Your resume should be viewed and handled as if it is an
airline ticket to your destination of choice. This may just be a piece of paper
with words on it, and it may not reveal who you are personally but it is the
only means by which you are going to get to the interview (your destination). Therefore you need to use this document to
gain the reader’s trust and not provide any source of hesitation.
As a former employer I can tell you that when I was hiring I
often hoped there were mistakes or things that just didn’t strike me right in
the massive stacks of resumes that I would have to go through for different
positions. These would allow me to toss that applicant out of sight and out of
mind, moving through the pile faster, and narrowing down the interview pool. So
these should not be view as mainly a way to stand out in a good way, but rather
a way to not stand out in a bad way. No grammar errors, missing punctuation,
funny words/wordings, contrived language, or outlandish claims! Simply put what
you are on paper in a concise, correct, logical form that doesn’t sound like a
sell job but rather like an “about the author.”
That said it is helpful to not appear robotic. It is really
the blend of no mistakes and the subtle yet unmistakable personal flair that
people added to their resume that resounded with me and got them an interview.
So how is this done? Well be honest! If you are hesitant to put something in
because you see the potential for misunderstanding, then don’t put it in! If
you can’t answer all the questions that come to your mind concerning an entry
then its best to leave it out.
So to help you understand what I am talking about when I say
personal flair or touch let me give you an example. Employers value a good
work-ethic right? Well most everyone knows that and I can’t tell you how many
times that I read the words “I possess a strong work-ethic,” and nothing else!
You need to explain yourself—something that proves that statement such as
“possess strong work ethic, missed only 5 days in 3 years of work, was voted
most valuable employee 3 times, and was counted on to assume more
responsibility when bosses were out of town.”
