Avoid these 10 cliched words or phrases on your resume

As college grads race to secure a job this summer, they will likely write and revise a fair share of resumes. This platform wants them to get it right.

Kickresume rounded up 394 resumes that were used to secure jobs — including roles at Apple, Google and Amazon — to see the dos and don'ts of crafting an effective job application. While relevant and concise information regarding one's work experience and education obviously matter, Kickresume also spent time pinpointing which cliche words or phrases can do more harm than good.

Words like "innovative" and "passionate" made the list, as well as phrases like "responsible for" and "communication skills." Kickresume found that these words were used too commonly in the resumes they analyzed. And while those resumes still succeeded in helping the candidate land a job, Kickresume researchers determined that they made the candidate seem generic.

Read more: Recruiters are choosing resumes more randomly than you think

"These phrases take up valuable space on your resume that could be used better," says Julia Gergelova, certified professional resume writer at Kickresume. "Your resume is not a long document — it's your chance to quickly impress the recruiter and show them why you're suitable for the job. So, every word should be pulling its weight."

Gergelova notes that candidates are better off providing concise examples of wanted skills, using action words like "created," "delivered," "designed" and "launched." When listing their set of skills, candidates should also avoid sounding too nondescript: Instead of writing "creative," for example, list what skill empowers that creativity, like videography or UI/UX design. 

Here are the 10 words or phrases you can throw out the next time you're editing your resume: