The Resume Litmus Test

The Resume Litmus TestThe Resume Litmus TestMake sure that hiring managers actually read your resume by taking this quick barstool litmus test.Your resume comprises a set of talking points. But have you ever tried talking back to your resume?Think about it. When a recruiter reads a resume, shes saying the exakts in her head. Its how we all read. So when a glut of words overwhelms the point being made, its a struggle to read. And thats when the recruiter gives up and tosses your resume into the no pile.So how do you ensure your resume is professional and concise? Remove the business-ese.Business-ese vs. conversational EnglishMany senior managers and technologists make the mistake of writing in business-ese - a plodding, dense and pompous style with lots of long words and convoluted sentences. Business-ese tortures readers by forcing them to read and re-read each word slowly.The writer of business-ese may think hes hiding something under a garbage pile of meaningless verbiage - but h es not fooling anybody. People write this way for many reasons Sometimes theyre trying to sound professional. Usually theyre just not thinking clearly, or theyre just too timid to say what they really mean.Consider this before and after exampleBusiness-ese (43 words)Performed multiple tasks between various clients generating 50% greater capacity and sustainability by engineering ITIL based technology capabilities and aligning resources with the organizations strategic advantage. Managed and utilized procedures, policies and guidelines resulting to positive effect in efficiency as much as 100%.Conversational English (23 words)Increased network scalability 50% for Acme Corp. by designing and implementing a new platform based on Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and related standards.Can your resume pass the barstool test?Try this simple test Just read your resume out loud for a minute.How does it sound?Does your resume sound like ordinary speech that youd say to a p erson on the barstool beside you? Congratulations, you passed. But if you stumble, stutter, backtrack or hesitate - like most people who try this exercise - you should consider working with an expert to rewrite your resume.After I write this article, for example, Ill use the voice recorder on my iPhone to record and play back every paragraph. This simple tactic can improve everything you write.And heres an extra benefit As you read your resume out loud, youll probably discover some hidden typos, grammatical errors and missing words.What is conversational writing?Conversational writing is the same writing style that you read in a major newspaper like The Wall Street Journal - its simple and direct, but never slang, vogue, breezy or overly casual. Writing in the simple, conversational style is a tricky balance - like dressing for Casual Fridays.Editing a wordy resumeThe barstool test itself is pretty easy - just read your resume out loud. But rewriting and simplifying your langua ge might require a lot of work Among professional writers, a famous adage says, The easier it is to read, the harder it is to writeHere are three pointers to get you started - and if you get stuck, get help from an editor or a resume writer.1. Take five deep breaths and relax. Many people feel stressed out when they sit down to write They freeze up like theyre about to speak in front of an audience - and when they write, they sound tense and stilted. Relaxation is a great cure for writers block.2. Think about what you want to say before you write each sentence. Clarify your thinking before you write This is the first and most important rule for writing.3. Now write a bare-bones sentence that captures a single idea Imagine youre sending an old-fashioned telegram - and youre paying a dollar for each word.Ask a recruiter from any top company Posting a job online triggers an electronic stampede of thousands of resumes - including well-qualified candidates, unqualified candidates, an d lots and lots of spam.Lets assume you send a resume that survives all the electronic filtering and actually reaches a human being. Now youre just one candidate in a pile of, say, 300 resumes - so the reviewer, already stressed out by deadlines, eyeballs your resume for only 15 seconds or less. Her sole purpose at this point is to screen you out, cut down the stack and select a relative handful of candidates wholl eventually be called in for interviews. WhewFortunately, you can boost the odds that your resume lands in the interview pile by paring your language or working with a resume writer to make your resume easier to read - and make life a little easier for the reader