Overloading the resume with exclamation points (!) and adjectives. Exclamation points have no place in a resume (unless they are part of a title). Adjectives are fine in limited amounts (“strong leadership skills…”) but it is far better to demonstrate your value through accomplishments. Look at this example:
- DIY Mistake: “Superior turnaround expert with excellent IT leadership skills and unmatched ability to understand business goals.”
- Improvement: “Increased visitors to XYZ’s website 130% in the first quarter by refocusing a struggling IT team efforts from website upgrades to complete redesign.”
Believing that it’s the reader’s responsibility to know what you mean. Whether you work in a high-tech field or a company that loves acronyms or you have fallen in love with management jargon, you must drop your prejudices and write in clear, everyday English. Look at this example:
- DIY Mistake: “Developed CXO relationships to capitalize on proactive NPI for BUs in EMEA.”
- Improvement: “Developed relationships with chief executive officers to capitalize on new product introductions (NPI) for business units in the East, Middle East, and Asia (EMEA).”