There
exists a propensity for jobseekers to exaggerate. Why not? –Everyone wants to project the best image possible. To
accomplish that, jobseekers often gravitate toward hyperbolic phraseology in
their résumés. The rationale being, everyone else is doing it, so I need to
follow suit. This me-too approach does
not bode well with many employers.
Three years ago, I initiated a company
practice of avoiding inflated rhetoric. As you might expect, the backlash came swift
and loud. Many clients revolted, claiming that I had failed to tout how
fabulous, wonderful and otherwise marvelous they were.
In
short, to hell with the facts. Make me appear other than what I am! They
rarely stated it in those terms, but that became the underpinning message. Each
wants to appear (in digital print)
more stupendous than their fantastic competition.
Once
you strip away the hyperbole, the fillers, the qualifiers and extraneous
modifiers, what remains are the substantive
facts. Many jobseekers cannot abide with that reality. Their mantra often
comes down to inflate it; twist it; massage it.
Many
jobseekers lose sight of reality, where efficient employers view their time as
a precious commodity in short supply. For employers—or those who must endure inflated
me-too rhetoric—the substantive facts
are their core concern.
Employers
need to determine fit, qualifications and liking quickly. The first two are usually determined by the résumé.
The latter is determined in an interview.
The
résumés that are concise, easy-to-read and digest jump off the computer screen.
Available research supports this. Statistically, the favorable response rate for
the concise dwarfs those resorting to puffery, hype and fillers.
On
a daily basis, résumés arrive from across the nation. Many individuals are
highly qualified, but encountering obstacles due to indigestible résumé
content. In majority of situations, their résumés challenge readability.
The
technical ones stand out for wrong reasons. IT technocrats and engineers readily
assume that only a likeminded clone will read and appreciate their highly refined,
technical skillsets. With that fixation in mind, they proceed accordingly.
After months—sometimes years—of minimal replies, they track me down seeking a
solution.
Résumés
have becoming technologically sophisticated. They do not need to be convoluted—unless
one chooses to make them so. Strive for clarity and Internet portability, and
you stay in the game. Strive to inflate, and your invites to interview will
arrive late.