Is Your Resume Boring?

A boring resume may doom your essential job search document before you even get a chance to explain your great credentials, outstanding work ethic or wonderful academic achievements. Before the advent of computers and word processors, resumes generally listed several bullet points of text that included standard information.

Now, you should turn your boring resume into a branding document that catches the attention of your readers. Instead of an objective section at the top underneath your contact information, try including a two- or three-sentence summary that fits neatly into one column of text. This human-voiced resume puts your passion and personality first, before your education, accomplishments and skills. This note should supplement, rather than supplant, a cover letter. Add a small, professional photograph near the personal branding statement to put a face on your work ethic and enhance your job search.

Spice up your boring resume, but avoid praising yourself with fluffy adjectives and superlatives. You might think you are savvy, strategic or quick-thinking, but you cannot show that on paper. Do not say you are the top, best or brightest at anything, since that bespeaks someone who does not have room to grow or learn at a new position. Let your accomplishments speak for themselves, and let your wit shine through during the interview.

Write about specific accomplishments rather than using trite language. While it's great you have a goal-driven personality with a grounded business approach, that vague phrasing does not say anything about your specific skills and accomplishments. Eliminate the boring resume, and tell a recruiter or HR manager precisely what you did for five years at Acme Brick when sales jumped 5 percent per successive quarter.

Do not simply list jobs in the order you had them. Having worked for Google, Apple and Oracle is wonderful, but your past employment dates already show that information. In your skills section, expand on the most pertinent tasks you had at each job listed on the resume, rather than merely listing your basic job duties. Although you know exactly what you mean when you say you wrote blogs, maintained social media accounts and ran a sales team, the nuts and bolts of those tasks should come through in your essential document.

A boring resume contains plenty of passive phrases. Use active verbs that engage your audience. Start brief sentences with words such as collaborated, led or sold. Optimize your resume with keywords from the job description and links to relevant LinkedIn profiles. A resume no longer means a piece of paper, but rather denotes an interactive document that allows recruiters to find more information. Use a computer font that reads easily. Try the Georgia typeface rather than the standard Times New Roman for clarity.

A boring resume ends up in the trash very quickly, even after it passes through an applicant tracking system. You don't need scented paper or background music to grab someone's attention. Stick to the facts, use active voice and make your resume stand out from traditional formats.

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