When Bad Writing Happens to Good Resumes

When Bad Writing Happens to Good Resumes When Bad Writing Happens to Good Resumes Often, badeanstalt writing is a result of trying too hard to impress. When youre looking for work- especially if its been a while since your last interview- youre usually very keen to make a good first impression, but ironically, you may end up doing the opposite.Using too many adjectives may not seem like a bad thing at first. You know that youre amazing, brilliant, and talented, but getting it across in a few paragraphs of text can be challenging. However, describing yourself or your experience with too many adjectives is probably not the best way to convince a potential employer of your many great qualities.Adjectives fall into two general categories broad and specific. Broad adjectives are little better than filler they take up space without adding anything significant. Consider the difference between the following sentences which one is more convincing?A I am a fantastic, dedicated, and highly sk illed employee with an impressive work history.B I have fifteen years of experience and mastery of the four most common software tools used in the industry.Both of these sentences convey the same basic information- the writer has skills and experience- but instead of using broad adjectives to qualify those statements, the second sentence uses concrete, specific examples. Generally, if you make vague statements about your abilities paired with over-the-top adjectives, the person reading your resume will assume that youre over-inflating your worth.Another common mistake is using lazy verbs instead of action verbs. According to the folks over at The Muse, most resume bullet points begin the same way led, managed, or responsible for. They compiled a list of 185 action verbs to revitalize those tired old bullet points. Lazy verbs are often vague or boring, and they dont do a very good job of showing the reader what schrift of action you actually did. Thats why so many of these verbs need a little help from an adjective or adverb- but weve already seen how they dont solve the problem, either.To generate a personalized list of action verbs for your job search, spend some time thinking about what you did and what you accomplished at your previous position. Make a list, and then break out the thesaurus to find inspiration for more robust verbs. You can also find excellent verbs in the job postings themselves. Businesses often respond better to certain keywords- and in the case of automated software, those keywords may even be the difference between your resume ending up in front of a real person or in the trash- so dont be afraid to copy their language.While being specific is good, using corporate jargon is almost always a bad idea. George Orwell, in his essay Politics and the English Language, advocated for people to use plain, straightforward language. Unfortunately, many businesses have gone the opposite direction, using indecipherable jargon or buzzwords like syner gy or incentivize. Check out this list of corporate-speak and immediately cut any of the words that show up in your resume or cover letter.Failing to proofread is one of the worst sins you can commit in your resume or cover letter. Of course, were a little biased since Grammarlys mission is to help clean up typos and grammar mistakes, but even minor mistakes can telegraph negative traits to a potential employer. After all, if you dont pay attention to detail in such an important document, hiring managers will assume that youre careless in other areas of your professional life.Master the art of closing deals and making placements. Take our Recruiter Certification Program today. Were SHRM certified. Learn at your own pace during this 12-week program. Access over 20 courses. Great for those who want to break into recruiting, or recruiters who want to further their career.