Stop Doing This One Thing in Your Job Search—It’s Keeping You From Getting Hired
Searching for a job can feel overwhelming, but there’s one mistake many candidates make that keeps them stuck in neutral: giving generic, vague answers about their skills and experience.
Whether it’s on your resume, LinkedIn profile, or in conversations with potential employers, a lack of specificity leaves hiring managers with no sense of who you are, what you bring to the table, and why you’re the perfect fit for the role.
If you want to stand out in your job search and get noticed for the right reasons, here’s what you should stop doing immediately, and how to nail it instead.
“Do This, Not That” for a Successful Job Search
1. Don’t Be Vague—Be Specific About Your Achievements
What NOT to Do:
When writing your resume or LinkedIn profile, it’s easy to fall into the trap of listing generic responsibilities without quantifying your accomplishments. For example:
📝 “Managed a team of employees and helped improve sales.”
This statement doesn’t really tell the employer anything meaningful. What kind of team? What were the sales goals? How much did you improve sales by? Without this critical detail, your experience won’t stand out in a sea of resumes or LinkedIn profiles.
What You Should Do:
Instead, quantify your impact and highlight your achievements with specific results. Use numbers, percentages, and clear examples to demonstrate your value. For instance:
💡 “Managed a team of 10 employees, leading them to achieve a 20% increase in sales over six months by implementing a targeted outreach campaign and improving internal processes.”
This answer highlights leadership, strategy, and tangible outcomes that will make hiring managers take notice.
2. Don’t Focus on Duties—Show How You Add Value
What NOT to Do:
Many job seekers describe their previous roles by focusing solely on tasks rather than their impact. For example:
📝 “I was responsible for creating marketing content and posting it to social media.”
While this is accurate, it doesn’t differentiate you from other candidates who might have done similar tasks. Employers want to know how your work contributed to the company’s success, not just that you completed your duties.
What You Should Do:
Frame your experience in terms of how you helped solve problems, achieved goals, and contributed to growth. A stronger statement might look like:
💡 “Developed and executed content strategies that grew social media engagement by 35%, leading to a 25% increase in lead generation.”
This clearly shows how your work directly impacted the business, which will make you a more attractive candidate.
Here’s a list of empowering and energizing words you can keep on hand:
- Revolutionize
- Elevate
- Transform
- Empower
- Accelerate
- Dominate
- Master
- Unstoppable
- Game-changing
- Amplify
- Inspire
- Defy
- Reimagine
- Level-up
- Pioneer
- Maximize
- Ascend
- Trailblaze
- Champion
- Revitalize
3. Don’t Rely on Jargon—Communicate Your Strengths Clearly
What NOT to Do:
Using industry jargon or buzzwords without context can confuse potential employers. For example:
📝 “I have a deep understanding of cross-channel synergies and agile project management methodologies.”
While these may be important terms in your field, they don’t explain much to a hiring manager unless you also demonstrate how you used these skills to accomplish something concrete.
What You Should Do:
Instead of leaning on jargon, focus on clear communication that explains your value. Be specific about how you’ve used your skills and how they benefited the company. A better example would be:
💡 “I led cross-functional teams to deliver projects on time and under budget by streamlining our processes and improving collaboration between departments, resulting in a 78% cost savings.”
This statement clearly explains the value you brought, and avoids buzzwords that could leave employers scratching their heads.
4. Don’t Focus Only on Tasks—Highlight Your Strategic Contributions
What NOT to Do:
It’s tempting to list all the tasks you were responsible for in your past roles, but simply describing your daily duties won’t set you apart. Here’s an example:
📝 “I answered customer service inquiries and processed orders.”
While important, these are basic responsibilities that don’t differentiate you from other candidates.
What You Should Do:
Focus on how you contributed to the bigger picture and aligned your work with company goals. For example:
💡 “As the primary point of contact for customer service, I streamlined our order processing system, cutting down processing time by 25% and enhancing the customer experience, leading to a 15% boost in retention rates.”
This response shows that you’re not just doing a job—you’re contributing strategically to the success of the business.
5. Don’t Underestimate Your Personal Brand—Put Yourself Out There
What NOT to Do:
One of the most overlooked aspects of a job search is personal branding. You may have a fantastic resume, but if you aren’t actively putting yourself out there online, you’re missing opportunities. A passive approach—just applying to job postings and waiting for a call—won’t get you far.
What You Should Do:
Own your personal brand and actively build a presence.
Optimize your LinkedIn profile, engage with industry conversations, and make connections. Share thought leadership content, speak at events, or even create your own blog or video series showcasing your expertise.
For example, you might write an article titled, “5 Ways to Improve Customer Retention with Personalized Service,” or post a video where you give a tip on networking effectively.
By building your digital presence, you not only get noticed, but you also start positioning yourself as an industry expert.
Final Thoughts
The key to standing out in your job search is to be specific, strategic, and confident about your experiences and skills. Stop giving generic answers and instead highlight your measurable impact and how you contribute to larger goals.
And don’t forget about your personal brand—take control of your story and ensure it reflects your unique strengths.
By following these tips, you’ll attract the right opportunities and make a lasting impression on hiring managers. Remember, your goal is to show employers not just what you’ve done, but why you’re the best person for the job.
Good luck, and happy job hunting!
Want help from Heather, who has created customized mindset techniques to hundreds of professionals – leading them into incredible job offers in 6 weeks or less?
Schedule a free call here.
About Heather Constantine
Heather Constantine is a seasoned career coach with 15 years of marketing experience in building brands through strategic positioning, content development, and optimization.
She applies the same methodologies that have successfully built big brands to brand building for individual. By leveraging these proven strategies, Heather enables job seekers to get seen, heard, and hired in record time.
If you’re ready to move forward in your career journey, and equip yourself with the tools you need to land an incredible job offer, schedule a strategy call with Heather today.
