5 Words That Are Killing Your Resume (And What to Use Instead)

I was reviewing a client's resume last week when I noticed something that made me stop. Every single bullet point started with "Responsible for."

"Responsible for managing a team of 5." "Responsible for increasing sales." "Responsible for customer satisfaction."

You know what that tells me? Absolutely nothing about what you actually did.

The Problem with Weak Words

Here's the thing about resume writing: every word is real estate. You have maybe 10 seconds to grab a recruiter's attention.

When you use vague, passive words, you're wasting that precious space. You're telling me what you were supposed to do, not what you accomplished.

And trust me, every other candidate is using the same tired phrases. Your resume needs to tell your unique story, not blend into the pile.

The 5 Words to Delete Right Now

1. "Responsible for"

Why it's killing you: It's passive. It tells me your job description, not your impact.

What to use instead: Start with what you actually did.

❌ "Responsible for managing social media accounts" ✅ "Grew Instagram following from 2K to 15K in 6 months"

See the difference? One describes a task. The other shows a result.

2. "Helped"

Why it's killing you: It makes you sound like a supporting character in your own career story.

What to use instead: Own your contribution.

❌ "Helped improve customer satisfaction scores" ✅ "Redesigned onboarding process, increasing customer satisfaction from 3.2 to 4.7 stars"

You didn't just "help." You did something. Say it.

3. "Various"

Why it's killing you: It's lazy. It screams "I can't be bothered to be specific."

What to use instead: Be specific. Name 2-3 examples.

❌ "Managed various projects across departments" ✅ "Led product launch, Q4 marketing campaign, and office relocation—all delivered on time and under budget"

Specificity = credibility.

4. "Duties included"

Why it's killing you: Same problem as "responsible for." It's a job description, not an achievement.

What to use instead: Show the outcome.

❌ "Duties included training new employees" ✅ "Trained 12 new hires, reducing onboarding time from 3 weeks to 10 days"

5. "Worked on"

Why it's killing you: It's vague. Did you lead it? Support it? Watch from the sidelines?

What to use instead: Clarify your role and impact.

❌ "Worked on website redesign project" ✅ "Collaborated with design team to rebuild company website, increasing conversion rate by 34%"

The Pattern You Need to Follow

Every bullet point on your resume should follow this formula:

[Strong Action Verb] + [What You Did] + [Measurable Result]

Examples:

• "Launched email campaign that generated $50K in new revenue"
• "Streamlined inventory process, cutting waste by 22%"
• "Presented quarterly findings to C-suite, influencing $2M budget allocation"

Notice: no passive language, no vague descriptions, just clear actions and results.

What If You Don't Have Numbers?

I hear this all the time: "But Maya, my job doesn't have measurable results!"

Yes, it does. You're just not looking hard enough.

Instead of numbers, use:

• Scope: "Managed team of 8 across 3 time zones"
• Frequency: "Delivered weekly reports to senior leadership"
• Recognition: "Selected to present at annual company conference"
• Comparison: "Reduced processing time from 2 hours to 30 minutes"

There's always a way to show impact.

The Reframe Exercise

Take your current resume. Find every instance of these 5 words.

For each one, ask yourself:

1. What did I actually do?
2. What changed because I did it?
3. How can I prove it?

Then rewrite the bullet point with that information.

Your Resume Tells a Story

Here's what I want you to remember: your resume isn't a list of tasks. It's the story of your professional impact.

Every word should move that story forward. Every bullet point should make the reader think, "I want this person on my team."

Weak, passive words don't do that. Strong, specific action verbs do.

The Bottom Line

Delete these 5 words from your resume:

1. Responsible for
2. Helped
3. Various
4. Duties included
5. Worked on

Replace them with strong action verbs that show what you actually accomplished.

Your resume will go from forgettable to "I need to interview this person."

That's the power of the right words.

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Maya Rodriguez is a certified career coach and resume writer with 8+ years of experience helping professionals tell their career stories effectively.