Why can’t I write a decent resume or cover letter?
So there you are… looking at the Microsoft Word page. Maybe it’s just a new document, or maybe you’re trying one of Word’s overused resume/letter templates. You’ve read all the “rules,” the myriad of do’s and don’ts. You think you have a good handle on how a resume and cover letter should be put together. After all, people tell you that you are a good writer. You already know all about the proper use of white space on a page.
So why does everything you seem to write come off as a bad marketing pitch? It varies from bloated to desperate to not at all bad, but not you. In fact, you’ve pretty much just described everything you’re not or don’t want to be.
Or maybe you’ve gone the other way. You thought you created a masterpiece the first time. It was so exquisite that you were sure someone would hire you without even bothering with an interview! But alas, that didn’t happen, and the reaction has been lukewarm at best.
What went wrong? Why can’t you seem to get your professional essence down on paper?
Here are my three theories:
1. Self-writing is one of the most difficult types of writing out there. A summary is essentially a kind of autobiography. (Although, it should by no means be as long or as personal as an autobiography!) Ask anyone who has written an autobiography, and they will tell you that it is one of the hardest things to do. It either sounds too arrogant (and, yes, you can do that with a resume; marketing does NOT equal arrogance; marketing equals convincing your audience that you can solve their problems) or it sounds too flat.
2. Your summary is too self-centered. To avoid Theory #1 problem, the more you keep your audience up front, the more effective you’ll be. And the easier the writing process will be. That’s why a broad resume doesn’t work too well for a job seeker. There is no direct audience to connect with.
3. All writing requires practice. Abstract writing is very different from any other form of writing. You do not write in sentences, except with the cover letter. You don’t include the first person, except with the cover letter (and even then you want it to be minimal). There is a strategy for organizing writing that is often overlooked by job seekers. Contrary to some beliefs, this is not a complete list of job descriptions. It may all sound simple, but unless it’s something you do regularly, it can be difficult to implement.
So does this mean that I think a professional resume writer is your only hope? No. But I think you have to be realistic about it, and if you’re going to do it yourself, you have to ask yourself the following questions:
1. How well do I really know my target market? Have I researched my industry enough to know what hiring managers are looking for? Am I up to date with the latest keywords and terminology?
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that because you’ve spent the last 10 years in a particular field, you’re necessarily well-versed in that field globally. Corporations, even very large ones, often have their own verbiage and abbreviations that don’t always translate in the field at large. Furthermore, many companies, even the largest ones, are not always up to date with the latest standards and trends.
2. Can I realistically match my skills to the needs of the company? Is my audience too broad?
If your audience is too broad, you’ll end up all over the place, detailing things that no one else cares about. Job seekers do this a lot. They obsess over certain achievements or attributes that they think are really impressive. And for good reason; these were significant events in their careers. However, that doesn’t mean your target market will put as much emphasis on it as you do. If you don’t have a clear audience, then you won’t know for sure how to approach your representation.
3. What do I know about formatting a document?
Whatever you do, don’t follow a Word template. Too many people do it; Also, the templates are not very good. Many of them have factual statements, and you shouldn’t use factual statements anymore.
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