Use a simple test to figure out if your resume sounds ridiculous

There are a number of things you should probably remove from your résumé immediately.

For one thing, it's time you got rid of those buzzwords you love so much and have become so overused they've practically lost all meaning. "Best of breed?" What is that?

And then there's the all-too-subjective words that come with trying to oversell yourself. These are a real résumé killer, according to Amanda Augustine, a career-advice expert for TopResume.

Subjective words like "creative," "innovative," and "exceptional" are your own opinion and have little bearing for a recruiter, Augustine recently told J.T. O'Donnell, the founder of career-advice site CAREEREALISM.com and author of "Careerealism: The Smart Approach to a Satisfying Career." Even worse, these words make you sound cocky.

Thankfully, Augustine shared a quick and easy test that can spare job-seekers a lot of pondering about what qualifies as too subjective: Ask yourself if you'd say these things when speaking face-to-face with a recruiter.

"'Hi, I'm fantastic Amanda!' would sound pretty silly," Augustine says. "Tone down the language and stick to the facts instead."

For more résumé mistakes that make you seem self-absorbed, check out the full article »

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