Resume Write & Wrong

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Pete and Repeat

Appropriate descriptive words and phrases should be included among the skills and abilities highlighted on your resume, words like self-motivated, persuasive, or innovative. However, some people find a word they like and just can't let go.

I was consulting for an IT Director, an experienced and accomplished man, with a resume that wasn't getting him interviews. The resume design wasn't bad. It used a headline and subhead with three components: Strategic Planing, Product Management and Operations. A paragraph followed and below that appeared a three column, bulleted list. At first blush it looked like a very powerful presentation, - and then I read it.

In his profile, my client did not expand and explain his key words and phrases, as he might have done, instead, he repeated things. The chief offender was the word "strategic." He used "strategic planning" (twice), "strategic positioning," "strategic thinking" and "strategic business planning." The word "Strategic" appeared five times in the opening. "Strategic" screamed out at me until the repetition made me laugh out loud. - That is not the reaction you want from a prospective employer.

"Strategic" wasn't the only offender. "Visionary" showed up twice. The word "management" is there eight times, which is not good either, however, "management" is a word one expects to find on a resume. On the other hand, "strategic" and "visionary" are showy words, power words. They stand out; they are memorable - and that is not always a good thing. To illustrate the point, I did not realize that "management" was the most overused word until I made the effort to count it.

Since the rest of the resume was achievement-based (a very good thing) and not badly written, I conclude that the "strategic" lead was ruining my IT director's chances.

Strong words can help your resume to make an impression, when used appropriately and sparingly. Just remember, power words, when poorly used, lose their power to impress.