Thank you again Dirk Spencer.

1. The Resume Kiss of Death (KOD) © by Dirk Spencer creator of Resume Psychology - Get the
Offer Not the Interview©
Job Titles to Avoid:
Entrepreneur, Owner, Consultant or Variations on this Theme:
• Maverick, Rule Breaker, Does Not Take Direction Well, Loner
• Side business will always draw your energy or be a distraction, not an enhancer
• Does not work well with others, not a team player, not their scale
Operator
• Night owl who might not be around long
Franchisee
• In-debt and under someone else’s thumb when things get busy
Head Bottle Washer and CEO
• Humor indicates a lack of seriousness or hides authority issues
Principal
• Use ONLY if you were a principal with the one of the big 5, 4, 3 firms
Fluffed Filled Phrases to Avoid (AKA - Phrases we never search on):
Results-Oriented
• What results determine your orientation?
Proven Leader
• Then lead yourself to a new job already, why aren’t we following you?
Strong Interpersonal Skills
• Too bad you cannot write a resume that reflects those traits
Hands-on Technician
• Is there any other kind, the hand-off ones don’t get much done
Seasoned Professional
• I can smell the Old-Spice © and overdone baby powder already
• Only of you are applying for a job with McCormick ® should this phrase be written
10, 20, 25, 30, 35 Years of Experience
• Too expensive
• Too rigid to learn new things
• Plus – when you do not match on their number they can legally kick you out
Responsible
• Seriously – do you think this is going convince anyone of your skills and abilities?
• This is assumed by the way – if you were doing it you were probably “responsible.” Duh!

2. Successfully, Effectively
• The secret here - we make certain assumptions about your success and effectiveness.
• If you were anything else but these words – would you tell us in a resume?
I (EYE did this - EYE did that)
• No kidding – we know it is you because your name is on it
Thinkers – Strategic Thinker / Tactical Thinker
• The only “Thinker” that would impress us would be if you casted the original bronze
Utilize – Utilized - Utilizing
• The government no longer talks like this – why are you using this word
Duties
• No kidding – learn to unpack this word – it is too vague to help your resume
Decisive
• Versus the indecisive candidates we avoid like the plague?
Dynamic
• Versus the static employees we currently have on the payroll?
High Energy
• Again do you think we ever search or believe this about you without meeting you?
Power – Powerful
• The only way these words can be your resume is if at the top of the resume your name is
Superman or Batman
Reinvigorated
• This sounds like a male / female enhancement line and has nothing to do with skills
Demoralized
• The use of the negative language does not enhance your status and risks sounding pompous
Other
• This word hides keywords and insights on your expertise and should be replaced to improve
your impact, clarify your scale, and or both
Every, All
• Absolute language like this is too vague for resume content
Manger (M-a-n-g-e-r)
• Unless you are in the trough feed business – this is the big amateur move on resumes

3. Honest is good – Being vulnerable is bad and unnecessary
Self-Taught
• No one wanted to show you, you cannot handle a classroom, you are not serious
Recent Death in the Family Forced Me to Start My Own Company
• Too much information, potential drama queen (or king) in the making
Married, Three Kids, Wife’s name is Mary, Agnes, Joan…
• This is about them, not you and your lovely family and gets you kicked out
Hobbies
• Irrelevant to THEM, THEIR need, unless it is overtly related to the industry
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