You may have recently participated in some thought-provoking online debates between resume writers worldwide. Some strategists felt that certain words used in resumes are “dead,” yet others found them to be valuable and descriptive.

In my professional opinion, you should never discount a specific word, nor should you include it in your client’s resume, unless you have seriously considered the potential outcome. When determining what to say in your client’s resume, consider every word, phrase, and sentence carefully.

How many times have you led into a client’s resume with these words?

• Results-oriented…
• Hardworking…
• Enthusiastic…
• Dedicated…
• Accomplished…
• Dynamic…
• Innovative…
• Self-motivated…

Don’t get into a rut of overusing adjectives just because “that’s how we’ve always done it.” Clients pay resume writers to create something more than a copycat resume. To triumph in an industry saturated with templates, you need to ensure that your client’s resume is better than the ones readily found on the internet.

The best resume writers I know compose unique value propositions for every client. They do not copy from resume samples. Instead, they exploit their own creativity to articulate something far more powerful – the essence of their client.

Capture the essence of your client

If you ask a client if they are “enthusiastic” or “committed,” you can be fairly certain of an affirmative response. That’s because just about every person who is in the market for a job would want to be described this way. So, the real question is “who is your client really?”

Take the time to fully understand your client and create a document that encapsulates the core of who he really is. If you can succinctly express this individuality, hiring decision-makers will then have a reason to select that resume.

Find new ways to describe your client

Any word used at the right time in the right way can be powerful; however, when a word is overused, it loses its power. Can you imagine what a prospective employer might think when he or she browses through a stack of resumes and sees “out of the box” almost every time?

To stay on the leading edge, search out new words. Experiment with creative language you don’t typically use, but that can distinguish your client. Your challenge is to select your words extremely carefully and incorporate only the best descriptors of the competencies and contributions brought to the table.

Rather than using a tired clichéd word such as “motivated,” describe how your client is motivated. Consider interesting and descriptive phrases such as “industrious and inventive in resolving tough concerns” or “meticulous in performing due diligence.”

If you must use typical words, then back them up

Any experienced professional could say that he or she is “highly experienced,” “results-oriented,” a “team player,” or a “strong communicator.” Who wouldn’t? There are many other ways to express your client’s value. Don’t use these words if you don’t have to.

If you feel you must use typical resume words, back them up with actions. For example, support your suggestion that your client is “results oriented” by substantiating it with concrete examples that prove the results attained. Convey talents, achievements, and value in a way that helps the individual to stand apart – not blend in.

Speak in the client’s language

Whether you are interviewing your client directly or having him complete worksheets, you need to speak in his language. List the top characteristics that your client mentions – in his words. Take note of the exact phrases or words that your client uses during the interview and incorporate those into the resume.

Sometimes it’s okay to say it like it is. Big, fancy words such as “intellectual” or “entrepreneurial” may look nice on paper, but if your client is studious or hardworking, just say so. And, if your client doesn’t understand the meaning of the word – don’t use it.

Important-sounding words don’t always attract interest or offers either. For example, you might think that describing your client as a “visionary” is going to impress board-level decision makers, and yet he may not get a call. It’s likely that the board is looking for a tactical expert who can successfully implement the board’s vision through uncommon means. Had you explained what your client actually does – and has done successfully many times – he might have had a shot at the role.

Don’t make the mistake of avoiding keywords

Of course, if you want to spark the interest of employers, sometimes you must use certain words even if they seem overused in resumes. Keywords are typically nouns that describe the job requirement, such as “strategic planning,” “mergers and acquisitions,” “profit and loss management” and “client relationship management.” These types of phrases are meaningful to employers and they are looking for them in resumes. Ensure that you incorporate keywords and key phrases that show how your client meets the needs of employers and addresses the requirements in their posted jobs.

Prove your client’s value

Rather than just using words, make a concerted effort to prove your client’s individual value every time you write a resume. Your client does not have to come across as a run of the mill applicant. Instead, think about that person as someone with uncommon personality, character, and worth – something that nobody else offers.

The resume you develop must resonate with your client and, even more importantly, with recruiters and hiring managers. Give a human voice to what your client brings to the table. Show the reader who your client really is and a deeper meaning will come through. You’ll demonstrate why your client is the only candidate that is truly worth the offer.

“If words are to enter men’s minds and bear fruit, they must be the right words shaped cunningly to pass men’s defenses and explode silently and effectually within their minds.” J. B. Phillips

Find out more about resume strategy here: http://www.careerprocanada.ca/CRSCredential

Sharon Graham is Canada’s Career Strategist. A recognized career transition expert, Sharon is founder and executive director of Career Professionals of Canada (www.CareerProCanada.ca), principal consultant at Graham Management Group (www.GrahamManagement.com), and author of the Best Canadian Resumes Series. With multiple certifications in resume, interview, and career strategy, Sharon has elevated the industry by delivering cutting-edge innovations to career practitioners across Canada. You can reach Sharon by e-mailing info@CareerProCanada.ca.

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For most career and employment practitioners, it is becoming increasingly evident that template resumes will not compete effectively against a branded resume in a competition for a prime opportunity. It may be no big revelation to you that templates are rampant – in applications like Word or WordPerfect, and even in resume building software. You can even find examples online created by certified writers, in popular sample books, and even in industry resources. However, if you use them instead of creating a fully branded resume, are you giving your client the best chance for success?

Branding your client’s resume is critical. If three candidates apply for the same position and each resume is virtually identical in terms of addressing the employer’s stated requirements, then none of the three templates will stand out at all. Now, expand this scenario to cover hundreds of candidates applying for one advertised job posting. It is clear that if your client’s resume is just like all the others, it is highly unlikely to be selected over other, more interesting, resumes.

Employers are looking for employees who can stand out from the rest of the pack. In the past, copying keywords, responsibility phrases, skills lists, and qualifications statements from job postings or job descriptions were a sound strategy. However, attentive practitioners soon discovered that when such resumes are put alongside each other, each becomes a carbon copy of the next and there is little to distinguish one client from another.

There are many reasons that templates can’t compete against branded resumes. Here are just five:

• Using a template, even as a guide, can stunt your creativity. If you only see things one way, it’s hard to “think outside of the box.”
• The resume writing industry is progressing as quickly as technology changes. The templates that you are using today are probably already outdated.
• Templates don’t account for strategy. You can’t effectively address obstacles, deviations, and anomalies in your clients’ histories within the confines of a template.
• Often template wizards that come from software require that certain sections be filled in. This, of course, won’t work when your clients don’t have what the template demands.
• It’s often difficult to reformat pre-designed software templates, so once you have developed the content, you are stuck with what you reproduced in the first place.

You can do a quick litmus test to determine if you are branding your clients’ resumes. Pull out and compare the last ten resumes that you created. If they are branded, each will have a distinctive value proposition, strategy, and design.

All is not lost if you are currently using templates in your practice. Many established organizations have successfully accomplished the shift from using templates to creating branded resumes.

We know that lifting directly from copyrighted material such as a resume book is, of course, plagiarism. An ethical practitioner understands that the material is only to be used as a guideline to inspire creative thinking on the part of both the consultant and the client. Therefore, the goal is to learn from the resource and then encourage the construction of a powerful and unique document that represents the individuality of the client.

Not all resumes need to be imaginative, but every resume needs to distinguish your client. The concern with copying from job postings and job descriptions intensifies when clients are targeting positions where key competencies require independent thought. For example, if a potential employer is looking for a filing clerk, the ability to complete tasks according to standard procedures might be the most important factor. If, on the other hand, the employer is looking for an office manager, then the ability to bring new ideas to streamline and improve processes is much more valuable. In this case, creativity and uniqueness trumps the ability to complete basic tasks.

Many practitioners will create a binder or file of exceptional sample resumes from previous clients. As the collection grows, a formidable resource emerges. Practitioners then tap into their files to evoke compelling ideas and strategies. This system works well, if kept in check. Core ideas can be utilized effectively, as long as the content from previous clients’ resumes is not being copied directly. If you are using such a system, client privacy is, of course, paramount. Whether you are using the file personally or are sharing it in the office, it is essential to adhere to a formal policy and system that addresses current privacy legislation.

As a general rule of thumb, the more senior the opportunity, the more important it is to help your client to stand apart from the rest. If your client is looking for an entry-level position that requires the ability to complete assigned directives, it is likely that a task-oriented resume will work. If your client is transitioning into a more progressive role, then a creative resume will work. But in either case, a branded resume will improve your client’s chance for success during the interview selection process.

There is nobody on earth like your client. He offers a unique blend of experience, skills, and accomplishments. Therefore, his resume must be different from the rest in order to sell him effectively. To create a branded resume for your client, you need to be strategic and think from a marketing perspective. Advertisers know that if they can create a compelling image in the consumer’s mind, they will quickly connect with their target market. In the same way, you need to create a distinctive value proposition that clearly and concisely connects with the target employer. Once you start thinking of your client as a marketable brand, you are ready to create a resume that stands above the rest.

How much is it worth to you if your client’s resume is the first resume pulled out of the stack? One way to enable your clients to stand apart from the rest is to incorporate a design element that is different from anything else that you have seen. For example, a splash of colour will immediately make your client’s resume stand out. If there were one hundred resumes in a stack and only your client’s had colour, the recruiter might just skim through and pull out that very resume just because it looks somewhat different. Obviously, you don’t want your client’s resume pulled out first because it is ugly or busy, so create a beautiful and professional document that represents your client in an upscale way as someone who is worthy of selecting over the rest.

Here are some ways that you can distinguish your clients by creating a branded resume that surpasses all the others:

1. Instead of relying on resume templates, start with a blank page.
2. Forget the “canned” statements and focus on concise, but creative, wording.
3. Outline why the employer should hire your client instead of other qualified candidates.
4. Show your client’s uniqueness by focusing on attributes that most candidates don’t offer.
5. Impress the reader with the talents that often bring your client compliments.
6. Instead of chronological or functional format, strategically position every section.
7. Stay away from logging lists of responsibilities, tasks, and duties.
8. Outline only your client’s most impressive accomplishments and show measurable results.
9. Go beyond education and experience to include committees, publications, and other areas that reinforce the unique value that your client brings.
10. Incorporate a branded design element so it reflects your client’s professional image and is appealing to his target market.

When you rely on templates, you automatically stunt your client’s ability to differentiate himself. If you are merely re-typing what others use to describe themselves, then you are not describing your client’s unique talents, qualifications, attributes, achievements, and value. Thoughtful branded resumes built from scratch will make your clients stand out. They will advertise them in ways that show potential employers their incomparable worth.

Find out more about resume strategy here: http://www.careerprocanada.ca/CRSCredential

Join our next Live Exchange. We’ll be discussing resume templates further: http://www.careerprocanada.ca/LiveExchange

Sharon Graham is Canada’s Career Strategist. A recognized career transition expert, Sharon is founder and executive director of Career Professionals of Canada (www.CareerProCanada.ca), principal consultant at Graham Management Group (www.GrahamManagement.com), and Author of the Best Canadian Resumes Series. With multiple certifications in resume, interview, and career strategy, Sharon has elevated the industry by delivering cutting-edge innovations to career practitioners across Canada. You can reach Sharon by e-mailing info@CareerProCanada.ca.

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