The best (and worst) words to have on your résumé

Do you consider yourself a hard worker? A real go-getter? Someone who likes to think outside of the box? Then you're just the type of person who needs to review their résumé ASAP.

A recent CareerBuilder survey found there are some words hiring managers and human resources pros just don't want to see on your résumé. And if you've called yourself a go-to person, a team player or a strategic thinker, you'll need to make a few changes before you send your résumé to anyone else.

The deal-breakers
Unless you want to end up on an employer's "Do not call" list, think twice before you put any of these empty words on your résumé -- they won't accomplish as much as you might hope.

•Best of breed: 38 percent
•Go-getter: 27 percent
•Think outside of the box: 26 percent
•Synergy: 22 percent
•Go-to person: 22 percent
•Thought leadership: 16 percent
•Value add: 16 percent
•Results-driven: 16 percent
•Team player: 15 percent
•Bottom-line: 14 percent
•Hard worker: 13 percent
•Strategic thinker: 12 percent
•Dynamic: 12 percent
•Self-motivated: 12 percent
•Detail-oriented: 11 percent
•Proactively: 11 percent
•Track record: 10 percent

You don't have much time
Given the amount of time your résumé has to make an impression, it should come as no surprise that your choice of words can be exactly the reason you aren't brought in for an interview. In fact, if you get more than a couple minutes of attention, you should consider yourself lucky.

Sixty-eight percent of hiring managers and human resources pros will spend two minutes or less reviewing each résumé they receive; 17 percent will actually spend 30 seconds or less.

The words they actually want to see
If you really are a hard worker, prove it by backing up that claim with some data.Rather than focusing on your previous duties to capture your relevant experience, focus on what you've been able to achieve using your relevant skills. The following terms -- mostly verbs -- should help you refocus your résumé on what truly matters. As an added bonus, hiring managers would love to see these terms:

•Achieved: 52 percent
•Improved: 48 percent
•Trained/mentored: 47 percent
•Managed: 44 percent
•Created: 43 percent
•Resolved: 40 percent
•Volunteered: 35 percent
•Influenced: 29 percent
•Increased/decreased: 28 percent
•Ideas: 27 percent
•Negotiated: 25 percent
•Launched: 24 percent
•Revenue/profits: 23 percent
•Under budget: 16 percent
•Won: 13 percent

The bottom line: You can't afford to make a bad first impression, and you don't have a lot of time to make a good first impression. With some hiring managers, you'll have 30 seconds to make your case, and the numbers say you probably won't make it past two minutes.