Seven Deadly Words 

By Kevin Donlin

President

Guaranteed Resumes

To succeed in today's job market, your resume and cover letter must be concise and easy to read. Sounds obvious, right?

But you'd be surprised how often a resume or cover letter are ruined when the author utilizes a superabundance of polysyllabic terminology (uses too many big words).

Here are seven of the most commonly used “big words” that I see every day in resumes sent to me by clients. Warning! Using these words may cause severe drowsiness ... and get your resume tossed in the wastebasket.

· Implementation - My all-time least favorite word. It's a favorite of senators and others who make their living by not speaking clearly. Try saying “roll-out” or “set-up” instead.

· Utilization - Have you ever heard anyone use this word in a conversation, ever? Neither have I. Never “utilize” what you can simply “use.”

· Impact (used as a verb) - Wisdom teeth are impacted. And I suppose meteorites can “impact” the moon. But in your resume and cover letter, use the verb “affect.”

· Impactful (allegedly an adjective) - “Illiterate” is the image this word conveys. Say “high-impact” (better) or “effective” (best).

· Facilitate - Don't “facilitate” a meeting; “help lead” or “conduct” it instead.

· Deliverables - I'm pretty sure this term refers to “products” or “finished goods.” But I could be wrong.

· Interface - I think it was Isaac Asimov who said: “When I'm interfacing with a woman, I'm kissing her, by God.” This word can be the kiss of death to clarity. Instead of “interfacing” with people, “work” with them.

In short, don't hide behind your vocabulary. Just be informative and clear.

Write as you would speak to your manager. Then read your resume and cover letter aloud. If you find yourself gasping for breath halfway through a sentence, stop. Break it into two or three shorter sentences. Then read it again until it flows smoothly.

When you've finished, call your best friend and read your writing over the phone. If it's 100 percent clear by phone, congratulations! Your resume and cover letter are now easier to read than 98 percent of what's out there in the job market.

Best of luck to you!

Kevin Donlin owns and operates Guaranteed Resumes. Since 1995, he has provided resumes, cover letters and online job-search assistance to clients on five continents. He's been interviewed by WCCO and WLTE radio, and KMSP TV, among others. His articles have appeared in the National Business Employment Weekly, Home Office Computing magazine, Twin Cities Employment Weekly, the c|net online magazine and others.

To claim your FREE Job Search Kit, “Job Search Secrets Exposed!” (a $25.00 value), visit the Guaranteed Resumes Web site at http://www.gresumes.com .

The above is an excerpt from The Last Job Search Guide You'll Ever Need: How to Find and Get the Job or Internship of Your Dreams, which is available for sale for $19.85 in our bookstore or $27.00 at Amazon.com but for free to those who subscriber to our free career newsletter. This hot new book contains job search secrets of the most experienced, most knowledgeable and most respected career experts. Learn career planning, job hunting tools and tactics, interviewing, cover letter and resume writing (lots of samples!), networking, and how to find an internship. Written by 149 career experts. To receive a free copy, subscribe to our free career newsletter.

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