Add "Umph" to Your Resume

“I don’t like my resume. It doesn’t help me stand out.”

I hear this every single week.

Why do you feel that way? It’s probably the same reason most people do. When I look at a resume, most often I find that the resume does not show the strength of someone’s talent and ability. So of course you feel it’s blah.

There’s no strength to the resume because your strengths are not highlighted appropriately, so you won’t stand out.

How can that be remedied? I find there are three main culprits:

• Examples are not strong enough

• Words are not strong enough

• Accomplishments and awards are buried in job descriptions

Strengthen Your Examples

Most career profiles and job descriptions contain lists of responsibilities. Almost all the resumes they get will be people with similar qualifications, right? So they probably have the same or at least a very similar list of responsibilities on their resume. Who will stand out?

No one.

Not unless you use stronger examples. A lot of people think specific examples of work should be saved for a cover letter and/or interview. Don’t let this trap happen to you!

Examples with detail will demonstrate how you have performed your responsibilities. Use names of partners or clients (if it’s confidential, come up with vague descriptions). Include titles of people with whom you work. Incorporate numbers, such as numbers of attendees at a conference where you presented; how many people you trained or supervised; or the number of people in the organization you support as director of IT.

Most importantly, what outcomes did you achieve in each case, or aim to achieve if no result is yet evident (or if nothing came of it)? Don’t tell the employer you are results-oriented! Show them through these examples.

Isn’t it much more interesting to show what you’ve done than to have a laundry list of duties that mirrors everyone else’s?

YOU will feel better about your accomplishments when you present yourself this way, and in turn, you will stand out. If you stand out from the pack, the employer will want to talk to you.

Strengthen Your Words

When you write your bullets with specific examples, use strong language.

Use active voice. Start each bullet with a verb. You want to create a clear picture in the employer’s mind of what you did. Here are examples of some of my favorite verbs:

• Built

• Engaged

• Presented

• Selected

• Introduced

Extract Accomplishments and Awards

Too often I see achievements and awards buried in job descriptions. Pull them out!

Awards warrant a separate section of your resume because otherwise employers won’t see it.

You should write as if all of your job description bullets are achievements. Remember when I said to include the outcome or aim, if a result is not yet evident? These are all ahceivements. Forget about listing responsibilities first and bullets below labeled “accomplishments” or achievements.

Your resume is a story of your achievements, so strengthen your examples and your words to make it that way. That is how you will stand out.