Resume Buzzwords and Clichés to Cut
Last updated 2026-08-08
A buzzword is a phrase that once meant something and now appears on so many resumes that it distinguishes nobody. The test is simple: if the opposite claim would be absurd for anyone to make, the claim itself is worthless.
The test
Nobody writes "poor communicator" or "careless with detail". Because the opposite is unsayable, "excellent communication skills" and "detail-oriented" carry no information — every applicant claims them, so they cannot separate anyone.
The worst offenders and their replacements
Before
Excellent communication skills
After
Presented quarterly analysis to a 40-person leadership group and authored the documentation now used in onboarding
Replace the claim with the evidence that would have justified it.
Before
Detail-oriented team player
After
Maintained 99.8% accuracy across 4,000 monthly reconciliations with zero audit adjustments
Accuracy under volume is what "detail-oriented" was trying to say.
Before
Results-driven professional with a proven track record
After
Grew organic traffic 180% in 9 months and cut acquisition cost from $84 to $49
The results are the track record. State them and delete the label.
Before
Think outside the box
After
Replaced a $60K annual vendor contract with an in-house tool built in three weeks
Describe the unconventional thing you actually did.
The full list to search for and remove
- Team player, hard worker, go-getter, self-starter, people person
- Detail-oriented, results-driven, proactive, dynamic
- Think outside the box, synergy, value-add, win-win
- Proven track record, best of breed, world-class
- Guru, ninja, rockstar, wizard, evangelist
- Passionate about, motivated individual, quick learner
- Excellent communication skills, works well under pressure
- Responsible for, duties included, tasked with
Frequently asked questions
- What if the job description uses these words?
- Then including the exact phrase once in your skills or summary is a legitimate keyword match. Just do not build your bullets out of it.
- Is "passionate" always bad?
- It is unverifiable, which makes it weak rather than harmful. If you have space for it, you have space for something better.
Find the buzzwords on your own resume
The Bullet Improver flags weak, generic phrasing and rewrites it where the fix is mechanical.
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