“I don’t think these are necessarily the wrong words to use,” says Steve Langerud, a career advisor and director of professional opportunities at DePauw University, “but they’re certainly not the best—and they’re not going to help you to stand out from the masses.” When he sees a cover letter riddled with the usual suspects, “dynamic, proactive, motivated leader,” he says his reaction is blasé: “Is this the best you can do?”

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