Writing a Resume – Bragging OR Exaggerating?
When writing a resume there is a fine line between BRAGGING and EXAGGERATING and all too often people cross the line. In fact … there could be a 3rd option called DOWN PLAYING! Of ALL the resumes I have read down playing is, by far, the most common … then exaggerating and then bragging.
Lets talk about the differences and give each a definition:
Down playing – These are people that do not feel comfortable talking about themselves. They tend to use “we” more than “I” and rather than talking about RESULTS focus on PROJECTS. An examples of this would be:
* Helped train new employees
You can see that the do not take ownership (the word “helped” shows down play AND lack of ownership).
In an environment where you are ultimately trying to “sell” yourself in your resume this is a MAJOR obstacle to overcome.
Exaggerating – These are people that are on the complete opposite side of the spectrum. In fact these people can often go too far and simply make things up that simply arent true. They tend to “round up” and take ALL the credit. An example of this would be something like:
* Personally trained 2,000 NEW employees
There are usually “signs” that indicate these statements may not be true (reference checks are ultimately what get this people into ‘hot water’). Words like “personally” and “2,000″ seem arbitrary and indulgent and can have the exact same effect as “down playing” … namely being you do not get interviewed!
BRAGGING – These people understand the difference between down playing and exaggerating and find the middle ground. They take pride AND ownership for their accomplishments without exaggerating. An example of this might look like:
* Improved the training process for new employees resulting in 20% shorter “training period” and increased productivity by 17%.
You will notice they take ownership not just in what they DID but what it RESULTED in! This is a HUGE indicator to future employees as to the kind of worker you are.
So … which one do YOU do?
