Resume Tip of the Week

When developing your job descriptions for your résumé, always make sure your statements are direct and concise. Readers are attracted to information that is easy to follow and visually appealing. Think about when you read a newspaper article opposed to a novel. When you are reading the article in the paper, you are skimming it for facts and pertinent information. You want the writer to quickly get to the point. The opposite is true when you read a novel. When enjoying a good book, you typically want to find a cozy spot to sit down and soak in all the details. When a recruiter is reading (skimming) your résumé, they are doing so in the same mindset as you would read a newspaper article. They prefer the information to be direct and to the point.

Too often, candidates fill their job descriptions with minute details of their typical work day, which is too much information for a recruiter to absorb. When content is presented with too many irrelevant details, the reader can be overwhelmed and decide to put the résumé aside without ever determining if the candidate has something of value to offer. Make sure you do not steer your résumé into the “no” pile because of long-winded explanations of your work history. Remember the newspaper article to novel comparison: When you’re short on time and drowning in paperwork, do you want to find a comfy spot to read, or do you want to absorb the pertinent details and move on to the next document? There is a higher chance a recruiter will engage in your résumé if it reads more like a newspaper article. Stick to the facts and stay on target.