Clarify The Word ‘Motivated’ On Your Resume Or Cover Letter

Clarify The Word ‘Motivated’ On Your Resume Or Cover Letter

Vagueness doesn’t help when you’re trying to score a job. If you must point out that you’re “motivated” on your resume, you should take the time to be a little more specific.

I’ve seen loads of resumes and cover letters in the past few years, and I can attest that just about everyone considers themselves to be “motivated,” and they want potential employers to know that. Being motivated is fine, and it’s even okay to include in your job applications, but if you want to stand out from the crowed, you need to throw in a few application-specific modifiers. Dame at Lifehack explains:

This is OK if you say what motivates you-e.g. “Internally motivated” or “Learning and acquiring new skills motivates me”. “Motivated” alone is vague, and it makes your potential employer wonder why is it important to you to emphasise that you’re motivated? You may get yet another difficult question.

Are you switching industries? Then you should be motivated to learn a new craft. Applying for a managerial position? Point out that you’re motivated to help others reach their potential. It seems obvious, but again, a lot of people stop after writing the “M” word.

10 Words to Avoid on Your Resume [Lifehack]


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