Is there a best practice for word choice on resumes? [closed]

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When I was taught how to write resumes they say write to use lot of adjectives, i.e.

Teamed with engineers to develop software application

To me it seems artificial, why not say

Worked with a team to develop software application

What advantages are their to using one verbiage over the other? Is there a better way to word my resume?

resume

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edited Sep 9 '14 at 13:57

IDrinkandIKnowThings

43.9k1398188

asked Jul 19 '14 at 0:32

Glowie

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closed as primarily opinion-based by Jim G., Michael Grubey, Garrison Neely, jcmeloni, Elysian Fields♦ Jul 21 '14 at 18:43

Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.

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  @MattGiltaji so you are saying the second description is more acceptable? Because to me it sounds natural. If I was hiring someone, I want them to be authentic, only then I can trust the quality of their work
  – Glowie
  Jul 19 '14 at 0:53
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  I would have said that first is ungrammatical
  – Pepone
  Jul 19 '14 at 12:27
  

  
  
  
  

suggest improvements | 

up vote
-3
down vote

favorite

When I was taught how to write resumes they say write to use lot of adjectives, i.e.

Teamed with engineers to develop software application

To me it seems artificial, why not say

Worked with a team to develop software application

What advantages are their to using one verbiage over the other? Is there a better way to word my resume?

resume

share|improve this question

edited Sep 9 '14 at 13:57

IDrinkandIKnowThings

43.9k1398188

asked Jul 19 '14 at 0:32

Glowie

1,38911119

closed as primarily opinion-based by Jim G., Michael Grubey, Garrison Neely, jcmeloni, Elysian Fields♦ Jul 21 '14 at 18:43

Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @MattGiltaji so you are saying the second description is more acceptable? Because to me it sounds natural. If I was hiring someone, I want them to be authentic, only then I can trust the quality of their work
  – Glowie
  Jul 19 '14 at 0:53
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  I would have said that first is ungrammatical
  – Pepone
  Jul 19 '14 at 12:27
  

  
  
  
  

suggest improvements | 

up vote
-3
down vote

favorite

up vote
-3
down vote

favorite

When I was taught how to write resumes they say write to use lot of adjectives, i.e.

Teamed with engineers to develop software application

To me it seems artificial, why not say

Worked with a team to develop software application

What advantages are their to using one verbiage over the other? Is there a better way to word my resume?

resume

share|improve this question

edited Sep 9 '14 at 13:57

IDrinkandIKnowThings

43.9k1398188

asked Jul 19 '14 at 0:32

Glowie

1,38911119

When I was taught how to write resumes they say write to use lot of adjectives, i.e.

Teamed with engineers to develop software application

To me it seems artificial, why not say

Worked with a team to develop software application

What advantages are their to using one verbiage over the other? Is there a better way to word my resume?

resume

share|improve this question

edited Sep 9 '14 at 13:57

IDrinkandIKnowThings

43.9k1398188

asked Jul 19 '14 at 0:32

Glowie

1,38911119

share|improve this question

share|improve this question

edited Sep 9 '14 at 13:57

IDrinkandIKnowThings

43.9k1398188

edited Sep 9 '14 at 13:57

IDrinkandIKnowThings

43.9k1398188

edited Sep 9 '14 at 13:57

IDrinkandIKnowThings

43.9k1398188

43.9k1398188

asked Jul 19 '14 at 0:32

Glowie

1,38911119

asked Jul 19 '14 at 0:32

Glowie

1,38911119

asked Jul 19 '14 at 0:32

Glowie

1,38911119

1,38911119

closed as primarily opinion-based by Jim G., Michael Grubey, Garrison Neely, jcmeloni, Elysian Fields♦ Jul 21 '14 at 18:43

Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.

closed as primarily opinion-based by Jim G., Michael Grubey, Garrison Neely, jcmeloni, Elysian Fields♦ Jul 21 '14 at 18:43

Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @MattGiltaji so you are saying the second description is more acceptable? Because to me it sounds natural. If I was hiring someone, I want them to be authentic, only then I can trust the quality of their work
  – Glowie
  Jul 19 '14 at 0:53
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  I would have said that first is ungrammatical
  – Pepone
  Jul 19 '14 at 12:27
  

  
  
  
  

suggest improvements | 

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @MattGiltaji so you are saying the second description is more acceptable? Because to me it sounds natural. If I was hiring someone, I want them to be authentic, only then I can trust the quality of their work
  – Glowie
  Jul 19 '14 at 0:53
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  I would have said that first is ungrammatical
  – Pepone
  Jul 19 '14 at 12:27
  

  
  
  
  

@MattGiltaji so you are saying the second description is more acceptable? Because to me it sounds natural. If I was hiring someone, I want them to be authentic, only then I can trust the quality of their work
– Glowie
Jul 19 '14 at 0:53

@MattGiltaji so you are saying the second description is more acceptable? Because to me it sounds natural. If I was hiring someone, I want them to be authentic, only then I can trust the quality of their work
– Glowie
Jul 19 '14 at 0:53

1

1

I would have said that first is ungrammatical
– Pepone
Jul 19 '14 at 12:27

I would have said that first is ungrammatical
– Pepone
Jul 19 '14 at 12:27

suggest improvements | 

2 Answers
2

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oldest

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up vote
3
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accepted

I would say neither are very good for use on a resume as neither of them say what you did.

Teamed with engineers to develop software application

Worked with a team to develop software application

The IT staff who setup their desktops worked with engineers to developer a software application, the secretary who filed their expense reports as teamed with them too.

Your resume is about you, not your team or your projects. Its not thetime for modesty, put the focus squarely on you:

Designed widgets for a large scale banking software application that improved performance by 20%.

Wow! Now you've said what you did, why you did it, and why your work was important. Be clear, be concise and always keep the focus on you.

share|improve this answer

edited Sep 4 '14 at 1:07

answered Jul 21 '14 at 1:02

user9158

suggest improvements | 

up vote
3
down vote

First, I'm not seeing any additional adjectives in the first version of the sentence. Actually adding extra adjectives would not generally be a good idea. Sentences in a resume should be active, quantified, and short. Including extra adjectives would obviously make the sentences longer and frequently makes the sentences less active.

I suspect the contrast you are trying to ask about is between a sentence that is more active rather than more passive (many people talk about "active voice" and "passive voice" but their "passive voice" examples for resumes generally aren't actually "passive voice" in the English grammar sense). For example, rather than saying

Worked with a team to develop software application

it would generally be better to use a more active construction

Delivered software application with a team of local and offshore developers.

or

Contributed to the development of a new application that increased CSR productivity by 15% by streamlining the order entry process.

Your resume is a marketing document. As such, it needs to quickly capture the reader's attention and it needs to emphasize the things that you actually accomplished. The people reading your resume are going to spend 30-60 seconds in most cases skipping through what you've written. You need to ensure that what you've written grabs their attention.

Of course, most people don't write or talk this way in general. Often times, that's unfortunate-- the vast majority of business communication would be improved if people spent time making sentences more active (and working to eliminate extra words and working to come up with more concise summaries, etc.) But most people don't have (or want to spend) the time required to do that with every email they send. The fact that you have the time and incentive to optimize the way you communicate information in your resume doesn't make your resume inauthentic any more than optimizing a piece of code makes your normal, less efficient code inauthentic. Both are your authentic style, one just happens to be something that you've invested more time than normal to perfect.

share|improve this answer

answered Jul 19 '14 at 4:18

Justin Cave

34.8k9112136

suggest improvements | 

2 Answers
2

active

oldest

votes

2 Answers
2

active

oldest

votes

active

oldest

votes

active

oldest

votes

up vote
3
down vote



accepted

I would say neither are very good for use on a resume as neither of them say what you did.

Teamed with engineers to develop software application

Worked with a team to develop software application

The IT staff who setup their desktops worked with engineers to developer a software application, the secretary who filed their expense reports as teamed with them too.

Your resume is about you, not your team or your projects. Its not thetime for modesty, put the focus squarely on you:

Designed widgets for a large scale banking software application that improved performance by 20%.

Wow! Now you've said what you did, why you did it, and why your work was important. Be clear, be concise and always keep the focus on you.

share|improve this answer

edited Sep 4 '14 at 1:07

answered Jul 21 '14 at 1:02

user9158

suggest improvements | 

up vote
3
down vote



accepted

I would say neither are very good for use on a resume as neither of them say what you did.

Teamed with engineers to develop software application

Worked with a team to develop software application

The IT staff who setup their desktops worked with engineers to developer a software application, the secretary who filed their expense reports as teamed with them too.

Your resume is about you, not your team or your projects. Its not thetime for modesty, put the focus squarely on you:

Designed widgets for a large scale banking software application that improved performance by 20%.

Wow! Now you've said what you did, why you did it, and why your work was important. Be clear, be concise and always keep the focus on you.

share|improve this answer

edited Sep 4 '14 at 1:07

answered Jul 21 '14 at 1:02

user9158

suggest improvements | 

up vote
3
down vote



accepted

up vote
3
down vote



accepted

I would say neither are very good for use on a resume as neither of them say what you did.

Teamed with engineers to develop software application

Worked with a team to develop software application

The IT staff who setup their desktops worked with engineers to developer a software application, the secretary who filed their expense reports as teamed with them too.

Your resume is about you, not your team or your projects. Its not thetime for modesty, put the focus squarely on you:

Designed widgets for a large scale banking software application that improved performance by 20%.

Wow! Now you've said what you did, why you did it, and why your work was important. Be clear, be concise and always keep the focus on you.

share|improve this answer

edited Sep 4 '14 at 1:07

answered Jul 21 '14 at 1:02

user9158

I would say neither are very good for use on a resume as neither of them say what you did.

Teamed with engineers to develop software application

Worked with a team to develop software application

The IT staff who setup their desktops worked with engineers to developer a software application, the secretary who filed their expense reports as teamed with them too.

Your resume is about you, not your team or your projects. Its not thetime for modesty, put the focus squarely on you:

Designed widgets for a large scale banking software application that improved performance by 20%.

Wow! Now you've said what you did, why you did it, and why your work was important. Be clear, be concise and always keep the focus on you.

share|improve this answer

edited Sep 4 '14 at 1:07

answered Jul 21 '14 at 1:02

user9158

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

edited Sep 4 '14 at 1:07

edited Sep 4 '14 at 1:07

edited Sep 4 '14 at 1:07

answered Jul 21 '14 at 1:02

user9158

answered Jul 21 '14 at 1:02

user9158

answered Jul 21 '14 at 1:02

user9158

suggest improvements | 

suggest improvements | 

up vote
3
down vote

First, I'm not seeing any additional adjectives in the first version of the sentence. Actually adding extra adjectives would not generally be a good idea. Sentences in a resume should be active, quantified, and short. Including extra adjectives would obviously make the sentences longer and frequently makes the sentences less active.

I suspect the contrast you are trying to ask about is between a sentence that is more active rather than more passive (many people talk about "active voice" and "passive voice" but their "passive voice" examples for resumes generally aren't actually "passive voice" in the English grammar sense). For example, rather than saying

Worked with a team to develop software application

it would generally be better to use a more active construction

Delivered software application with a team of local and offshore developers.

or

Contributed to the development of a new application that increased CSR productivity by 15% by streamlining the order entry process.

Your resume is a marketing document. As such, it needs to quickly capture the reader's attention and it needs to emphasize the things that you actually accomplished. The people reading your resume are going to spend 30-60 seconds in most cases skipping through what you've written. You need to ensure that what you've written grabs their attention.

Of course, most people don't write or talk this way in general. Often times, that's unfortunate-- the vast majority of business communication would be improved if people spent time making sentences more active (and working to eliminate extra words and working to come up with more concise summaries, etc.) But most people don't have (or want to spend) the time required to do that with every email they send. The fact that you have the time and incentive to optimize the way you communicate information in your resume doesn't make your resume inauthentic any more than optimizing a piece of code makes your normal, less efficient code inauthentic. Both are your authentic style, one just happens to be something that you've invested more time than normal to perfect.

share|improve this answer

answered Jul 19 '14 at 4:18

Justin Cave

34.8k9112136

suggest improvements | 

up vote
3
down vote

First, I'm not seeing any additional adjectives in the first version of the sentence. Actually adding extra adjectives would not generally be a good idea. Sentences in a resume should be active, quantified, and short. Including extra adjectives would obviously make the sentences longer and frequently makes the sentences less active.

I suspect the contrast you are trying to ask about is between a sentence that is more active rather than more passive (many people talk about "active voice" and "passive voice" but their "passive voice" examples for resumes generally aren't actually "passive voice" in the English grammar sense). For example, rather than saying

Worked with a team to develop software application

it would generally be better to use a more active construction

Delivered software application with a team of local and offshore developers.

or

Contributed to the development of a new application that increased CSR productivity by 15% by streamlining the order entry process.

Your resume is a marketing document. As such, it needs to quickly capture the reader's attention and it needs to emphasize the things that you actually accomplished. The people reading your resume are going to spend 30-60 seconds in most cases skipping through what you've written. You need to ensure that what you've written grabs their attention.

Of course, most people don't write or talk this way in general. Often times, that's unfortunate-- the vast majority of business communication would be improved if people spent time making sentences more active (and working to eliminate extra words and working to come up with more concise summaries, etc.) But most people don't have (or want to spend) the time required to do that with every email they send. The fact that you have the time and incentive to optimize the way you communicate information in your resume doesn't make your resume inauthentic any more than optimizing a piece of code makes your normal, less efficient code inauthentic. Both are your authentic style, one just happens to be something that you've invested more time than normal to perfect.

share|improve this answer

answered Jul 19 '14 at 4:18

Justin Cave

34.8k9112136

suggest improvements | 

up vote
3
down vote

up vote
3
down vote

First, I'm not seeing any additional adjectives in the first version of the sentence. Actually adding extra adjectives would not generally be a good idea. Sentences in a resume should be active, quantified, and short. Including extra adjectives would obviously make the sentences longer and frequently makes the sentences less active.

I suspect the contrast you are trying to ask about is between a sentence that is more active rather than more passive (many people talk about "active voice" and "passive voice" but their "passive voice" examples for resumes generally aren't actually "passive voice" in the English grammar sense). For example, rather than saying

Worked with a team to develop software application

it would generally be better to use a more active construction

Delivered software application with a team of local and offshore developers.

or

Contributed to the development of a new application that increased CSR productivity by 15% by streamlining the order entry process.

Your resume is a marketing document. As such, it needs to quickly capture the reader's attention and it needs to emphasize the things that you actually accomplished. The people reading your resume are going to spend 30-60 seconds in most cases skipping through what you've written. You need to ensure that what you've written grabs their attention.

Of course, most people don't write or talk this way in general. Often times, that's unfortunate-- the vast majority of business communication would be improved if people spent time making sentences more active (and working to eliminate extra words and working to come up with more concise summaries, etc.) But most people don't have (or want to spend) the time required to do that with every email they send. The fact that you have the time and incentive to optimize the way you communicate information in your resume doesn't make your resume inauthentic any more than optimizing a piece of code makes your normal, less efficient code inauthentic. Both are your authentic style, one just happens to be something that you've invested more time than normal to perfect.

share|improve this answer

answered Jul 19 '14 at 4:18

Justin Cave

34.8k9112136

First, I'm not seeing any additional adjectives in the first version of the sentence. Actually adding extra adjectives would not generally be a good idea. Sentences in a resume should be active, quantified, and short. Including extra adjectives would obviously make the sentences longer and frequently makes the sentences less active.

I suspect the contrast you are trying to ask about is between a sentence that is more active rather than more passive (many people talk about "active voice" and "passive voice" but their "passive voice" examples for resumes generally aren't actually "passive voice" in the English grammar sense). For example, rather than saying

Worked with a team to develop software application

it would generally be better to use a more active construction

Delivered software application with a team of local and offshore developers.

or

Contributed to the development of a new application that increased CSR productivity by 15% by streamlining the order entry process.

Your resume is a marketing document. As such, it needs to quickly capture the reader's attention and it needs to emphasize the things that you actually accomplished. The people reading your resume are going to spend 30-60 seconds in most cases skipping through what you've written. You need to ensure that what you've written grabs their attention.

Of course, most people don't write or talk this way in general. Often times, that's unfortunate-- the vast majority of business communication would be improved if people spent time making sentences more active (and working to eliminate extra words and working to come up with more concise summaries, etc.) But most people don't have (or want to spend) the time required to do that with every email they send. The fact that you have the time and incentive to optimize the way you communicate information in your resume doesn't make your resume inauthentic any more than optimizing a piece of code makes your normal, less efficient code inauthentic. Both are your authentic style, one just happens to be something that you've invested more time than normal to perfect.

share|improve this answer

answered Jul 19 '14 at 4:18

Justin Cave

34.8k9112136

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

answered Jul 19 '14 at 4:18

Justin Cave

34.8k9112136

answered Jul 19 '14 at 4:18

Justin Cave

34.8k9112136

answered Jul 19 '14 at 4:18

Justin Cave

34.8k9112136

34.8k9112136

suggest improvements | 

suggest improvements |