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There's always a lot of emphasis on the type of information you should put on your resume, but not enough attention paid to what you shouldn't include - and that can be just as important. In this age of rapid-fire information, you need to respect the reader's time and not waste space with unnecessary stuff. Here are 25 very common statements that you can eliminate from your resume:
Managed day-to-day operations of the store to maximize sales and profits Umm, that's kinda what store managers do. There's no need to say it because retail recruiters recruit store managers for a living and they already know that. Ensured a high level of customer service at all times Unless someone else can say that you ensured a high level of customer service at all times, it's simply your opinion and no one has any reason to believe it. OBJECTIVE: To secure a management position with a company that.... Traditional objectives are outdated. Employers are more interested in whether you meet their needs - if you do, then they'll pay more interest to your needs. Won the MVP Award MVP of what? All 11,000 stores at Dollar General? Or just your store? Awards are important to include, don't get me wrong, but provide some context. Reduced inventory shrink by focusing the team on shrink reduction initiatives You mean you didn't cut shrink by training staff on window signage? Usually the action you took isn't as important as the result. How much did you reduce shrink? Dynamic, visionary, and results-driven leader Yeah, yeah, yeah - aren't we all? These fluff statements mean absolutely nothing to the reader. Everyone uses them. Everyone ignores them. Ensured compliance with corporate policies This is something that everyone does regardless of the industry they work in, the job function they perform, or the level they're at (unless they create corporate policies). Excellent communication and organizational skills A) subjective, and B) assumed. You can't prove you have great communication and organizational skills via your resume (maybe great writing skills), so don't bother. Developed and implemented an action plan... Everyone understands that action plans are regularly developed to address and correct poor performance, so skip that part and get to your results. Maximized sales by ensuring optimal execution of company directives A bit of a mouthful that doesn't really say anything. Avoid "business-speak" on your resume - impress them with qualifications and achievements, not buzzwords. Multimillion-dollar.... How many million? There's a Grand Canyon-like difference between $3M and $100M, but both qualify as multimillion. Avoid vagueness whenever possible. Built a strong sales culture Says who? Unless the full sentence is "Built a strong sales culture that grew sales from $2M to $2.75M in the first year," it comes across as your own self-reflection. Retail management professional Everyone loves to call themselves a "professional" but no one stops to ask what that even means. I think it means this - it makes us feel good about ourselves. Demonstrated ability to build strong, cohesive teams Another example of subjective opinion. Anything that makes the reader think, "Oh yeah, prove it!" should be left off your resume. Strategic planning One of the top buzzwords used by executives. Store managers aren't typically involved in strategic planning, which implies national/corporate scope. Collaborated with district leaders and head office to improve business results Working with other people in your company is nothing to brag about - pretty much everyone who has co-workers collaborates with them to improve the business. Capable of... When you put this on a resume, it implies you've never done it before. Focus on what you have achieved and let the reader determine what you're capable of. Implement procedures, processes, and directives as communicated by head office You mean you did what your head office asked you to do? That's great, but also expected. After all, what are you going to say - you ignored directives? Responsible for hiring and training Did you hire and train anyone? Because this doesn't tell me. All this says is IF there was any hiring and training that needed to be done, you would do it. Proficient with Microsoft Office; excellent online research skills Maybe important 10 years ago, but now these skills are assumed. If you have special tech skills that are relevant to your job target, include them - otherwise, don't. Delivered exceptional results Go on...how exceptional? Avoid vague statements that are open to perception - you may think a 5% sales increase is exceptional, while others may not. Function effectively in a team environment I would hope so. For the same reason you don't need to tell them you'll show up to work on time, you don't need to tell them this. It's assumed. Store Manager - Action Sports (1972-1978) Can you attach your elementary school report card too? Just kidding, it's not needed, but neither is your work experience from 30+ years ago. Highly motivated Why? Because you're out of work? You're ambitious and want a DM job in the next year? Regardless, everyone who is job searching says they're motivated. References available upon request If references are required, they'll ask you for them regardless of whether you have this statement at the bottom of your resume. Outdated. Focus on the facts and respect your reader's time and knowledge level, and you'll be well on your way to a great resume. Cheers! ---- Mike Howard, Professional Resume Writer If you enjoyed this post, follow me on LinkedIn for more.  Comments are closed.
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