Today I had the opportunity to give resume evaluations and advice to job seekers. I volunteer twice per month and if I had a penny every time I saw the phrase “responsible to…”, I would be sitting on a huge pile of change! I’d be rich. If you have this phrase on your resume, take it off. Here’s why:
The phrase “responsible to” doesn’t actually say what you did. It only says what you were supposed to do.
As a hiring manager, I want to know what value you deliver. I don’t care about your previous job duties – I want to know what’s in it for me!
Please tell me what you accomplished at your previous job. Did you increase sales? Did you improve an inefficient process? Did you win people to your cause? What impact did you have? What is your specific value and why should an employer hire YOU?
Thanks for reading..rant over…
Krista Morris is the founder of Virtuoso Resumes and a two-time TORI Award winner who has helped more than 3,000 professionals land jobs faster with strategic, high-impact resumes. Known for bold storytelling and interview-based information gathering, she blends recruiting insight with clear positioning to turn complex careers into compelling brands. Before launching Virtuoso, she spent nearly a decade in workforce development with the State of Arizona and Maximus, helping job seekers move from unemployed to unstoppable. Today, her four-writer team serves clients across the United States and supports career transitions at every level.