Warning: Whatever you do, please don’t use these words in your resume. Unless of course, you want to make the recruiter cringe and unceremoniously reject your application.
Airline cabin crew recruiters and hiring managers sift through thousands of resumes every year. There are many factors that can make or break the success of your flight attendant application at this early stage. Don’t let these 16 words get in the way of your progression to the next stage.
You see, here’s the thing – Many people include these words in their resumes because they mistakenly think the recruiter is looking for them. Others don’t realise that they need to describe how they did something, not just that are they good at it (here’s looking at you Good Communication Skills)
Now, you might be thinking that if the rest of your resume is looking really good and you have the work experience and skills that airline recruiters are screaming for then it won’t matter about what words sneak into your resume.
But there’s a problem – many airlines now use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to scan and analyse your resume. These ATS systems are actually programmed to detect certain words. This can work in your favour when you talk about the skills and competencies that airlines are looking for in their cabin crew.
More often than not, however, these ATS systems can be your worst enemy. By including some of these 16 Worst Words the ATS will deduct points and give your resume a low score. A poor score could mean a human recruiter never sets eyes on your resume.
These are the words that you need to avoid using on your cabin crew resume:
However, there are some simple ways to replace these words with better choices.
Explain What You Actually Did:
Such as Team Player, Self-Motivated, Good Communication Skills, Hard Working, Problem Solver, Strong Work Ethic, Proactive, People Person.
The vast majority of the Worst Words fall into this category. It’s not good enough to simply say you can do something. You’re just writing a shopping list of skills that the recruiter is looking for. You need to prove that you possess the necessary experience and skills. Describe precisely what you did and what you achieved to get the message across in a way that will excite the recruiter.
Your resume shouldn’t simply list your responsibilities but describe your accomplishments. Learn more here.
Avoid Confusing the Recruiter with Contradictory Phrases:
Such as Team Player, Self-Motivated and Go-getter, Detail Orientated
In one sentence you describe yourself as a team player but then you say you work well on your own. In the next sentence you say you’re really proactive but in the next breath, you state that you focus on the small details. All of these statements might be true but if you fail to explain yourself you risk confusing the recruiter.
Mention specific incidents in which you have done something to prove that you possess the competency that you say you have.
Or Just Leave Them Out Entirely
Such as Synergy, Think Outside of the Box, Track Record, Best of Breed
These are the kind of words that add little to your resume. At best, you are taking up valuable room on your resume. At worst, you will come across as trying too hard and make the recruiter cringe with embarrassment.
Instead, focus on the qualities and attributes that airlines are looking for in their cabin crew. Make sure that every word and sentence in your resume highlights why you possess these skills.
The 16 Worst Words to Use on Your Cabin Crew Resume:
- Team Player
- Self-Motivated
- Good Communication Skills
- Hard Working
- Problem Solver
- Strong Work Ethic
- Proactive
- Go-getter
- Results Driven
- Best of Breed
- People Person
- Synergy
- Track Record
- Detail Orientated
- Dynamic
- Think Outside of the Box
With such a short amount of time to impress the airline recruiter, it’s easy to fall into the trap of using these words. However, with a little work, you can create a unique resume that truly reflects who you are and why you are the perfect flight attendant candidate.
