The elements of résumé style

2011-10-25

The classic quotThe Elements of Stylequot by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White is not just for term papers. If your copy has been buried in a box since graduation, dust it off and polish your reacutesumeacute with its timeless advice.
Elementary rules of usage and composition
middotquotUse the active voice.quot
middotquotPut statements in positive form.quot
middotquotUse definite, specific, concrete language.quot
As the book’s introduction states, the authors are all for quotcleanliness, accuracy and brevity.quot They want writers to select words that convey exact meaning– an excellent idea on reacutesumeacutes when you want to make a big impression in a small space.
quotI often see dry, passive language that makes the job seeker appear as a follower or simple doer rather than a leader or someone who drives results,quot says Abby M. Locke, master reacutesumeacutewriterand personal brand strategist for Premier Writing Solutions inWashington, D.C. quotFor example, ‘Responsible for the development of new programs and services’ works better when rewritten with active, engaging language like ‘Conceptualized and created revenue-generating programs and services that increased the company’s bottom line by 20 percent.’quot
Locke also reports that candidates get stuck in a rut of using the same verb over and over again, such as quotdeveloped new brochures,quot quotdeveloped marketing materialsquot and quotdeveloped a system.quot quotWhen bullets like these are read very quickly, the only words that the reader remembers are ‘developed, developed, developed.’quot
Another elementary rule to remember: Watch tenses. Strunk and White note that quotshifting from one tense to another gives the appearance of uncertainty and irresolution.quot Tiffani Murray, a reacutesumeacute writer and careerconsultantfor PersonalityOnaPage.com, says that she’s seen gaffes where the applicant has used two different tenses in the same sentence.
quotFor past roles, you should use past tense,quot Murray says. quotFor the current job that you are working in, present tense works unless you are referring to a project that is completed. You want to be consistent and accurate with your tense in portraying what you have done in the past for an employer and what you are doing now.quot
Words and expressions commonly misused
Many a candidate writes that he quotlead a teamquot when he meant quotled.quot Another common dilemma: quoteffectquot versus quotaffect.quot (The former can be a noun meaning quotresultquot or a verb meaning quotto accomplishquot or quotto bring about.quot The latter is a verb meaning quotto influence.quot)
Carolyn Yencharis Corcoran,assistant directorof the Insalaco Center for Career Development at Misericordia University inDallas, Pa., reports that job seekers often confuse:
middot quottoquot and quottooquot
middot quotyourquot and quotyou’requot
middot quottherequot and quottheirquot
middot quotthenquot and quotthanquot
middot quotwonderquot and quotwanderquot
middot quotitsquot and quotit’squot
middot quotaquot and quotanquot before a word that begins with a vowel (as in quota excellent opportunityquot when it should be quotan excellent opportunityquot)
An approach to style
middotquotAvoid fancy words.quot
quotUsing language that is too formal or too academic can make an applicant’s reacutesumeacute and/or cover letter sound derogatory or speechlike, which may appear like you are trying to fool the employer about your qualifications,quot Corcoran says. quotThe best way to set yourself apart is with examples that use industry-relevant words from your experience, not formal words that may make the reviewer feel stupid or — if used incorrectly — laugh at your application.quot
middotquotDo not take shortcuts at the cost of clarity.quot
quotMost people write about their titles and functions in terms they understand, instead of taking into account if it will be understood by a hiring authority,quot says Tony Beshara, author of quotUnbeatable Reacutesumeacutes: America’s Top Recruiter Reveals What Really Gets You Hired.quot quotLikewise, most people write the names of the companies they have worked for with no explanation about what the companies do. There are 7.5 million companies in the United States … most of us don’t know what any of them do. It needs to be explained in detail.quot
middotquotDo not overstate.quot
Finally, heed Strunk and White’s warning, quotWhen you overstate, the reader will be instantly on guard, and everything that has preceded your overstatement as well as everything that follows it will be suspect in his mind.quot
quotI advise students not to say they are ‘excellent speakers who have extensively … ‘ or other similar phrases,quot says Cynthia Favre, director of career services at Gustavus Adolphus College inSt. Peter, Minn. quotComparative words like ‘excellent’ raise the question: Compared to whom? And most hiring managers will have a hard time believing a 21-year-old new graduate has done anything ‘extensively’ anyway. Instead, give evidence,and let the reader decide if it is excellent or extensive.quot

Source from Msn