us who have the privilege to work in the careers and/or recruitment field will have many examples to share far more than I could reasonably include in this post, so Ive tried to select ten of the most common: 1. Im very enthusiastic    great, but the same could be said of my neighbours dog!   Overstating your enthusiasm can make you sound desperate: a bit like those X-Factor contestants who stake their claim to future fame on desire, not talent Oh but I reallllly want it. Enthusiasm alone doesnt qualify you for much. What, precisely, are you enthusiastic about? 2. Im passionate about  this often rides pillion with enthusiasm (see above).  Unfortunately it can make you sound like a 1970s Miss World winner, unless the content that follows is really thoughtful and considered. I shudder a little when I read the first line of a cover letter which starts Ive been passionate about banking since I was 10. Interestedpossibly. Passionate? Im not so sure! 3. Im an excellent team-player and can work independently  this one really sets my teeth on edge, and if I see this in an application form or CV the candidate has to work twice as hard to persuade me. Its just lazy drivel.  Employers do want to see evidence that you can work collaboratively and autonomously, but they wont be convinced by hollow phrases alone.   4. Im dynamic    are you? I really think this is for others to judge: let the evidence do the talking. If youve established a start-up, while working for your degree theres no doubt youll impress employers.  Theres no need to pad your CV out with pointless waffle to prove a point. Generally, claims to dynamism are misplaced individuals who are truly dynamic dont feel the need to proclaim it. 5. Solution focussed    arguably this is less common amongst students and graduates (although excellent problem-solver is a very close relation!) so just consider it a warning for later on.   Whenever I read (or hear) this I am tempted to ask: as opposed to what exactly? No-one intentionally courts failure. I also worry that it sounds a little arrogant; theres a subtle implication that where others see problems, you find solutions. 6. Creative  often found in tandem with problem-solver or visionary. Ive even seen creative thinker appear on one or two CV profiles. I think youre inviting ridicule with this one; youre a graduate, not a professor at Harvard Business School. Beware of using the creative tag too liberally. If you really are a creative individual the evidence will shine through. 7. Extensive experience in (just about) acceptable when summarising substantive professional experience, less so when describing part-time summer jobs or a single internship. Theres really no need to inflate your experience: stand on your own merits.  Graduate recruiters arent looking to appoint executives; theyre looking to appoint you. Yes, youll need some experience but theres a limit to what you can do by 21. 8. Highly motivated  another one to add to the so what pile. Again, whats the alternative?  Youre hardly going to announce your chronic lateness and tendency to pull all-nighters! Employers will generally assume youre motivated by virtue of your application. By all means use the m word, but think noun not verb: Ive proven my motivation for a career in consultancy, through participation in a Spring Insight programme, a Summer Internship and acting as Brand Ambassador for x consultancy. Spot the difference? 9. Reading and socialising  just no.  If you include an interests section (and as aside, please avoid the rather outdated hobbies), make sure it adds value. Reading and socialising are things we all do, a bit like walking and eating. I dont think they warrant a special mention at the end of your CV.  Personal interests can add depth to your CV, but if the content seems contrived or just weird (I can solve a Rubiks Cube in 30 seconds) it wont do you any favours. 10. Curriculum Vitae  this is probably the most common CV cliché of all. Unless youve decided to encrypt the content, I would say its pretty obvious that your CVis a CV. It would be odd to see newspaper above the masthead in newspapers, so why feel the need with your CV? Make your name the title. Own it!