Laura Morsch, CareerBuilder.com writer

So, you're experienced? Before you advertise this in your résumé, be sure you can prove it.

Often, when job seekers try to sell themselves to potential employers, they load their résumés with vague claims that are transparent to hiring managers, according to Scott Bennett, author of "The Elements of Résumé Style" (AMACOM). By contrast, the most successful job seekers avoid these vague phrases on their résumés in favor of accomplishments.

Instead of making empty claims to demonstrate your work ethic, use brief, specific examples to demonstrate your skills. In other words, show, don't tell.

Bennett offers these examples:

Instead of... "Experience working in fast-paced environment"
Try... "Registered 120+ third-shift emergency patients per night"

Instead of... "Excellent written communication skills"
Try... "Wrote jargon-free User Guide for 11,000 users"

Instead of... "Team player with cross-functional awareness"
Try... "Collaborated with clients, A/R and Sales to increase speed of receivables and prevent interruption of service to clients."

Instead of... "Demonstrated success in analyzing client needs"
Try... "Created and implemented comprehensive needs assessment mechanism to help forecast demand for services and staffing."

The worst offenders
It's good to be hard-working and ambitious, right? The hiring manager won't be convinced if you can't provide solid examples to back up your claims. Bennett suggests being extra-careful before putting these nice-sounding but empty words in your résumé.

Resume Hints

Can't think of anything to write down
about what you do in your job? 

ANSWER 20 OR 30 OF THESE QUESTIONS.
We guarantee that you will come up with some new ideas about your job responsibilities and skills.

1. What experience, skills, aptitudes, or traits do you have, or think you might have, that could be of some use to some employer?

2. What skills have you developed, at least to some degree, that you have never used at work?

3. Do others, at work or elsewhere, come to you for any particular kind of help? What kind?

4. Do you have military experience (include Coast Guard and merchant marine)? Branch, grade, Specialty? Active duty, reserves, national guard? Discharge? Duties? Accomplishments? Medals, citations, commendations? Promotions ahead of schedule? You can treat military experience either here, as general background, or list each position as an employer in the Resume Questionnaire. Don't forget, military training can be particularly useful in private industry if it is relevant to your objective.

5. Have you ever published an article, report, or anything, even as a volunteer, even in your company professional association newsletter?

6. Have you ever given a talk, speech, or presentation, or provided training to anyone at work or elsewhere? Give the specifics.

7. Computer literacy and related skills: What platforms can you use (PC, Apple, Atari, etc.)? Which one are you most comfortable with? What operating systems are you familiar with (DOS; Windows 3.x, NT, or 95; OS/2; Unix; Apple; other)? If you program, which languages do you know, and what is your level of ability or experience in: What programs, or kinds of programs, have you designed or helped design or debug? What Internet research tools are you familiar with? What programs are you familiar with (word processors; spread sheets; data bases; groupware or PIM's, such as Lotus Notes, Groupwise, Ecco; graphics, desk-top publishing, etc.); office suites (Suite; Microsoft Office; Word Perfect Office); LAN or WAN system software? (If you know the latest version, mention it, as in "Lotus Notes v. 4." If you're not familiar with the latest version, give only program's name.)

8. What foreign languages do you know at least somewhat, and what is your level of skill in each. I.e. native speaker; fluent; moderate; phrase-book; write easily for professional purposes?

9. What planning or analytical tools are you familiar with (critical path? PERT; quality function deployment; etc.) ?

10. What experience have you had as a manager of or participant in TQM? CQI? Business process reengineering (which version: general structure/function analysis or computer systems analysis)?

11. Do you have any special travel experience, domestic or foreign? If you studied, lived, or worked in a foreign country, how long were you there? Did you live in an American enclave?

Responsibilities, Activities:

1. How many people did you supervise? Orient? Hire? Train?

2. How large a budget did you manage?

3. Who do you report to?

4. What was the highest level in the company that you reported to or communicated with directly?

5. Did you coordinate anything?

6. Serve as liaison between groups or key individuals?

7. Mediate between groups or individuals? Resolve any conflicts? Serve as mentor to anyone?

8. Did you do, or participate in, strategic planning?

9. Did you set or evaluate or participate in the setting or evaluation of policy?

10. Did you evaluate any individual or group performance, or any task or project research?

11. How did you relate to the product or service?

12. Did you communicate with customers? How?

13. Were you on any proposal teams, in-house or with a customer or subcontractor? Did the proposal succeed?

14. What was your function on the team, or your contribution to winning? Your team's percentage of wins?

15. Did you communicate with suppliers or subcontractors? How?

16. Did you purchase services or supplies for the office, unit, department?

17. Ever serve as a troubleshooter? In what area?

18. Did you back up someone? Who?

19. Did you do any surveys or other research or studies? Determine requirements?

20. Prepare recommendations?

21. Design or manage any processes, systems, or projects?

22. Organize any events, conferences, meetings? How many?

23. Did you administer anything?

24. Consult for anyone, inside or outside the organization?

25. Did you gain experience in any special use software?

26. Foreign languages?

27. Analytical or evaluative procedures?

28. Equipment or hardware?

29. What kind of writing did you do, for yourself or someone else (e-mail, correspondence, memos, reports, concept papers, plans, proposals, office newsletter, etc.)? What did you write about? Did you write any that was delivered to a customer as a product, or part of one?

Achievements, Accomplishments:

1. How much reduction in costs or increase in profits did you contribute to?

2. What did you do?

3. Did you add any smoothness, quality, or economy of operation that noticeably improved the way things were before you assumed responsibility?

4. Any concrete or specific signs of the gain you achieved?

5. Did you propose, suggest, or initiate any programs, changes, or improvements that were implemented at least partly because of your initiative?

6. What positive results occurred?

7. What did you do as a volunteer, beyond the regular duties of your position?

8. Whether you were paid for it or not, what were you particularly good at that made a difference in how the office (job, project, assignment) progressed from day to day?

Awards, Recognition:

1. Were you praised, recognized, or given a pat on the back for anything-a particular assignment, a method of working, a trait of character? How? By whom?

2. Were you promoted ahead of schedule?

3. Selected for any special responsibilities or programs?