# What does 'mitigated' mean when used on a resume? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 16, 2007, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-mitigated-mean-when-used-on-a-resume/388176 "2007-01-16T09:20:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-mitigated-mean-when-used-on-a-resume/388176/61 "2007-01-18T00:19:32Z")
[QUOTE=Will Repair] Mitigated in medical use means relieved or helped. I second the theory that the applicant used a thesaurus. P.S. One of my best electronic techs misspelled “sergeant .” [/QUOTE] Nonstandard spelling influenced by the proper name… ---
**Author:** ![Surok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@Surok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surok)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-mitigated-mean-when-used-on-a-resume/388176/62 "2007-01-18T09:03:23Z")
[QUOTE=Frylock] I confess I am curious to know what s/he would say were you to call him/her up and explain her error. I bet other dopers are curious too… If I am right, then you are under what the kids call peer pressure, and I hereby inform you that you ought to give in to it. -FrL- [/QUOTE] **Frylock** , I’ll take your peer pressure under advisement. If I do manage to get an answer, I promise faithfully to report back. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-mitigated-mean-when-used-on-a-resume/388176/63 "2007-01-18T09:47:36Z")
[QUOTE=Nava] That’s not a different usage of a word, it’s a different word with the same meaning. [/QUOTE] Isn’t there a clear difference between _e.g._ and _viz_? From [here](http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/latin.html) we have: > [@](#): > > e.g. exempli gratia. “For example.” Literally, “free as an example.” Usage: “We have numerous problems to deal with before reforming welfare policies, e.g., the trade deficit, Medicare, and social security.” followed by > [@](#): > > viz. videlicit. “More appropriately or accurately; namely.” The abbreviation is often used interchangeably with i.e. Literally, “As it befits or is pleasing to him.” Usage: “He was a minor Duke in the House of Lords, viz. the Duke of Rochester.” The inference I draw from the first quote is that “the trade deficit, Medicare, and social security” are merely examples of problems. Although they are doubtless the major problems to be dealt with, the implication is that other problems also exist. In the second quote it is clear that _viz._, or ‘namely’, refers to a specific person (The Duke of Rochester). There is only one Duke of Rochester hence no other examples are implied. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-mitigated-mean-when-used-on-a-resume/388176/64 "2007-01-18T14:24:45Z")
Vis vis vis vis vis vis vis vis vis vis vis vis vis vis vis vis vis vis vis vis vis vis vis vis visss. Can you name the tune? ---
**Author:** ![SuperNelson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@SuperNelson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuperNelson)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-mitigated-mean-when-used-on-a-resume/388176/65 "2007-01-18T15:33:22Z")
[QUOTE=Will Repair] Mitigated in medical use means relieved or helped. I second the theory that the applicant used a thesaurus. P.S. One of my best electronic techs misspelled “sergeant .” [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=ouryL] Nonstandard spelling influenced by the proper name… [/QUOTE] Especially for an electronics tech. [Sargent Tools](http://www.rostratool.com/historical.asp) is a pretty well known brand, and it’s pretty likely the tech had one of their tools right in front of them at the time. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-mitigated-mean-when-used-on-a-resume/388176/66 "2007-01-18T21:50:52Z")
[QUOTE=Chez Guevara] In the second quote it is clear that _viz._, or ‘namely’, refers to a specific person (The Duke of Rochester). There is only one Duke of Rochester hence no other examples are implied. [/QUOTE] But is the Duke of Rochester the **only** “minor Duke in the House of Lords”? If not, “viz” is not the same as “i.e.” as the citation claims. That’s if my impression is correct that “i.e.” desginates a definition, a one-to-one match of the things being referenced. He saw a lot of stars, e.g., A, B and C. He saw the closest star to Earth, i.e., the Sun. viz. ??? ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-mitigated-mean-when-used-on-a-resume/388176/67 "2007-01-18T21:53:45Z")
It’s saying he is part of the group (lower Dukes of the House of Lords), and in particular (viz.=namely), this member (the Duke of Rochester) of the group. not the same as i.e., as they claim. ---
**Author:** ![Surok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@Surok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surok)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-mitigated-mean-when-used-on-a-resume/388176/68 "2007-02-05T08:27:38Z")
Well, I clearly had a responsibility to get an explanation from the applicant. A mail was sent, asking what had been meant by ‘mitigated’. Unfortunately, the reply the applicant sent is not particularly enlightening: “‘Mitigated’ in this case means the main responsibilites of that particular position have been surpassed by others on the CV.” If any Doper can figure out what _that_ means, please speak up! ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-mitigated-mean-when-used-on-a-resume/388176/69 "2007-02-05T08:37:08Z")
[QUOTE=Surok] Well, I clearly had a responsibility to get an explanation from the applicant. A mail was sent, asking what had been meant by ‘mitigated’. Unfortunately, the reply the applicant sent is not particularly enlightening: “‘Mitigated’ in this case means the main responsibilites of that particular position have been surpassed by others on the CV.” If any Doper can figure out what _that_ means, please speak up! [/QUOTE] It means the candidate can neither think clearly nor articulate clearly. In short, it was a waste of time and will continue to be. Toss the resume in File 13 and move on with your life. ---
**Author:** ![FRDE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e68b1a/32.png) [@FRDE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FRDE)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-mitigated-mean-when-used-on-a-resume/388176/70 "2007-02-05T08:44:29Z")
I would say that it means that the applicant has a lousy command of English 🙂 Email him back saying ‘Thank you for obfuscating the matter’ ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-mitigated-mean-when-used-on-a-resume/388176/71 "2007-02-05T08:49:43Z")
[QUOTE=Surok] “‘Mitigated’ in this case means the main responsibilites of that particular position have been surpassed by others on the CV.” If any Doper can figure out what _that_ means, please speak up! [/QUOTE] My guess would be that they intended to mean that they would currently be overqualified for that position due to newly acquired experience or qualifications. My new theory is that this is a completely improper inversion of “unmitigated responsibility”. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-mitigated-mean-when-used-on-a-resume/388176/72 "2007-02-05T09:12:52Z")
[QUOTE=Surok] Well, I clearly had a responsibility to get an explanation from the applicant. A mail was sent, asking what had been meant by ‘mitigated’. Unfortunately, the reply the applicant sent is not particularly enlightening: “‘Mitigated’ in this case means the main responsibilites of that particular position have been surpassed by others on the CV.” If any Doper can figure out what _that_ means, please speak up! [/QUOTE] That’s _hilarious_. I can’t tell if its non-native-speaker speak or bullshit business speak. -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Surok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@Surok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surok)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-mitigated-mean-when-used-on-a-resume/388176/73 "2007-02-05T09:42:43Z")
[QUOTE=Frylock] That’s _hilarious_. I can’t tell if its non-native-speaker speak or bullshit business speak. -FrL- [/QUOTE] **Frylock** , I’m 99.999% certain that the applicant is a native speaker of English. The recruitment ad did stipulate that only native speakers need apply. Unfortunately, the vast majority of resumes, both for this post, and for others that I’ve been involved in recruiting for, demonstrate that an overwhelming majority of native speakers seem to be semi-literate. This was probably the most baffling one I’ve seen, though. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-mitigated-mean-when-used-on-a-resume/388176/74 "2007-02-05T12:24:30Z")
[QUOTE=Surok] Well, I clearly had a responsibility to get an explanation from the applicant. A mail was sent, asking what had been meant by ‘mitigated’. Unfortunately, the reply the applicant sent is not particularly enlightening: “‘Mitigated’ in this case means the main responsibilites of that particular position have been surpassed by others on the CV.” If any Doper can figure out what _that_ means, please speak up! [/QUOTE] It means this guys should not be getting the job. What he wanted it to mean, remains a mystery to me. My WAG is that he thinks that whatever experience he acquired in that job is not as relevant to the application as a later job he has included in his CV. ---
**Author:** ![Surok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@Surok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surok)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-mitigated-mean-when-used-on-a-resume/388176/75 "2007-02-05T12:28:13Z")
[QUOTE=Sapo] It means this guys should not be getting the job. [/QUOTE] Just to reassure anyone who is concerned: this applicant will not be getting the job. This applicant will not even be getting an interview. ::slopes off to find more resume gems to entertain the SDMB with:: ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-mitigated-mean-when-used-on-a-resume/388176/76 "2007-02-05T12:44:32Z")
[QUOTE=Sapo] It means this guys should not be getting the job. What he wanted it to mean, remains a mystery to me. My WAG is that he thinks that whatever experience he acquired in that job is not as relevant to the application as a later job he has included in his CV. [/QUOTE] That was my thought when I read the “explanation.” He means that other job experience mentioned in the CV has responsibilities more in line with your vacancy. I think it would be nice of you to write a short note back explaining that he’s not using English accurately and that it has cost him an interview. Perhaps he’ll learn from it. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-mitigated-mean-when-used-on-a-resume/388176/77 "2007-02-05T12:57:05Z")
My WAG is that he means that “this was a junior position but now I’m doing much more important shit”, which translates to “please throw this resume in the trash”. ---
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-mitigated-mean-when-used-on-a-resume/388176/78 "2007-02-05T12:59:38Z")
“‘Mitigated’ in this case means the main responsibilites of that particular position have been surpassed by others on the CV.” = “My position, title, and/or place of employment changed.” Perhaps the change was gradual in some way, so the applicant is using “mitigated” to clearly show that he _wasn’t_ jumping from job to job, but rather his job was evolving. Only without the “clearly” part. Or the “show” part, for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-mitigated-mean-when-used-on-a-resume/388176/79 "2007-02-05T13:21:19Z")
Perhaps in transferring him, his boss mitigated the ongoing damage he was causing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-mitigated-mean-when-used-on-a-resume/388176.md?page=3)