Five Ways to Improve the Writing in Your Resume

Resumes have a unique style of writing that's part shorthand, part advertising copy, and part personal essay. Some of the rules of correct English apply but many don't. Here's how to master this specialized communication in a way that gives your resume more power and persuasion.

Be Direct
Don't worry about being fancy or "businesslike" in your resume. Just say what you're trying to say in a direct, matter-of-fact tone that stresses quantifiable facts over subjective claims. And when you do state a matter of your own opinion, say it in a tone that implies irrefutable fact -- treat it like it's almost a given. Keep it simple and direct, and the professionalism will take care of itself.

Don't Overdo the Jargon
Every industry has its own mountain of jargon and insider terminology. And that's fine for the people who work in that field every day. The problem is that a lot of times the first people that read your resume aren't the hiring managers that understand your particular dialect. And such a person may be looking to see if you can speak to "normal" folk outside of your department without all the complex double talk. So do yourself a favor and simplify things on your resume so anyone could at least have a clue what you're talking about.

Ask Yourself If Every Sentence Really Adds Something
For anyone who's had a career longer than five years or so, space gets tight on a resume. For that reason, professional resume writers work hard to cut any lines they can to fit everything on the requisite one or two pages. The first place pro writers start are with sentences that are repetitious or redundant. And even if you're not tight on space, cutting such extraneous sentences makes your resume easier and quicker to read. It can also free up more space to include additional accomplishments and selling points.