If you\'re job-hunting today, you know that employers are looking for sharp, self-motivated people. Paradoxically, just about the worst way to convey your talent and motivation is to say in your resume or cover letter, "I\'m self-motivated." Anyone can say that! The phrase falls flat. You can\'t afford to let done-to-death boilerplate language sink your resume like a boat anchor.

Resume cliches like "self-motivated individual" and "results-oriented professional" are out of date. You can do a better job of letting hiring managers know how you solve problems on-the-fly or leap over tall buildings in a single bound.

Here are ten of the deadliest resume phrases in use and replacements for each one. You\'ll rewrite the replacement phrases to reflect your own accomplishments--and that\'s the key! We can\'t expect a timeworn piece of resume boilerplate to stand in for our own pithy, personal examples.

Results-oriented professional
Replace with your own version of this: I love to solve thorny supply-chain problems.

Excellent team player
Replace with your own version of this: At xxx Lda., I partnered with Engineering to cut our product cost in half.

Results orientation
My review of the process of inventory management saved the company $ 100,000 in its first year

Superior communication skills
I led the production line for two days, and we\'ve increased productivity by 10%

Possess organizational skills
Reduced customer-complaint resolution time from three weeks to one by revamping the process...

Savvy business professional
Replace with your own version of this: I\'m a PR manager who\'s gotten his employers covered by Yahoo! and Noticia.

Strong work ethic
Replace with your own version of this: I taught myself HTML over a weekend in order to grab a marketing opportunity

Meets or exceeds expectations
Replace with your own version of this: Invited to join our executive staff at a strategy summit during my first year at the company

Strong presentation skills
Replace with your own version of this: Was recruited to join xxxxx Lda. after my boss heard me speak at a conference.

Seeking a challenging opportunity
Replace with your own version of this: I\'m looking for a midsize manufacturer primed to grow its business in the area

Get the cliches out of your resume today, and replace it with concrete, visual stories that bring your power to life. Watch employers respond! You can\'t afford to send out another lifeless, sounds-like-everyone-else resume. Employers want the real you on the page. Try it!