These are the terms used the most, and misspelled the most, on job applicant resumes

Marina Johnson, Indianapolis Star

The job market can be extremely competitive, and crafting the perfect resume can be tedious. A unique, impressive resume can set you apart from other candidates.

A recent study revealed Indiana’s most overused words on resumes, as well as overused and misspelled words and phrases seen on resumes at the national level. Avoid these to stand out (and don't forget to spell check).

What words/phrases are overused on Indiana resumes?

QRFY, QR code generator, conducted the study by taking 50 common resume words and phrases, and running them through Indeed’s Resume Search to determine the most frequently used and misspelt ones at the Indiana and national level. Resumes included in the research were updated within six months of the study.

The most overused words on Indiana resumes are as follows:

  • Responsible: Used 97,079 times (On resumes updated within last six months)

  • Organized: Used 65,001 times

  • Social: Used 60,653 times

  • Trained: Used 60,554 times

  • Leader: Used 53,903 times

  • Motivated: Used 38,949 times

  • Proficient: Used 33,468 times

  • Fast-paced: Used 30,159 times

  • Experienced: Used 29,237 times

  • Exceptional: Used 28,508 times

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What words are overused on resumes in the U.S.?

The top 20 words overused and the number of resumes they were on in the U.S. are as follows:

  • Responsible: Used 5,146,386 times

  • Organized: Used 3,864,497 times

  • Social: Used 3,491,557 times

  • Trained: Used 2,952,148 times

  • Leader: Used 2,330,139 times

  • Proficient: Used 2,201,793 times

  • Motivated: Used 2,200,863 times

  • Exceptional: Used 1,905,296 times

  • Experienced: Used 1,787,354 times

  • Friendly: Used 1,770,814 times

  • Fast-paced: Used 1,701,821 times

  • Skilled: Used 1,636,246 times

  • Team Player: Used 1,596,853 times

  • Creative: Used 1,503,845 times

  • Successful: Used 1,456,502 times

  • Bilingual: Used 1,451,423 times

  • Focused: Used 1,381,508 times

  • Driven: Used 1,355,376 times

  • Reliable: Used 1,336,700 times

  • Hard-working: Used 1,269,563 times

What words are commonly misspelled on resumes in the U.S.?

The words most often misspelled on resumes nationally are:

  • Professional: Misspelled as “profesional” on 38,697 resumes

  • Organized: Misspelled as “organised” on 20,260 resumes

  • Environment: Misspelled as “enviroment” on 14,770 resumes

  • Management: Misspelled as “mangment” on 10,277 resumes

  • Receive: Misspelled as “recieve” on 9,354 resumes

  • Independent: Misspelled as “independant” on 7,087 resumes

  • Knowledge: Misspelled as “knowlege” on 3,316 resumes

  • Confident: Misspelled as “confidant” on 2,594 resumes

  • Separate: Misspelled as “seperate” on 2,465 resumes

  • Focused: Misspelled as “focussed” on 2,272 resumes

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: 10 words Indiana used the most by Indiana job applicants on their resumes

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