What are the best ways to avoid redundancy in your resume work experience summaries?

For this scenario: Alex, a sales manager, revises their resume to apply for a new role. Instead of repeating “Responsible for sales targets,” Alex starts each bullet point with a different action verb: “Spearheaded,” “Drove,” “Amplified.” This approach not only avoids redundancy but also underscores Alex’s dynamic role in boosting sales figures, enhancing the clarity and appeal of the resume. By emphasizing distinct accomplishments with varied verbs, Alex’s work experience section becomes a compelling narrative of success and initiative. Good Luck!

Applying to jobs and not hearing anything is tough. If you want to be noticed (called for an interview), avoid being redundant in your resume and cover letter. The best way to avoid redundancy is to focus on quantifying your achievements or accomplishments. What were the results of your efforts? What are you most proud of? How can you quantify what you achieved? Every point should demonstrate your strength and your potential. To do this, integrate strong action verbs. Try to use different action verbs for each point. Avoid overused terms so your resume stands out. Doing this will change your resume to one that is noticed!

I have often seen over-used descriptors and cliches in resume summaries, such as "results-oriented", "go getter" and "team player". Anyone can describe themselves in these terms but what makes candidates stand out is quantifiable results or the impact of their actions, to validate these claims. An employer will be more impressed by skills and accomplishment statements than a list of empty adjectives. The employer also wants to know how you added value and made a difference in your previous work and not just what you were responsible for. What makes you unique? What distinguishes you from other candidates in the same role? Employers also want to know what you can do for them specifically, so the content must be tailored.

Don't be shy in articulating achievements written as a short story backed by as many metrics as possible. A candidate is going to be hired based on performance, generally not responsibilities. The art is to seduce the reader into wanting to delve deep into the resume, then pick up the telephone to arrange an interview. Documenting accomplishments can also be very uplifting and helps prepare one for an interview.

I encourage clients to use strong statements that reflect their personal strengths, i.e., "I am at my best when leading a team," followed by an example of a success with a specific project.

"Peppering" your resume and cover letter with keywords and phrases that mirror the job description is a great strategy to increase your chances of passing through the ATS; at the same time, this needs to represent your experience truthfully and to be done with finesse so that your summaries do not read as a cut-and-paste strategy to beat the system. To help a job applicant focus, I recommend using AI to identify the most recurring keywords and phrases from the job posting. Take the AI generated list and re-examine the resume to identify places to add these phrases and keywords. This technique can boost an applicant's representation as a good fit for the role and result in a higher ranking among the qualified candidate pool.

A resume without pertinent, skill, job, and level specific business functional buzzwords is a useless document. A: It won't pass through the sophisticated ATS scanning process. B: A human reader is seeking to review your skills, it's a major and key component for the recruitment process. Ensure the business keywords in the resume are also matched on the LinkedIn profile.

?? Use specific metrics to provide context and highlight achievements. ?? Group similar responsibilities from different roles to reduce repetition and showcase expertise. ?? Emphasize unique projects, challenges, or achievements for each role. ?? Consolidate skills in a dedicated section to save space in your work experience. ?? Showcase your career progression and added responsibilities over time. ?? Trim unnecessary information to focus on your qualifications for the job. ?? Customize your resume to match each position's specific requirements.