If you truly want your resume to talk turkey, you need to give examples and results. You need to prove the claims you are making.
Would you ever expect a job applicant to admit that they are not “a team player and able to work independently” and they are not “a great communicator” or “a subject matter expert”? Those phrases are more or less true for everyone—and any job applicant can make the same claims.
Your goal in your resume is to prove that you have the hard and soft skills employers value most.
For example, when you acted as a team player, what was the size of the team, its goal, and its accomplishments? When you worked independently, how did you make your individual contribution to the company’s revenue, sales, marketing, distribution, or other function?
The ability to communicate across functions, organizational levels, or countries is important: when and how did you do that? Did you participate in committees, make recommendations, serve on a cross-functional or global team, or deliver presentations or reports?
To show yourself as a subject matter expert, you need to show what experience, education, or contribution to the field makes you a subject matter expert. Did others came to you for advice and did your advice made a difference?
At Robin’s Resumes®, we know how to “talk turkey.” We emphasize the following approach to your accomplishments:
- Context (the situation that demanded action)
- Challenge (what you were asked to do)
- Action (the steps you took)
- Result (the effect on the situation and the company)
- Why your accomplishment was important (what your action ultimately achieved).
Here is an example: “Reorganized dysfunctional global team, acknowledging cultural and educational differences. Mentored three new leaders from each country’s team, ensuring clear, respectful, timely communication. Productivity rose 45%, turnover dropped 25%, and delivery speed increased 30%.”
That is a lot more impressive than simply stating “global team leader with superior communication skills.”