On every line of your resume, you have a choice about how to convey what you’ve done. People are often concerned about conveying information in a way that sounds too impressive. They don’t want to exaggerate their claims.
I believe that there are many, many ways to state the truth without exaggerating. When you write your resume, your job (and mine if you hire me to help you) is to find the most flattering form of accuracy.
Here’s an example. Both of these statements could be true, but which one do you think is most compelling?
* Worked on a report on the company’s quarterly expenditures.
- or -
* Co-authored the company’s Q2 expenditure report, which revealed discrepancies that enabled the company to save $500,000 in Q3.
Another example. Who would you rather hire?
* Strong communications skills in managing relationships with clients.
-or -
* Manage relationships with 5 clients, each generating over $250,000 in yearly revenue.
The most flattering form of accuracy often means using detail to illustrate what you’ve done instead of using broad, vague words to describe your experiences. It sometimes means including numbers to quantify the impact you made on previous employers. And it always means thinking very hard about how your work made an impact on your company, even if you were just one of many contributors who made something good happen.
Never ever lie on your resume. But never settle for an unflattering form of accuracy, either.