Adjectives on a Resume
By Soozy G. Miller, CPRW, CDCC, CDP
The problem with using adjectives on a resume is no one will believe you. Everyone says they are awesome on a resume because the resume is the one place where you are encouraged to talk yourself up.
But 99% of job candidates – at any level – will claim that they’re good at teamwork, communication, and results (“results-oriented”). One of my favorites is “entrepreneurial – able to work alone or as part of a team.” If you’re an executive, I certainly hope so!
One of the issues here is that people don’t dig deeper. There are more adjectives than these available to you. Analytical, risk-taker, persuasive, energetic, competitive, and calming are just some other adjectives that immediately come to mind.
The science of human behavior tells us that everyone can’t be good at everything and that nobody is “bad” or “good” at communication, we’re all just different. If you are a more driven leader who feels comfortable leading meetings, taking risks, and driving the business, then you are going to speak differently and use different adjectives than someone who is more analytical, hangs back, and researches data before making a decision. One style is not better or worse than the other. Both bring benefits and value to any situation or problem.
That difference is important when it comes to matching your expertise to a leadership position. The company may need a person who drives the business. Or they may need a more analytical perspective that will enable them to correct past business models. Or they may need someone who is outgoing and forms partnerships easily. All of these are great options, they’re simply different. Which one is appropriate? Well, that depends on the specific position, doesn’t it?
How do you relay your unique self on an unemotional document like a resume?
If you don’t have access to an assessment like DISC (or Myers Briggs or StrengthsFinder or Predictive Index, etc.), then at least try to prove the adjective that you’re claiming. If you have to go with “good communicator” (yuck!) then at least try to prove it by stating how your good communication skills benefitted and impacted the company. If you have to with “team player” (yuck!) then at least try to show how being a team player benefited the company.
I know I’ve said this in other newsletters: executive recruiters and the hiring team DO NOT search for “communication” or “team player” or “results-oriented.” You are an adult, so the company expects you to communicate often with your team, they expect you to work well with others, and they expect you to strive for results. Putting these descriptors down is the equivalent of saying that you work with a computer. Or that you can use a desk. It’s that basic and unnecessary.
So, go ahead … put the adjectives that best describe you on the resume. Just make sure that they don’t stand alone. Prove them by showing how that characteristic benefited the companies on your resume. Otherwise, you’re just a good communicator who prioritizes results by being a team player. (Yuck.)
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Better job. More pay. More control.
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