Why the words that don’t come so easily on your resume – are actually the words that really matter

I often get really precious about the words I use.

Saying this does not embarrass me.

It’s part of my job to be a bit precious.

To help someone find a job it’s not actually about me finding the most flowery description of what someone does to put on their resume or LinkedIn profile.

It’s not about me inflating someone’s achievements.

And it’s emphatically not about me using loads of impenetrable but kind of “impressive” sounding HR weasel words. (Although, after reading what’s on this weasel word site, I’ll confess to being guilty of using a few).

The right words are about accurately reflecting someone’s value and their values.

This is important because getting these words right on your resume help you attract the right job.

I love finding the right words. But despite doing this professionally, it’s never as simple as I know many people think.   

This is because I don’t think we have nearly enough words to describe how we feel about or ourselves, or a situation. So sometimes, when working on a resume, I need to sit and think for a long while, or edit and re-edit and re-edit some more, until the message is close to what we need to get across.

Sometimes clients just want me to put down what I think and leave big chunks of the questions I give them to work through, blank.

The results that come out of this thought process actually speak for themselves.

When this happens I often end up doing more work than I should, and the resume can sound a bit bland and empty.

The best words come out when clients get involved in and care about the process of writing their resume or LinkedIn profile. They put in the hard work around thinking about what they want to do, what they enjoy doing, what they’re proud of contributing – then thinking about where all that might lead them.

I might lose a few clients when I write this, but I am happy when people say they have not found the thinking part of my process easy.

I see this as meaning they care enough about their careers to take the time to think about what they really want to get across.

I also don’t really think that many meaningful careers come that fast or that easily which often means that writing about yourself is not that easy.

We seem to learn so much more about ourselves in our responses to adversity rather than to a quick win, as we often have a greater emotional reaction when things go badly. So clients sometimes tell me they often find the questions I ask around what they really enjoy doing, to be the toughest questions for them to answer.

To this I say “good”, because hopefully that means we get closer to the truth about what is important.

The other thing that’s important to getting a good result is us having a great conversation.

I have never personally produced a great piece of work by just reading and reworking what someone has written in response to my pre-work questions, or from what they have already on their resume.

We have to have an in-depth interview for the result to be great.

I have to get to know you better.

I know many of my clients find this interview part of my process to be invaluable. That’s because the aim is to be objective and the only agenda I have to to be on your side in getting the message across.

In having a conversation I find I can understand and draw out any common strengths or stories that run through someone’s career. Listening to the energy in someone’s voice tells me what they get really excited about. I can bring in things I think might be important to highlight, and dig out other information that recruiters or employers value.

I also have my own personal agenda in wanting to talk to you.

I want you to be able to trust that I understand you.

You’ll pay more for my service or the services of someone that works in the way that I do, because you’ll get more value out out of having someone on your side to help you get the hard words out rather than relying on someone who’ll just send you back a reworked version of what you’ve submitted online.

Having said this, it’s important to find the right person you can partner up with.

I know the way I work does not work for everyone. Some people have deadlines. Some people don’t want to take the time. And not everyone likes my personal style.

I am completely fine with that.

When you want someone to help you represent yourself, you want someone whose words you trust. I encourage you to do your research until you find that someone who suits you.

If you are looking for the help I describe, feel free to email me on karalyn@interviewiq.com.au.