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In Your Resume Don’t Be Vague – Be Specific

Youโ€™ve got so much more to offer employers than tasks, duties, and responsibilities.

So why is your resume focused so heavily on these facts?

Recruiters and employers don’t spend a whole lot of time reading resumes. To capture and keep their attention, resume content needs to be relevant and specific.

Strong relatable facts keep readers engaged. General and vague details result in a: ‘thank you, next‘.

To amp up resume impact, focus on essentials and be as precise and explicit as possible. Eliminate guesswork by feeding the readerย  clear examples of skills and success. Make your value known.

Instead of: โ€œResponsible for a sales teamโ€…..

Try: โ€œDirected a team of 10 regional sales professionals to deliver 10% YOY sales growthโ€.

Instead of: โ€œManaged projectsโ€โ€ฆ.

Try: โ€œDelivered 15 oil and gas projects this year on time and on budgetโ€.

Instead of: โ€œHelped customersโ€

Try: โ€œAchieved 85% customer satisfaction rating from 500 local customers in 2018โ€.

Can you spot the differences? The initial task-based statements are generic claims that anyone can make. The results-focused statements include unique facts that are more measurable. Details are specific. Impact and level of skill are easier to understand.

Guess which ones will help you stand apart from competitors?

Transition your resume from basic and boring to interesting and impactful by keeping content specific, not vague! Learn more about how to identify and add measurements and achievements into your resume in this post.ย 

Adrienne Tom

Looking to get noticed for top jobs? I can help. Visit me online at CareerImpressions.ca to learn more about my award-winning resume and LinkedIn writing services that helped C-suite executives, VPs, and directors land top jobs at billion-dollar companies, start-ups, and everything in between. โšœ ๐—ฌ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐˜€๐˜๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜† ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ผ๐—น๐—ฑ. Everyone has value to offer employers. But conveying this story in a modern, succinct executive resume isnโ€™t easy. I can do this for you. โšœ ๐—œ ๐—ผ๐—ณ๐—ณ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—บ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ป ๐—ท๐˜‚๐˜€๐˜ โ€˜๐—ฎ ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜‚๐—บ๐—ฒโ€™. I'm often told that my process is as valuable as the final documents. People feel more empowered and confident after our work together. โšœ ๐— ๐˜† ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜‚๐—บ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐˜„๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ธ. I hear amazing success stories from my clients. For 15+ years, I have written hundreds of executive resumes and LinkedIn profiles that generated increased recognition and escalated earning power for my clients.

2 Comments

  1. David Pearson on February 25, 2019 at 1:42 pm

    Hi,I often print out the articles to share with our students in our training programs. I don’t want them to think I’m writing them and would like to credit the author. Was the article here “In Your Resume Donโ€™t Be Vague โ€“ Be Specific” written by Adrienne Tom? Thank you in advance.

    • Adrienne Tom on February 25, 2019 at 3:16 pm

      Hello David,Thank you for reaching out to clarify. Yes, this article was authored by myself – Adrienne Tom.

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