How to Write Your First Job Resume: 5 Tips for New Graduates

How to write, customize and work your new resume

Debra Wheatman is a certified professional resume writer and career strategist who has helped over 11,000 executives with personal branding and career positioning. She brings more than 20 years of corporate HR experience at companies including Condé Nast and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.

3 min read • Originally published July 5, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

By Debra Wheatman

Debra Wheatman is a certified professional resume writer and career strategist who has helped over 11,000 executives with personal branding and career positioning. She brings more than 20 years of corporate HR experience at companies including Condé Nast and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.

3 min read • Originally published July 5, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

New Graduates: Five Tips for a Professional Resume was originally published by the American Marketing Association .

1. Pick a Job Goal

The first step in drawing up your new resume is to pick the type of job you are aiming for.

You earned your degree and have a world of opportunities. It can be overwhelming to define a career goal. The good news is that you don’t have to choose one industry or one job.

Most people launching a career have two or three interests that match their skillset. A good starting place to research careers is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Online Occupational Handbook. After you research your options, narrow your goal to three or fewer potential career paths.

This will make your search more manageable. You can always alter your goals as new opportunities arise.

2. Document Your Non-Work Experience

Most recent graduates have limited work experience. However, not all experience is work-related.

There are several other types of experience that increase your credibility and demonstrate your skills. These include: education, academic honors, coursework relevant to your goal, highlights of top academic projects, research papers, presentations, posters, academic organizations, service organizations, languages and computer skills.

3. Brainstorm for Accomplishments

Review all of your work and non-work experience to uncover major accomplishments. Holding an office in a student organization shows your leadership skills.

If you led a major charity fundraiser, that would be a great accomplishment to demonstrate your organizational and project management skills. Be sure to include numbers, such as how much money was raised.

Tutoring students reinforces your training ability and you can take it one step further by talking about the student’s success or how you grew your tutoring business by word of mouth. If you think about it, you have many accomplishments, even if you have never held a “real” job.

Want even more help on your resume? Get started with a FREE resume evaluation from Mediabistro’s Career Services. Our counselors and writers can help you update and upgrade your resume so you can confidently apply for the job you want.

4. Customize

There are many options when you launch a new career. Based on your research, you will uncover multiple ways that you can apply your talents and education.

The mistake that many candidates make is creating and using only one resume for multiple different job opportunities. Avoid that mistake by customizing your resume for each opportunity or each type of job.

A focused resume aligns you with the potential employer’s requirements and you will come across as an ideal candidate.

5. Work Your Resume

It takes time and energy to land your ideal job. Academic preparation is your minimum requirement. Getting the job requires company research, networking, resume preparation and modification, and online social media activities.

The job search is a numbers game. You must follow dozens of leads, post your resume and follow up, send many resumes each week, and network routinely to be successful in your search. In other words, now that you have a new resume, work it!

Debra Wheatman is president of Careers Done Write.

The American Marketing Association is the pre-eminent force in marketing for best and next practices, thought leadership and valued relationships, across the entire discipline of marketing. Its online publications include posts on industry trends, career advice and more.

Topics:

Get Hired, Resumes & Cover Letters

Job Search

How to Do a Mock Interview: Practice Makes Perfect Interviews

The #WeekendJobSearch Assignment #9: Use a mock interview to get ready for the real thing

By John Lombard

John Lombard is a content strategist and writer with over a decade of experience creating interactive and video content for brands like Apple, IBM, and Samsung. He previously worked at Mediabistro and now serves as a Client Strategist at Ceros.

3 min read • Originally published May 20, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

By John Lombard

John Lombard is a content strategist and writer with over a decade of experience creating interactive and video content for brands like Apple, IBM, and Samsung. He previously worked at Mediabistro and now serves as a Client Strategist at Ceros.

3 min read • Originally published May 20, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

Welcome to week 9 of The Weekend Job Search, our ongoing series that breaks the whole job-search process into 13 totally doable to-do items.

Last week, we helped you prepare for your next job interview, even before it’s on your calendar.

This week, we’re helping you prep for the interview itself by doing a little role-playing and conducting a mock interview. Think of it as practice making perfect: If you go through the motions and rehearse the kinds of questions you may be asked, you’re more likely to be relaxed and perform better when it’s time for the real thing.

The Weekend Job Search Assignment #9

Hold a Mock Interview With a Friend

There’s no better way to prep for an interview than by conducting a mock interview with a friend or family member. While you can never totally prepare for curveball questions interviewers are going to ask, practicing your responses to popular interview questions will help up your confidence and lower your umms, you knows and other filler words that make you sound less smart.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Find a Friend or Family Member.

Today, reach out to somebody you think would be helpful in a mock interview, whether it’s a friend, a family member or even a professional mock interview coach. You’re looking for someone who won’t be afraid to give you honest feedback; maybe sweeten the deal by offering to meet in a coffee shop and footing the bill.

2. Prepare for the Mock Interview.

Make a list of questions for your friend to ask during your mock interview. You can pull these from lists of popular or tricky interview questions; if you’re targeting companies, you can also check out Glassdoor to find company-specific interview questions.

It’s also a good idea to make a list of things for your friend to watch out for, like which questions gave you trouble, or if things like your body language is sending the wrong impression.

Get even more help on your interview preparation: The counselors with Mediabistro’s Career Services can help you refine your interview skills in a one-on-one session.

3. Conduct the Mock Interview.

Even though your friend will probably do a “boss” voice for the first question, it’s important to treat this like a real interview. Once you’ve completed one round of the interview, ask for feedback from your interviewer. Then, consider a second round to take in notes and give those trouble questions another go.

Hopefully this process will shed some light on your strong and not-so-strong interview skills. Taking the feedback from your friend, and thinking on the questions that gave you trouble, work to improve upon what you learned from the experience.

And because video interviews are quickly becoming the norm, consider setting up a FaceTime interview with a friend as well.

Bonus tip: Consider swapping roles with your friend. Because experienced hiring managers have conducted so many interviews themselves, many report that when they’re up for a job, they rarely get nervous. Going a round in the interviewer’s seat may help you avoid the jitters when the real thing comes around.

And that’s week 9!

Next week, we’ll be giving you quick, easy ways to research a company, as well as the people looking to hire you.

Start from the beginning: #WeekendJobSearch Assignment #1

Share your progress on Twitter: #WeekendJobSearch

Topics:

Get Hired, Job Search

Resumes & Cover Letters

Skills-Based Cover Letter Template: Save Time and Get More Interviews

To catch a hiring manager’s eye, sometimes it helps to talk skills

By John Lombard

John Lombard is a content strategist and writer with over a decade of experience creating interactive and video content for brands like Apple, IBM, and Samsung. He previously worked at Mediabistro and now serves as a Client Strategist at Ceros.

3 min read • Originally published November 7, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

By John Lombard

John Lombard is a content strategist and writer with over a decade of experience creating interactive and video content for brands like Apple, IBM, and Samsung. He previously worked at Mediabistro and now serves as a Client Strategist at Ceros.

3 min read • Originally published November 7, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

If you’re a recent grad, recently changed careers or have been known to job-hop, then a skills-based cover letter—one that highlights your transferable skills—can give you an edge in the hiring process. And we’ve got a template to get started.

If you’re just entering the workforce and lack specific relevant experience, use a skills-based cover to highlight your transferable skills from internships, part-time jobs and student clubs, says Mitchell Langbert, associate professor of business management at Brooklyn College.

Changing careers? Langbert says this type of cover letter can help you “accentuate the competencies rather than the job titles” as a means of showing the relevance of skills from your previous career to your new one.

And if you’re a chronic job-hopper, use a skills-based cover letter to “consolidate the experience to lessen the emphasis on the frequent movement,” says Langbert.

Let our career & resume experts help perfect your cover letter with a professional edit.

The basic idea of this type of cover letter is simple: Rather than solely highlighting your past experiences, focus on the skills that you can take from one job to the next. This shows the hiring manager you have what’s needed to get the job done.

“List your best skills that are also most relatable to the specific job in which you have interest,” says Claire Leyton, senior recruiter for communications company Cision.

The goal of the cover letter is to “make a recruiter or hiring manager take a deeper look at your resume,” says Leyton, who recommends highlighting no more than three skills.

Below is a template for a skills-based cover letter:

Introduction: Use this opening paragraph to explain why you’re interested in the role. You can also add a sentence explaining how your skill set and passion for the role or company make you an ideal candidate.

Intro to your skills list: Quickly state that you’re using a skills-based cover letter. Consider something like, “I’ve taken a good look at the job description, and put together a short list of my top transferable skills.”

Skills List: Using the job description, identify what you believe are the top three required skills for the role and create three points here listing your transferrable skills. Then, talk about each briefly.

Here are a few examples:

Skilled in Adobe InDesign: With five years’ experience developing products using InDesign, I have created award-winning ebooks, one sheets, layouts and other design materials. In my previous role, I trained the design staff on InDesign best-practices when creating visual content.

Experienced in Project Management—For the past three years, I have been managing a team of designers and writers. Through this, I’ve honed my approach to management and, as of late, have been using the waterfall methodology, which is proving to be a great success for the team.

Passionate About Data—Data has always driven my creative decisions, but to provide better actionable insights through our data, I recently gained my certification in Google Analytics. I’ve used this knowledge to discover new opportunities and have helped to raise conversions by 23%.

Call to Action: Finish by stating something like, “I would love to come in for an interview to meet with the team and learn more about how I can contribute to this role.”

Contact Information: Don’t forget to list your contact information so the hiring manager can easily reach out. This can include your email, phone number, portfolio site, LinkedIn profile and anything else you want to be front of mind for the hiring manager.

Topics:

Get Hired, Resumes & Cover Letters

Job Search

9 Solid Pieces of Career Advice Worth Bookmarking

Forget cover letters, remember your video chat etiquette and read the latest in job-search stories

By Katie Hottinger

@katiehottinger

Katie Hottinger is a content strategist and UX designer with over 15 years of editorial experience across brands including JPMorgan Chase, Google, Condé Nast Traveler, and Mediabistro. She specializes in digital content strategy and multi-platform editorial execution.

3 min read • Originally published March 23, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

By Katie Hottinger

@katiehottinger

Katie Hottinger is a content strategist and UX designer with over 15 years of editorial experience across brands including JPMorgan Chase, Google, Condé Nast Traveler, and Mediabistro. She specializes in digital content strategy and multi-platform editorial execution.

3 min read • Originally published March 23, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

Spring hiring is picking up, and, with it, a new crop of career advice coverage. Here are some of our favorites.

1. In case you wanted an excuse to stop writing cover letters, here are 10 good ones.
You think you hate regurgitating selling points about your experience and what you can bring to a role? Imagine how the hiring manager who has to read it in your cover letter feels—and those of countless other applicants to the position. Forbes columnist Liz Ryan comes up with an even 10 reasons to stop writing the dreaded cover letter, and tells what to do instead.

2. Companies love video interviews, but candidates hate ’em. Here’s how to get camera ready and make a great impression.
The good news: Video interviews can lead to faster hires than old-fashioned in-person interviews. The bad news: Most candidates don’t know how to do them. This video interview how-to from Business Insider demystifies the process, and may just help you land the offer.

3. Almost every resume has short-term gigs and gaps. With these tips, you can explain them, or even gloss over them.
The reasons for having short-term stints on your resume can vary, says this tip-sheet from recruiter.com. Here’s how to explain them, and when you can leave them off your resume entirely.

4. If you feel like you’re sending your resume and applications into a cyber abyss, there are alternate steps you can take to getting an interview—and a job offer.
With some smart research and a carefully crafted cold email, you can set yourself apart from the rest of the job-applicant crowd. A how-to on Inc.com gives you the ins-and-outs of this confident, resourceful approach.

5. The economy is still recovering slowly, but there are plenty of jobs out there that pay $150,000 or more.
The average annual salary of all jobs in the U.S. is $47,230, but this wrapup by CBS MoneyWatch highlights 20 that reliably pull down $150K a year. Spoiler alert for media pros: marketing manager is one of them.

6. When you’re young, it’s smart to discover what you’re good at, find a mentor—and, unless you are very certain about what you want to do, do not enter a Ph.D. program.
The crowdsource geniuses at Quora are offering up their takes on career advice that people often learn too late. Glean their collective wisdom (“Network. Network. Network,” “Say ‘no’ more often,”), or offer some of your own.

7. Something else employees worry about: Office messaging service Slack may soon start keeping tabs on your productivity.
Slack’s founder and CEO told a crowd at SXSW that the company is developing bots to “converse with employees, get status updates, and send that information to others in the company,” according to this story on Quartz.

And for employers:

8. Promising candidates are getting a second chance over questionable posts.
There are still valid reasons suspicious social media activity should disqualify even the strongest applicants. This article from Entrepreneur outlines some of the best, including when posts point to dishonesty on a resume, or shows inappropriate behavior.

9. There’s a major disconnect between what management thinks about company culture, and what employees do.
Surprise! Employers and employees don’t see eye to eye about workplace culture, as reported in this Fast Company article. Why does it matter? The gap between employer and employee perceptions is often cited as a top reason why people quit their jobs.

Topics:

Get Hired, Job Search

Job Search

LinkedIn Profile Tips: How to Complete Every Section for Maximum Visibility

Make the most of the world’s largest professional network with quick fixes

By John Lombard

John Lombard is a content strategist and writer with over a decade of experience creating interactive and video content for brands like Apple, IBM, and Samsung. He previously worked at Mediabistro and now serves as a Client Strategist at Ceros.

3 min read • Originally published September 8, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

By John Lombard

John Lombard is a content strategist and writer with over a decade of experience creating interactive and video content for brands like Apple, IBM, and Samsung. He previously worked at Mediabistro and now serves as a Client Strategist at Ceros.

3 min read • Originally published September 8, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

A complete LinkedIn profile can add some real flames to the fire of your job search. Not only does a solid profile make you a more attractive candidate, it also increases your visibility in searches. But exactly how much detail does each section need?

To answer this, we talked with Alex Twersky, career expert and Mediabistro’s own resume and cover letter writer. Twersky recommends thinking of Linkedin as another way a recruiter can access your resume.

“Assuming someone comes across your profile, that probably means they don’t have or haven’t seen your resume,” says Twersky, “so it stands to reason your profile should make as powerful an argument for your candidacy and credentials as your resume does.”

With that said, let’s drill down into a few of the main LinkedIn sections for tips on making yours worthy of pulling in top recruiters and hiring managers.

The Headline

When crafting your LinkedIn headline, Twersky says to keep it short and focused. “The headline should succinctly capture who you are and what you do, as well as the extent of your experience,” says Twersky. “Five to seven words should suffice.”

You can choose to include your seniority, experience or other factors in this headline. Here are a couple examples from Twersky:

Senior-level Digital Marketing Professional
Data Analyst With 10 Years’ Experience

The Summary

After you reel ’em in with your engaging headline, get them to stick around with a powerful summary statement. “The summary is there to showcase your strengths, and should be backed up by measurable data—like percent increases in sales or growth in social media fan base—wherever possible,” says Twersky.

If you have a summary section on your resume that lists key accomplishments, you can use that to kick off your LinkedIn summary section. And if you don’t have that section on your current resume, do a quick personal inventory to determine key points in your career when your efforts contributed to a successful project or process.

The Experience

If you have a well-developed resume, then this section will be a breeze. “Just like the LinkedIn profile overall, the job descriptions should be closely, if not entirely, aligned with the resume,” says Twersky.

Twersky has a couple of strong arguments of resume-LinkedIn alignment. “First, if your resume makes a compelling argument for you, why should your LinkedIn profile, which is an enhanced digital resume of sorts, be any different?” he asks.

“Second, if someone never sees your resume and just comes across your LinkedIn profile,” Twersky follows up, “why should their impression of you be more distilled or different than the powerful portrait your resume should be drawing?”

Other Important Sections

The headline, summary and experience are the top sections to focus on, but there are other sections to perfect as well, all of which help you paint the best, most comprehensive picture of your professional:

Skills: It’s a smart idea to fill out this section as “these are essentially keywords that recruiters and employers use to proactively search for candidates,” says Twersky.

Volunteer: When hiring managers are looking for their next employee, they want to see that you’re more than just an online profile. Here’s where you can show off the things that make you more human.

Samples: Make it easy for people to see what you’re capable of by uploading work samples if your work lends itself to such. As Twersky says, “be they links or digital images, remember LinkedIn is a multimedia portfolio of sorts, so upload relevant work samples where possible.”

Recommendations: Testimonies from colleagues are a great way to add validation to your career efforts, so “don’t forget to collect recommendations from your past or current colleagues and supervisors,” says Twersky.

Topics:

Get Hired, Job Search

Interview Tips

How to Prepare for an Interview in 24 Hours: A Last-Minute Guide

Go from zero to researched and ready to meet your hiring manager in less than 24 hours

By Stacie Garlieb

3 min read • Originally published July 13, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

By Stacie Garlieb

3 min read • Originally published July 13, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

How to Prepare for an Interview in 24 Hours was originally published by the American Marketing Association.

A job you’d love just posted on your current company’s website, or the company you want to work for finally posted the perfect job you are meant to have. Of course, you uploaded your resume immediately even though it wasn’t completely updated.

Because of your outstanding experience, the recruiter or hiring manager called you to schedule a phone interview for tomorrow. Now the work begins. What do you need to do to prepare for an interview overnight?

Ask the Right Source for Advice

Your best friend got a new job at the last minute—they would be the perfect person to call, right? Maybe.

What was their interview process like, are they in the same industry, do they have a similar job function, and did they even do an interview like you will have? If the answers don’t give you confidence in their interview experience being similar to the one you are preparing for, find another source.

Don’t rely on just one person’s opinion of what you need to do to be ready for the interview. Asking your boss about the process when you apply internally may be a good strategy.

Having a connection in the company who works in that type of role would be important if you are coming into the process as an external candidate. Evaluate which two people will provide the best perspective and pick up the phone.

Want even more help on your interview preparation? The counselors with Mediabistro’s Career Services can help you refine your interview skills in a one-on-one session.

Get Back to Basics

Here are the obvious to-do’s the night before an interview:

Update your resume thoroughly—work, organizational and volunteering experiences.
If it’s a phone interview, determine where you will take the call; pick somewhere that’s quiet, inaccessible and private.
For face-to-face interviews, print multiple resume copies on resume paper for each interviewer.
Think about what questions you expect to be asked and prepare some notes about how you want to answer them.
Re-read the job description and do some basic research on the company.
Write down some questions you will ask the interviewer(s) at the end of the interview.

Look Elsewhere for Information

Gen Xers and Baby Boomers should resist dusting off that 300-page book from 1987 on How to Ace the Interview; it may only cause you to panic about the forty million tips you can’t possibly master overnight. How relevant are the points from the 80’s in an interview today?

Millennials, you can’t necessarily text or web surf your way through this step. For every generation of worker today, the best strategy involves talking with industry-specific and internal and external sources and taking their advice to heart.

Don’t underestimate the impact you need to make in an interview. Hiring managers use different types of interviews to screen people out before they make the leap to meeting with candidates in one-on-one or group or panel interviews.

Your confidence and communication skills will be evaluated and rated in the first interview phase. Preparing effectively can ensure that you present yourself as a professional candidate who has skills that can provide value and results to the company.

Stacie Garlieb is the owner of Successful Impressions, a career search resource and guidance service.

The American Marketing Association is the pre-eminent force in marketing for best and next practices, thought leadership and valued relationships, across the entire discipline of marketing. Its online publications include posts on industry trends, career advice and more.

Topics:

Get Hired, Interview Tips

Climb the Ladder

Coffee Interview Tips: How to Prepare and Make a Great Impression

By Mariam Simmons

Mariam Simmons is a fashion enthusiast and Content Manager at Alpine Swiss. She loves traveling to the world’s top stylish destinations and gets inspired to create helpful fashion and lifestyle guides. With over a decade of writing experience, her main goal in creating content is to ensure readers learn something useful and provide value instead of noise.

3 min read • Originally published July 17, 2022 / Updated March 19, 2026

By Mariam Simmons

Mariam Simmons is a fashion enthusiast and Content Manager at Alpine Swiss. She loves traveling to the world’s top stylish destinations and gets inspired to create helpful fashion and lifestyle guides. With over a decade of writing experience, her main goal in creating content is to ensure readers learn something useful and provide value instead of noise.

3 min read • Originally published July 17, 2022 / Updated March 19, 2026

Coffee interviews are a way for employers to even the playing field for potential hires. An office can be intimidating, and employers want to know the real you.

Yet a coffee interview is still an interview—and perhaps the most intimidating stage of any job application process. It’s best to treat these like a normal interview with different rules and be aware of those rules before agreeing to meet at your local coffee shop.

Do Some Research

Before your interview, make sure to research the organization. By knowing what they look for in an ideal candidate, who their target demographic is, and the company history, you can be ready to engage the interviewer with meaningful questions and conversation. You should know a little about the competition and the company’s unique selling proposition to highlight your interest in the industry.

Make sure you know the place you are going ahead of time. Account for traffic and triple-check the time, even if it means reconfirming a day or two before the meeting. It also doesn’t hurt to ask how you should recognize the person you are meant to meet. You don’t want to wander around the cafe asking random people if they are here for an interview.

Arrive Early

A great way to not be late is to come early, but there are some things you should avoid.

Try not to order your beverage before the interviewer arrives. Make yourself visible before the interviewer shows up. Wait outside or pick a table near the door.

Bring Your Resume

Showing that you are prepared is a key aspect of any job interview, and you can demonstrate it by having a strong resume or CV on hand. It can give you something to reference during the interview and give your interviewer something to review afterward. It can certainly help keep your name on their mind.

Prepare Answers and Questions

Questions in a coffee interview are informal, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prepare to answer them. Common interview questions include “What projects are you currently working on?” and “Why are you leaving your current position?” Questions are about starting conversations, so answer honestly, but interestingly.

Interviews can feel like a one-way street, but you should prepare questions of your own. Unlike traditional interviews, a coffee interview allows you to ask your own questions at any time, provided it doesn’t disrupt the flow of the conversation. Focus your questions on the work environment, the company itself, or the team you would be working with.

What to Wear to a Coffee Interview

Coffee interviews are more casual than office interviews, but unless the company dress code allows for it, you shouldn’t show up in a t-shirt and flip-flops. Stick to business casual and prepare yourself in advance.

Remember: A Coffee Interview Is Still an Interview

Coffee interviews are not formal, but they are still interviews. Don’t focus on the order or the food, but on the interviewer, the conversation, and the questions. Silence your phone, stay professional, and keep the conversation on work-related topics. You’re meeting the interviewer in a friendly environment, but they are not your friend. They are here to do a job, and you are here to get one.

Coffee interviews are more common than ever, and while they offer more freedom than the traditional office interview, they should still be treated the same. Dress for success and prepare as much as you can before heading out to the cafe. With these tips, you’ll be looking at an acceptance letter before you know it.

Mariam Simmons is a fashion enthusiast and Content Manager at Alpine Swiss. She loves traveling to the world’s top stylish destinations and gets inspired to create helpful fashion and lifestyle guides. With over a decade of writing experience, her main goal in creating content is to ensure readers learn something useful and to provide value rather than noise.

Topics:

Climb the Ladder, Networking

Productivity

How to Tame the Emotional Rollercoaster of Freelance Writing

Life as a freelancer writer doesn’t have to be an emotional rollercoaster

By Ayana Young

Ayana Young is a communications and PR strategist with 15+ years of experience spanning media relations, lifestyle brands, professional sports, and publishing.

3 min read • Originally published October 4, 2017 / Updated March 19, 2026

By Ayana Young

Ayana Young is a communications and PR strategist with 15+ years of experience spanning media relations, lifestyle brands, professional sports, and publishing.

3 min read • Originally published October 4, 2017 / Updated March 19, 2026

Life as a freelance writer can be an emotional rollercoaster… if you let it.

Yes, there is the elation of landing a story in a big publication like the New York Times or GQ. Then there might be weeks of rejected pitches or hours spent twiddling thumbs while waiting to hear back from an editor—if you hear back at all.

If you’re planning on making a lifelong career out of freelance writing, it’s necessary to level out those yo-yo-ing emotions and approach your work like an adult and a business owner. To help, Mediabistro spoke with a handful of writing and life coaches on how they help their clients get a grip on it.

Have Money in the Bank

For Caitlin Kelly, a freelance writer and writer’s coach, keeping a rainy day fund is crucial for an enjoyable freelance career. “You should have money in the bank, ideally two or three months of what you need to live,” she said. Kelly grew up with two parents who were freelancers. Her father, a documentary filmmaker, and her mother, a writer in film and television, never had vacation pay and had to deal with pitches flopping while supporting a family. “I think if you have money to pay your bills on time,” it makes freelance a lot easier, said Kelly.

Be Proactive

Feeling disappointed when a pitch is rejected is healthy, especially when you realize it is a numbers game, according to Marla Beck, a performance coach for writers who want to reach the next level in their career. “The more places you submit it, the more chance you have of seeing your work in the places you want it to be.” Before her clients pitch to Plan A, Beck encourages them to have a Plan B and Plan C already in mind. “It is taking a more proactive stance,” she said.

Have Multiple Streams of Income

Nick Usborne wears many hats and he suggests his coaching clients, the majority who are freelance writers, do the same. Usborne, who is three decades into a copywriting career, also teaches copywriting for the web, has his coaching business and generates advertising revenue through a coffee blog (side note: he started the blog after he wrote web copy for a coffee company and wanted to continue harnessing his newfound coffee knowledge). “This goes to the center of the new gig economy,” he said. “It’s not like the olden days of a single job.” With multiple income streams, if one disappears, you still have others to fall back on.

Don’t “Should” All Over Yourself

Often writers deal with a pitch rejection by dwelling on what they think other people should have been thinking about them, according to Polly Bennell, a former psychotherapist turned life coach for writers. It might take the form of “That editor should have accepted my pitch” or “If the editor was slightly interested in my book proposal, they should have asked me about it.” When this happens, you make up information that just isn’t true, Bennell said. “You can train yourself out of this [thought pattern] by recognizing it,” she said.

Is Your Inner Seven-Year-Old Having Fun

Many people go freelance in pursuit of a better lifestyle that isn’t all work. However, that can quickly turn into a workday that doesn’t end because there is always something left undone when you are a “solopreneur,” according to Peter Shallard, a former psychotherapist who is now a consultant to entrepreneurs. When clients are in that position, Shallard likes to ask this question: What happened in the last 14 days that your seven-year-old self would have loved? If the answer is nothing, then it is normally a wake-up moment for freelancers and entrepreneurs fighting too hard for success. “Genuine play takes you out of all that and puts you in the present,” Shallard said. “Your emotional state starts to be based on something else other than work.”

Topics:

Be Inspired, Productivity

Resumes & Cover Letters

Resume Words to Avoid (and Power Words to Use Instead)

Hiring managers gloss over buzzwords like "detail-oriented" and "team player." Here's what to say instead.

By John Lombard

John Lombard is a content strategist and writer with over a decade of experience creating interactive and video content for brands like Apple, IBM, and Samsung. He previously worked at Mediabistro and now serves as a Client Strategist at Ceros.

4 min read • Originally published May 16, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

By John Lombard

John Lombard is a content strategist and writer with over a decade of experience creating interactive and video content for brands like Apple, IBM, and Samsung. He previously worked at Mediabistro and now serves as a Client Strategist at Ceros.

4 min read • Originally published May 16, 2016 / Updated March 19, 2026

Last updated: January 2026

In this article: Words to Avoid | Power Words to Use | Other Words Employers Love | Space-Killers to Cut | FAQ

Your resume is one of the most powerful tools in your job search, but it might be full of words that drain it of its strength.

“Buzzwords once had meaning, but they have been repeated so often that hiring managers gloss over them,” says Mitchell Langbert, associate professor of business management at Brooklyn College.

To help you make sure you’re not filling your prime resume real estate with meaningless jargon, we’re breaking down which resume words to avoid and which power words to add instead.

Resume Buzzwords to Delete

While these words and phrases were once effective and meaningful, they are now “dying from overuse,” says Langbert. Remove these from your resume immediately:

Overused Buzzwords	Why They Don’t Work
Detail-oriented	Everyone claims this; show it instead
Team player	Vague; describe actual collaboration
Results-driven / Results-oriented	Empty without specific metrics
Hard worker / Hardworking	Expected of all candidates
Dynamic / Energetic	Subjective and unverifiable
Strategic thinker	Show strategy through achievements
Excellent communicator	Let your resume demonstrate this
Go-getter / Go-to person	Informal and overused
Outside the box	Cliché that suggests the opposite
Synergy / Value add	Corporate jargon that means nothing
Thought leadership	Pretentious without proof
Proactive	Show initiative through examples
People person	Too casual for professional resumes
Seasoned	Use years of experience instead
Bottom-line	Show actual financial impact
Customer-focused	Demonstrate with metrics
Dependable / Loyal	Expected baseline qualities
Enthusiastic	Show passion through achievements
Familiar with	Weak; use “proficient in” or “experienced with”
Highly organized	Prove it with accomplishments
Optimize	Vague without specifics
Track record	Replace with actual results
Well-versed	Specify your actual expertise

Need help with your resume? Get a FREE resume evaluation from Mediabistro’s Resume Writing Services. Our counselors and writers can help you update and upgrade your resume so you can confidently apply for the job you want.

Power Words to Use Instead

Replace buzzwords with “action verbs that describe what you’ve done and how those experiences have contributed to your success or the success of the company,” says Eleesha Martin, senior recruiting specialist at G&A Partners.

Action Verb	Best Used For
Achieved	Goals, targets, certifications
Conceptualized	New ideas, campaigns, products
Created	Content, processes, solutions
Decreased	Costs, time, errors
Improved	Processes, metrics, relationships
Increased	Revenue, efficiency, engagement
Influenced	Decisions, stakeholders, outcomes
Launched	Products, campaigns, initiatives
Managed	Teams, budgets, projects
Mentored	Junior staff, interns, teams
Negotiated	Contracts, rates, partnerships
Organized	Events, systems, workflows
Resolved	Conflicts, issues, complaints
Trained	Staff, clients, users
Won	Awards, accounts, competitions

Other Words Employers Love

Beyond action verbs, these terms signal that you’re focused on measurable impact:

Goal-setting — Shows you think strategically
Revenue — Demonstrates business awareness
Under budget — Proves financial responsibility
Self-motivating — Indicates independence
Ideas — Suggests creativity and initiative

Space-Killers to Cut

Keep your resume to one page with these pro tips from Martin:

Ditch phrase redundancies. Remove “responsible for” and “duties included.” These are largely unnecessary and take up valuable space without adding any value.

Remove “References Available Upon Request.” Most recruiters know you have references and will ask about them later.

Kill extraneous information. “If it isn’t pertinent to demonstrating or explaining your skills, qualifications, knowledge, abilities, and accomplishments, leave it off,” says Martin.

Ready to put your improved resume to work? Browse open positions on the Mediabistro job board.

Frequently Asked Questions

What words should I avoid on my resume?

Avoid overused buzzwords like “detail-oriented,” “team player,” “results-driven,” “hard worker,” and “dynamic.” These phrases have lost their impact because every candidate uses them. Instead, use specific action verbs and quantifiable achievements to demonstrate these qualities.

What are the best words to put on a resume?

Use strong action verbs like “achieved,” “increased,” “launched,” “managed,” and “created.” Pair these with specific metrics whenever possible—for example, “Increased social media engagement by 45%” is more powerful than “results-driven social media manager.”

What does “results-oriented” mean on a resume, and should I use it?

Results-oriented means you focus on achieving measurable outcomes. However, this phrase is so overused that recruiters skip right past it. Instead of saying you’re results-oriented, prove it by listing specific results: “Reduced customer churn by 20%” or “Generated $50K in new revenue.”

How do I replace “detail-oriented” on my resume?

Rather than claiming you’re detail-oriented, demonstrate it through your accomplishments. For example: “Identified and corrected 15 billing errors, recovering $12,000” or “Maintained 99.8% accuracy rate across 500+ monthly transactions.”

Should I include “References Available Upon Request” on my resume?

No. This phrase wastes valuable space. Employers assume you’ll provide references when asked, so there’s no need to state the obvious. Use that space for another accomplishment instead.

Topics:

Get Hired, Resumes & Cover Letters

Climb the Ladder

Work-Life Balance: Tips on Balancing Your Career With Starting a Family

By Scouted

Scouted was a hiring marketplace that matched candidates to roles based on potential, serving clients from high-growth startups to Fortune 500 companies.

4 min read • Originally published February 28, 2020 / Updated March 19, 2026

By Scouted

Scouted was a hiring marketplace that matched candidates to roles based on potential, serving clients from high-growth startups to Fortune 500 companies.

4 min read • Originally published February 28, 2020 / Updated March 19, 2026

Deciding whether or not to have a child is a complicated decision on its own. But aligning that timing with your career? An entirely different conversation – one that’s often complicated for most (potential) parents-to-be.

And just to be clear – we’re not here to tell you if, or when, or how, to make that decision. Heck, it’s one of the most personal decisions you’ll likely make in your lifetime. We’re here to help you navigate the workplace and be proactive about how you approach planning.

Here at Scouted, we partner with incredible companies that offer progressive benefits to parents, so we’ve compiled a list of top benefits, considerations, and conversations you should be prepared to contemplate as you adapt and adjust your family planning around your advancing career.

Look for companies with ample paid leave

Not all industries offer ample leave, but you should note the industries (and companies) that prioritize paid family leave. For example, in tech, offering 4 months or more is the new norm. You should also look into who the policy applies to: Are you adopting? Do you have a surrogate? Is your partner the one physically having the child? Check in with your HR Manager or Head of People to make sure you fully understand the paid leave policy.

Check out state and city mandates

And on that note – make sure to check out your state’s legislated policies surrounding paid leave. Did you know that NYC recently passed a law that requires all employers to give parents 12 weeks of leave at (a minimum of) 50% of their salary? NYC employers and healthcare providers also now have guidelines for covering Egg Freezing, IVF, and similar procedures.

If you’re thinking about a change of career or if you are deciding on where to settle down, picking a state that prioritizes paid family leave can make a world of difference when you do decide to have a child.

Talk to your exec/HR team about family planning benefits

Thanks to the influx of women in the VC space, we’re seeing an uptick of women-forward healthcare startups like Maven and KindBody. Companies of all sizes have the ability to control what benefits they offer their employees. Encourage your employer to consider thinking outside the box when it comes to healthcare perks.

Look for flexible WFH or remote work policies

Not every company will have the capacity to give an employee 20+ weeks off, but a company can incorporate flexible work-from-home (WFH) or remote work policies. If you work on a small team or a with a company with limited budget (and staff power), talk to your team about what it might look like if you were to return (at first) while working remote.

Ditch the fear that you must choose family or career/that your career can’t have a pause

It’s 2020! Times are changing for the better. Driven women (and men) shouldn’t feel as though they have to choose between starting a family and advancing in their careers.

This starts with an open and communicative workspace/relationship with your executive team. Start the conversation early: establish what you want your time off and return to work to look like, and be steadfast with leadership that you expect to return after your time off.

And with that comes the responsibility of building a team that can (and will) function while you are out. Hire and mentor the right talent from day one.

And actually plan to take the time off

Men/Non-carrying parents often won’t use all of their time off! In fact, according to this study, seventy percent of fathers take ten days of leave or less! This sets a complicated precedent in the workplace, one that makes it more difficult for women to take their full leave.

And be prepared to have the conversation with your partner: Not who is taking time off, but when? Keep in mind that both partners (if you are in a two partner household!) do not necessarily need to be off at same time! This can help cut down on initial childcare costs, too.

If you’re planning on starting a family, how confident are you about your career staying on track? Leave your questions and concerns below and we’ll do our best to answer!

Looking for your next dream job? Check out open roles on Scouted here!

Topics:

Candidates, Climb the Ladder

1. Pick a Job Goal

2. Document Your Non-Work Experience

3. Brainstorm for Accomplishments

4. Customize

5. Work Your Resume

The Weekend Job Search Assignment #9

The Headline

The Summary

The Experience

Other Important Sections

Do Some Research

Arrive Early

Bring Your Resume

Prepare Answers and Questions

What to Wear to a Coffee Interview

Remember: A Coffee Interview Is Still an Interview

Have Money in the Bank

Be Proactive

Have Multiple Streams of Income

Don’t “Should” All Over Yourself

Is Your Inner Seven-Year-Old Having Fun

Resume Buzzwords to Delete

Power Words to Use Instead

Other Words Employers Love

Space-Killers to Cut

Frequently Asked Questions

What words should I avoid on my resume?

What are the best words to put on a resume?

What does “results-oriented” mean on a resume, and should I use it?

How do I replace “detail-oriented” on my resume?

Should I include “References Available Upon Request” on my resume?

Look for companies with ample paid leave

Check out state and city mandates

Talk to your exec/HR team about family planning benefits

Look for flexible WFH or remote work policies

Ditch the fear that you must choose family or career/that your career can’t have a pause

And actually plan to take the time off

Looking for your next dream job? Check out open roles on Scouted here!

Kathleen King