Turn Fluff into Fact on Your Resume

Although most job seekers know that fluff has no place on their resumes, the tendency to include commonly used descriptors, such as "team player" and "self-starter," is hard to overcome. Craft better resumes by converting these vague phrases into real descriptions of your past job accomplishments and current skills. Impress hiring managers by following these tips for turning fluff into facts.

Focus on Specifics

Instead of calling yourself a visionary, tell how you created and successfully implemented a plan to improve your department. Change "excellent multitasker" to a concise description of multiple projects that you carried out simultaneously. Replace an overused resume objective statement with a mini-bio specifying your top career accomplishments. Sticking to specifics is the best way to impress hiring managers and secure the job you want.

Add Numbers

Turn fluff-like lists of accomplishments into strong marketing facts by adding specific numbers. Stating that you increased sales by 12 percent or reduced departmental costs by 18 percent builds a better resume than simply listing "increased sales" or "reduced costs" with your other attributes. If you don't have access to exact figures, the use of round numbers is acceptable. For example, you might say that you designed over 50 marketing pamphlets or that you successfully solicited around $30,000 in donations.

Upgrade Your Skills

Mentioning your proficiency in Microsoft Word and your ability to communicate effectively in writing is the quickest way to bore anyone reading your resume. Hiring managers expect job candidates to have basic computer proficiency and adequate writing skills. Better resumes replace lists of typical skills with descriptions of highly specialized skills that place the job candidate outside the typical job pool. Do you have specialized training or experience that moves your skills above the standard level? Focus on those skills, and show the prospective employer how you intend to use those skills to benefit his company if you secure the position.

Keep It Relevant

In the digital age, companies expect job candidates to supply resumes that are customized for the specific position desired. Before submitting your resume, read through it line by line looking for any irrelevant information. Create a better resume by removing, rephrasing or replacing pieces of fluff with highly relevant information.

Remove fluff when you need to shorten your resume to make it more concise. Rephrase fluff by explaining how it applies to the position. For example, instead of simply stating that you have training in meditation, add information about how your meditation training gives you the ability to stay calm and focused in tense bargaining situations. A third option is to replace fluff phrases with new outcome-based scenarios from your past experience and training that better relate to the position you hope to secure.

Building a better resume is as simple as changing fluff into facts to catch the attention of hiring managers and show how your unique strengths make you a valuable addition to their organization. A better resume focuses on facts and figures, lists only specialized skills, and limits itself to job-relevant information. Keep your resume emphasis on your top past outcomes to secure the interview and find the job of your dreams.

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