Writing Resumes for the Lowest Common Denominator

Technology has allowed for the rapid exchange of information but we still lag when it comes to sorting through it effectively.  This affects a companies’ effectiveness when locating talent for their open positions.  You can either wait for sort technology to catch up to the power of search engines or you can take matters into your own hands.

If a resume is written from the perspective of a writer, you’re already at a disadvantage.  Don’t get me wrong.  Words matter.  But it is the efficiency of their use in combination with a strong marketing approach that makes for an effective resume.  Here are some strategies to consider when creating content for your resume:

1. Make it obvious and repetitive – Within larger companies, the first thing to see your resume is a computer that has scanning software programmed with the search finesse of a sledgehammer while the HR rep, while probably very nice, doesn’t likely have expertise in the job for which they are interviewing candidates.  Therefore it is necessary to metaphorically club them over the head with the information as though they just woke up.  Place a big headline at the top that contains the title of the job with a subtitle underneath that contains your related skill to what the job entails.  Repeat the quantifiable statements of value at least twice throughout the resume.
2. Replace technical terms with simpler phrases -  A layperson should be able to understand everything on the resume because that is who will likely be reading it first.  Try not to be too technical.  The first lines of defense within a company will not take the time to figure it out.
3. Don’t Use Too Many Words – Densely packed content takes too long for someone to pore through when they have 245 more resumes to still go through.  Think billboard that can be read while stopped at a red light.
4. Communicate in Fragments – Use bullets not sentences.  Think of these as caveman grunts.  ”Completed several projects before deadline” – “Furnished department with new Safety protocol”
5. Numbers – Quanitfy the work you completed in numerical format (Implemented program that resulted in 25% increase in productivity).
6. Find 20 Different Ways to say “Performed” by Using Thesaurus.com – Don’t struggle to come up with different action words.  Use this free online Thesaurus as a reference.