After planning and formatting your resume, you will start populating it with bullet points explaining your unique credentials, accomplishments, and talents. Here are nine pointers in articulating those features.
1. Create an objective that guides the reader through the resume. Words like self-starter, motivated, and compassionate do nothing to foreshadow the bullet points; words like technician, manager, and presenter do.
2. Portray yourself honestly by not overstating or understating your qualities and accomplishments. If you are a prolific writer, then what is Joyce Carol Oates? If you are a creative powerhouse, then what is Yo-Yo Ma? Everyone sees through such nonsense. On the other hand, do not undersell yourself. Just let your work, degrees, jobs, and tasks talk for you.
3. Employ industry-specific language. Do not worry about writing critical path method if you are a project manager or integrated development environment if you are a programmer. The people reviewing your resume will know those terms as subject-matter experts themselves.
4. Start bullet points in the employment section with action verbs, not being verbs. Instead of writing was responsible for planning projects and am tasked with creating presentations, write planned projects and create presentations. And make those action verbs as tactile as you can: avoid considered program revisions and ensure quality products in favor of revised programs and effect quality products.
5. Show progress from one job to the next. Leave verbs like checked, entered, supported for your first job; follow with supervised, managed, and authorized for the next job; and lead, spearhead, and create for your current job. Of course, remember point 2 above as you do so.
6. Use lists and avoid lengthy paragraphs. For those who dislike bullet points, remember this: No one wants to become enraptured by the narrative style of your resume.
7. Quantify your work experience wherever possible. If you managed a $1.5 million project, say so. If you supervised a help desk of 15 associates, let them know.
8. Prefer achievements to tasks. Consider which is better to start the bullet point: Saved firm $300K in work process efficiencies by redesigning 25,000 sq. ft. office space than Redesigned 25,000 sq. ft. office space resulting in work process efficiencies that led to $300K in savings. Much depends on the recipient of your resume and the job you are seeking.
9. Make every word matter. As a rule, you can drop articles (a and the) and some pronouns (who, which, that) in a resume, as long as the sentence makes sense. Other words for the resume trashcan are the phrases past experience (experience will do), each employee (employees is better), in a timely manner (timely is concise), on a day-to-day basis (daily is better), and many more to mention here. Be on the lookout for verbiage.
The way we express ourselves represents who we are, so choose words wisely,
