Whether that message is intentional or otherwise, the recipient decision maker(s) will jump to a snap conclusion. The ‘otherwise’ tends to be the glaring norm. Jobseekers rarely look at their résumé presentations in the same as the recipient.
The majority honestly believe that it’s important to leave no stone unturned: Everything gets mentioned. To accomplish that, they resort to lengthy sentences, dozens of bullets and include a thesaurus of buzzword superlatives.
For recipients, the blurred message turns into blah, blah, blah: This was not the jobseekers’ initial intention. Jobseekers believe employers are interested in the minutia, the facts, statistical data, dates and accomplishments. Well, when they have loads of free time they are.
By in large, employers want quantitative substance, rather than fillers and fluff, but there are limits. The normal mind can only synthesize and retain so much. Eventually, the mind reaches informational overload. When that occurs, it shuts down and stops processing.
Some résumés are so saturated with details; the reader’s mind encounters mental gridlock the instant the material is viewed. In one passing glance, the lengthy paragraphs communicate to the reader the material will be a chore plowing through it.
At the opposite extreme, there are wordy résumés that communicate nothing. Such material reverberates with expository verbiage designed to dazzle the reader with alluring suggestions that accomplishments occurred. Readers interpret this as prevarication.
While these messages were not intentional, they color the reader’s perception like food on a dirty plate. When this occurs, the flavor of the résumé content becomes a secondary issue because the reader has already formulated a negative opinion.
Résumé length remains important. Imagine if 200 jobseekers each sent four-page résumés. For the recipient, the individual résumé represents a chapter in a grueling novel! It also signals the jobseeker thinks the recipient’s time is of no value. Good luck sending that message.
Okay, here is the secret formula. The message comes down to three issues: The elements include focus, relevancy and fit. When the feng shui of the material delivers that message, you’ve got it right. To enhance the delivery of that message,
- avoid small type, lengthy paragraphs, long sentences and superlatives, as well as too many bullet points.
Choose your words carefully, and eschew obfuscation. (For my regular readers, a touch of levity might clarify the message.)
Copyrighted © 2013 by Robert James