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Friday, June 25, 2010

Creative Resume Writing: Stick To The Facts

Writing your resume can be a challenging process, especially if your job history is not as strong as you would like it to be. Somewhere along the way, as you are trying to find the best way to highlight your skills and attributes, you may be tempted to embellish some of your qualifications or to hide some of your weaknesses. This type of creative resume writing is not acceptable and will come back to haunt you at some point down the line.

Just the facts

Make sure that the information you put into your resume is factual and complete. For example, if you were the team leader on a project that met its objectives then you should state the actions and results you took very clearly. Do not overstate your role in the process, exaggerate the benefits of the results, or discount the efforts of the other people on your team.

Any factual information you put into your resume must be verifiable. If you say that you were the top salesperson for three months in a row you should have documentation available that confirms this statement. Employers can and do check the accuracy of resumes, so be prepared to back up whatever information you put into your resume.

Tell the truth

Never, never, never make up information or lie about your qualifications on a resume. It is surprising how many people will add just a bit to a statement about themselves, or claim a college degree that they do not really have, all the while thinking they will not be caught. The reality is, though, that most often they are caught and then find themselves in a worse position than before.

What are the consequences of lying on your resume? Sometimes they are immediate - you are screened out of the hiring process, or are found out during the interview. Other times they are a bit longer coming - maybe the truth comes out after a month or two on the job and you are quickly removed from the position with no severance or other accommodation. When you stop to think about it, you quickly realize that it is just not worth it to stray in any way from the truth on your resume


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