As a Recruiter, I see a LOT of CVs/Resumes. If I were to compile statistics of characteristics of the workforce based on resumes, I would find that the vast majority of today’s workers are:

• Hard-Working
• Strategic
• Professional
• Successful
• Dynamic
• Results Oriented
• …and Highly Effective

That’s impressive! If only it were true! Whenever I see these, or other self-descriptive terms in a resume, my first reaction is “says you”! Although those are all admirable characteristics, it’s easy for anyone to say anything they want about themselves. When I look at a resume, I want to see evidence. I’m much more impressed by facts and figures that indicate those traits than someone simply using empty words.

People are often taught to write a Summary of themselves or their experience at the top of their resume. That can be an effective technique to create a brief snapshot of their skills and experience. However, very often, people use that space to list a string of self-descriptive words without anything to back them up. A much more effective use for that space is to very succinctly list specific accomplishments or experiences that create the same snapshot, but in a more credible way.

A line that states:
“A Sales Person with a track record of 4 consecutive years of 25% or greater sales growth”
is far more impressive than one that says:
”A highly successful, results oriented Sales Professional”.

A statement like:
”A Technology Professional that has completed the last 4 projects on-time and under budget”
is more effective than:
”A dynamic and hard-working Technology Professional”.

And even a phrase that says:
”An Administrative Support Professional with top percentile performance scores on Microsoft Office Applications”
is far more credible than:
”A highly effective Administrative Support Professional knowledgeable in office productivity software”.

Read through your resume, and think through specifics of your experience and accomplishments. Be sure you are primarily highlighting credible facts and figures that set you apart, rather than empty words that most others can (and do) use also.

By Harry Urschel – Visit his blog