Verbal Flatulence and You

I'd like to talk about my pet peeve as a resume writer. It's a phenomenon I call "verbal flatulence."

Verbal flatulence is the habit of using 11 words when five will do. It's using polysyllabic terminology (big words) to impress the reader.

Verbal flatulence is annoying, counterproductive and can ruin your resume by making it impossible for the reader to quickly decide whether you're the right fit for his/her company.

Here's part of the opening from a resume, produced by a firm that modestly bills itself as "among the premier resume writing services in the country." It's eight lines of solid text and it starts like this:
"Demonstrated hands-on experience in evaluating children with a wide range of physical, mental, and emotional challenges and abilities working within the laws of the state and Board of Education in facilitating the process and procedures required to best meet their educational needs."

You'll never bore anyone into hiring you.

So, how can you write a resume that's clear and easy to read?

Start by listening to what you write. After you've written your resume, read it aloud. Does it sound like you? Or does it sound like a congressman on Meet the Press? Shoot for the former and avoid the latter.

Edit. Simplify. Mark Twain said: "If I had had more time, I would have written less."

After you've written your resume, put it away for 24 hours. Then re-read it and reduce or eliminate wording. If time allows, repeat the process. Or, show your resume to a trusted friend for review.

The goal of your resume is not to tell the reader the story of your working life in agonizing detail. Instead, your resume must generate enough curiosity to make the reader want to call you in for an interview to find out more.

When you write as you speak and use short, old words (to quote Winston Churchill), your resume will be concise and effective. You'll avoid the shame of verbal flatulence. And that will leave your readers -- and you -- smiling.

For more information on how to get a Guaranteed Resume, please go to: http://www.CollegeRecruiter.com/1dayresumes.html.