Should I remove every flagged word?

Read the sentence it sits in first. If the sentence already states a specific result, the word next to it matters less. If the whole sentence is the buzzword, replace it.

Why is "leverage" on this list? It is a normal word.

It usually means "used", written in a way that sounds heavier. Recruiters skim past it, so plain wording tends to read as more confident, not less.

What if my industry actually uses one of these terms technically?

Then keep it. This list targets vague resume filler, not domain terminology - use your judgement on words that carry real technical meaning in your field.

Resume buzzword detector

A buzzword is a phrase that sounds like it is saying something while committing to nothing measurable. This checks your text against a list of about two dozen of them and suggests what to write instead of each one it finds.

The list is a judgement call, not a rule. Some of these phrases are fine used once; the problem is usually when one stands in for a sentence that could have had a number in it.

Buzzwords found

Paste your resume to check for buzzwords.

Everything above is worked out in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to us or saved anywhere.

How this is worked out

The text is lower-cased and checked for about two dozen phrases collected from common resume advice, including single words and short phrases like "proven track record".
A match is a plain substring search, so "team player" is flagged inside a longer sentence containing those exact words.
Each flagged phrase comes with a specific alternative direction, not a generic instruction to "be more specific".

What this does not cover

This list is not exhaustive and will miss buzzwords it was not given, and phrasing that means the same thing in different words.
A phrase on this list used once, deliberately, is not automatically a problem - the detector cannot tell intent from filler.
It checks wording only. It has no way to know whether the sentence around the buzzword already has a number in it.

Questions people ask

Should I remove every flagged word?: Read the sentence it sits in first. If the sentence already states a specific result, the word next to it matters less. If the whole sentence is the buzzword, replace it.
Why is "leverage" on this list? It is a normal word.: It usually means "used", written in a way that sounds heavier. Recruiters skim past it, so plain wording tends to read as more confident, not less.
What if my industry actually uses one of these terms technically?: Then keep it. This list targets vague resume filler, not domain terminology - use your judgement on words that carry real technical meaning in your field.

Where these figures come from

Rates and rules on this page were last checked against the source on 31 August 2026. Tax law changes; check the source before you rely on a number for a decision.

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