So you’re feeling hot because you’re looking for a new job. You have years of experience, awesome references and tons of credible job experience on your resume. Hell, you even have some education, and you’re feeling like the next job you apply for is going to be YOURS.

Hey, you know, I’d hate to be that jackass that tells you that you’re wrong… but you’re wrong. There are literally hundreds of people competing for a position against you, especially if you’re surfing for a job online. Did you know that a post on Monster gets an average of 15 responses in just the first day it’s posted? Yeah, that’s some heavy competition, and I guarantee that at least some of those people are JUST as qualified, if not more so, to take the job you think you’re perfect for.

So you know what’s going to make you stand out? The little things. The words. The phrases. The sentences. Those things are going to be the things that divide you from the pack—and the pack is large.

Here are just a few phrases you should start avoiding RIGHT NOW before you embarrass yourself:

“Try”

What, you don’t believe in yourself? Are you unconfident you can get a job done just as well as anyone else? People are going to look at “tried to save the Dodo bird from extinction,” and they’re going to instantly know you failed (for several reasons). Try shows a potential employer that you did your best, and your best didn’t cut it. So why would they want to hire someone whose best sucks? They wouldn’t. Leave negative words like that off your resume.

“References Available Upon Request”

Your potential employer isn’t stupid. In fact, they are far from stupid. That’s why you’re trying to work for them. So why are you putting something on your resume that tells them that they have no idea that they need to ask you for references? I’m not saying you should put your references on your resume. You shouldn’t. But you don’t need to tell an employer they need to ask you for references. Ever.

Irrelevant Experience

You’re 29…stop listing your high school experience on your resume. It looks like you’re reaching for items to put on your resume because you have no idea what you’re actually looking for. Forget your high school accomplishments, no matter how awesome they are. Instead, include projects and jobs that have challenged you and required a number of skills that are similar to the skills you need for this new job. If that means you need to have six resumes for different niches, so be it. That’s what it takes to get the job you want.

Objective

I don’t even know you, and I know what your objective is:  Get this job. I mean, seriously. Your objective doesn’t matter all that much. It might look cool, and it does tell the employer a little about you and your goals, but why would they even care unless you’re sitting on the other side of the table and they can ask you about those goals personally? Yeah, you got it – they don’t. Use that space for skills, experience and other important facts.

“Responsibilities Include…”

An employer is going to look at your resume for a total of about three seconds. You have three seconds to make an impression, so your resume need to be lean, clean, and refined. That means that descriptions of what you did at a company are simply irrelevant. This phrase is used on everyone’s resume. Break outside the box a little before you get tossed aside for being cliché. Make your resume burst – metaphorically – with information you know would attract you if you were reading a resume. You’ll thank me later for this snippet of advice.

“I’d Love to Work for Your Company Because…”

NO ONE CARES.

I know that’s a little harsh, and all of these are a little harsh. But the simple truth is that without a proper resume, you aren’t going to get a job, and that’s what we want you to go get. Tell your employer what you did, what you started out as, and what you improved at a company while you were there. Skip the rest, and you’ll find that you may actually get a few more hooks when it comes to getting a job you might like a little.

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