By: Gege Sugue
If resumes are supposed to put people in the best possible light, then why are many dynamic, driven personalities represented by staid, lifeless resumes? If your cover letters are supposed to highlight the best of who you are, then why do your cover letters seem like they were lifted from generic templates that say nothing about how truly creative you are? Yes, resumes and cover letters are supposed to look professional and often should have a formal tone, but that doesn’t mean they have to be boring.
If you’re a creative game programmer who functions best in blue jeans and sneakers, then don’t submit job applications that make you look like somebody stuck in 3-piece tweed suits. Communicate your dynamism, and let your resumes and cover letters serve as previews of your vibrant personality and talents. To make yourself sound hip and interesting, even unique, use contemporary phrases that reflect your art. Spice up your letters with buzzwords relevant to your industry.
If you’re a maverick who takes on challenges and has succeeded in your innovative endeavors, then you should send letters that showcase your adventurous spirit and never-say-die persona. Use powerful, assertive language. Use the first and second person voices; the third person voice makes your text sound impersonal and detached. Use original words and phrases that communicate success. For example, you may use sports metaphors like: victory, mental agility, team spirit, and goal orientation.
Sometimes it seems that we put much more effort in polishing our Facebook profiles than we put in creating resumes and cover letters that communicate our personalities and capabilities to potential employers or clients. Most often your Facebook profiles do better in telling others how smart and fascinating you are. That’s because you are more uninhibited, and you let your personality shine through with your wit and candor. But somehow, you let resume writing conventions restrict you to sound like, well, everybody else. Of course, you’re certainly not like everybody else.
Your cover letters and resumes are the key to getting you that interview. They should stand out. They should convey an accurate image and likeness of you. The reader should get a feel of who you are, what you can do, and how you will fit in their work environment. Your potential employer should see you through the text, not inanimate documents.
One effective way to do that is to use action words. Action words set a tone of dynamism. Action phrases paint pictures in the minds of the readers. Don’t say you were responsible for leading a group of writers and artists. It sounds like you only did what you had to do. Instead, say, ”Ispearheaded marketing and public relations activities that improved our organization’s reputation, increased our media mileage by 250%, and won our group awards.”
Avoid verbs of being such as is and are. Don’t say you are a teacher. Say you taught, mentored, coached, led, and encouraged. Use active verbs like directed, developed, created, improved, formulated, guided, and facilitated. Sometimes the reader won’t even notice why your resume seems more dynamic, but they find themselves jumping from word to word as you paint powerful imagery with your phrases and verbs. And they’re getting a clearer picture of you as they imagine how you can definitely fit into their corporate culture.
Some words of warning though. Candor does not mean using slang. This may send the wrong message about your professionalism. Always maintain a tone of respect. Back up your message with facts and figures to appeal to the logical side of your readers. Avoid clichés and jargon that might confuse your target reader. And never exaggerate because sincerity is a must in effective, persuasive resume writing.