Don’t Write a Boring Resume!

By Scott Shane Holt

Please, folks, don’t make the mistake of writing your job history as a long, boring confession! This happens when you give too much detail about your day-to-day tasks. Unfortunately, your exciting accomplishments and impressive responsibilities are going to get lost.

You need to approach this problem in two ways, just like I did with a client whose impressive job experience was buried in a humdrum resume:

First, get rid of the dead wood. Just like trimming a tree helps the remaining limbs thrive, we strengthened her resume by taking off statements like this: “Note: magazine ceased publication as of June/July 2000 issue.” The decision to stop publishing was neither her fault nor her decision. So we simply stated the dates when she worked there.

Then highlight your greatest accomplishments. Refocus the facts to emphasize the unique benefits your employers have received from your efforts.

So a dry fact like this…

Relaunch bimonthly women’s service and inspirational title

…turns into a strong statement that shows what you’re capable of, like this:

Recruited by publishers to relaunch and reposition the magazine with the goal of increasing readership through a softer, broader appeal, making it more about spirituality and less about religion

Think of your resume as your “greatest hits,” not your “complete anthology.” Employers may spend just 15 seconds scanning your resume. Don’t spell out every gory detail; stay focused on the positive. And make your “wow” items stand out - so you’ll stand out from the 100’s of other people applying for the same job!