Jobseekers have 7.4 seconds to make an impression with their resume, according to eye-tracking research, and new analysis from Careerminds suggests that those precious seconds are spent reading the same words repeatedly.
The workforce solutions provider analyzed 41,844 resume summaries and profile statements within the last 12 months to reveal the most overused buzzwords on resumes today, then followed those resumes to a hiring outcome to determine which words are associated with landing a job.
Key findings include:
- “Dynamic” is the most overused buzzword on resumes, appearing on more than 19,633 resumes in the last 12 months.
- Job seekers describing themselves as “ambitious” were hired 24.4% of the time, against a 19% average.
- “Dependable” was the weakest word measured for hiring chance, with just 7.2% of job seekers using it on their resume landing a role.
- “Reliable” and “hard-working” rank among the most used words on resumes yet are less likely than average (19%) to lead to a hire.
The most overused words on resumes
In the last 12 months, 19,633 job seekers describes themselves as “dynamic” on their resumes. “Dedicated” follows with 16,315 mentions, and “proven ability” completes the top three at 15,903.
| Rank | Buzzword | Count of occurrence (last 12 months) | Percentage of resumes |
| 1 | Dynamic | 19,633 | 46.9% |
| 2 | Dedicated | 16,316 | 39% |
| 3 | Proven ability | 15,903 | 38% |
| 4 | Track record | 14,171 | 33.9% |
| 5 | Passionate | 13,418 | 32.1% |
| 6 | Fast-paced (environment) | 13,371 | 32% |
| 7 | Problem solver | 12,739 | 30.4% |
| 8 | Motivated | 12,680 | 30.3% |
| 9 | Extensive experience | 12,120 | 29% |
| 10 | Proven track record | 11,232 | 26.8% |
| 11 | Cross-functional | 10,482 | 25.1% |
| 12 | Detail-oriented | 9,858 | 23.6% |
| 13 | Reliable | 8,070 | 19.3% |
| 14 | Results-driven | 7,452 | 17.8% |
| 15 | Innovative | 6,963 | 16.6% |
| 16 | Communication skills | 6,568 | 15.7% |
| 17 | Attention to detail | 5,679 | 13.6% |
| 18 | Hard-working | 5,635 | 13.5% |
| 19 | Strong communication skills | 5,054 | 12.1% |
| 20 | Data-driven | 4,773 | 11.4% |
Across the top buzzwords, around half are personality descriptors, such as dedicated, passionate, motivated, reliable, and hard-working, while the rest highlight experience or results without backing them up, like “proven ability,” “track record,” and “results-driven.”
The buzzwords most likely to lead to a hire
The analysis found that 19% of resumes went on to land a new role. Job seekers who describe themselves as “ambitious” were hired 24.4% of the time, the strongest buzzword measured, whereas candidate describing themselves as “dependable” landed a role just 7.2% of the time.
| Buzzwords to keep | Share who were hired | Buzzwords to cut | Share who were hired |
| Ambitious | 24.4% | Dependable | 7.2% |
| Collaborative | 24% | Compassionate | 10.3% |
| Innovative | 23.8% | Resourceful | 10.8% |
| Strategic | 23.6% | Organized | 11.5% |
| Dynamic | 22.6% | Proactive | 12.1% |
| Creative | 22.4% | Reliable | 12.4% |
| Driven | 22.2% | Hard-working | 13.2% |
Notably, two of the words least likely to lead to a hire, “reliable” (12.4%) and “hard-working” (13.2%) also rank among the 20 most used words on resumes, meaning thousands of job seekers are leading with language that performs poorly. At the other end of the table, “dynamic” (22.6%) and “innovative” (23.8%) are among the most common buzzwords and sit comfortably above the 19% average.
“Anyone can call themselves a great salesperson or claim they’re adept at project management. It’s the candidate whose resume explains how they consistently exceeded their sales quota, or delivered projects on time and on budget, who impresses employers,” Amanda Augustine, career expert and Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) at Careerminds, said in a statement.
Photo credit: Mohamed_hassan/Pexels
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