By Cathy Francois
Contributor, Career Services
Most of us want to appear stellar on paper, in particular on our resume. We print our resume on crisp resume paper and use fanciful words to embellish (not lie about or misrepresent) some of our mundane work duties. However, be careful to not contradict yourself in the process. As a career coach I want my student and alumni clients to look their best on paper, however, over the years, I’ve seen when an attempt to embellish has the opposite effect. Here are some examples.
- “Expert in Microsoft Office” with zigzag columns on the resume
- “Expert editor” with spelling errors.
- “Committed employee” with a spotty employment history.
- “Proven sales leader” with no numbers to back it up.
- “Hard worker” with no special accomplishments.
- “Effective communicator,” but the message presented in the resume is unclear.
- “Results-oriented” with none to show for it.
- “Proven ______” with no information to prove.
- “Well-organized” with a resume that’s hard to follow.
- “Attention to detail” with a resume that proves otherwise.
I could continue, but I think you get the point. Besides spell checking and proofreading to eliminate these errors, be sure to supply the evidence or examples in your resume to back up the skills or attributes you claim to have. It’s not enough to just state that you’re an “organized, committed, hard-working employee with effective communications skills” if the reader can’t see it in action. Provide examples that bring your resume to life. Doing this will provide a story that’s easier for the reader to remember – and that’s what you want to accomplish anyway.
If you find it difficult to provide an example for a particular skill, it’s likely that you should not include it on your resume. Besides, if you’re asked to provide an example about that same skill you claim to have on your resume during an interview you might find yourself flustered, and searching for words. Now, if you just have a hard time expressing your skills in writing, talking it out with a friend – or a career coach – may help.
Whether you put it on a paper plate or fine china, baloney is still baloney. So provide some prime cuts of your experience that an employer is sure to appreciate.
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