Think, Reflect, Then Write
Read couple hundred resumes last week. Plus newsletters. Reviewed 9 presentations for clients.
5 of the resumes were great. Made me pick up the phone and call them. Based on phone calls scheduled interviews. One interviewed yesterday. Received job offer on the spot.
What did they do? That was different than the rest?
Their backgrounds weren’t better. It was how they wrote that made them stand out. Their sentence construction created excitement. Inspired me to pick up the phone.
They didn’t just write sentences, They constructed sentences.
What’s difference? We’ve all been writing for years.
Therein lies the point, Most of us write to get across something across. We rarely think about how we are writing. We just do it.
Ever notice how lawyers write? Seems like every sentence has about 250 words. They do this intentionally. By having lengthy convoluted sentences they can argue anything 10,000 different ways. They don’t write to be understood. They write to confuse. To give them a way out of anything. Lawyers never want to be pinned down.
This is exactly opposite of way we write in business.
Candidate who got interview. Job offer. Same week they sent their resume?
Talked with candidate after received job offer. Asked her how she wrote her resume.
“I Just wrote what I wanted to get across. Didn’t worry about sentence construction , sentence length or anything else. I wanted to get my thoughts down.
I pretended I was the employer. Specifically person who would make job offer.
Reviewed the ad. Really a job description.
What were job descriptions 3 most important points? My answers had to address those 3. Not just address. I needed facts stated to show I understood and could deliver.
Went back to my draft to pick out what I needed to cover.
I shortened sentences. Picked words that were motivational. Words to draw the reader in. To create need for employer to call me.
Arranged points in resume. To answer most important first, then 2nd, and 3rd.”
“My accomplishments were short. Could be verified by my references. (I was glad I had forwarded resume to my references. They were called and asked to verify.)
In fairness. I had identified this employer as #1 choice. When they advertised I knew I wanted to customize my resume. To optimize my chances. Yeah, it worked! I made slight counteroffer that was accepted. I start in 3 weeks. ”
5 things she (and other 4) did differently
They used short sentences. 5-10 words max.
Sentences got across a point. In as few words as possible.
Words used were very descriptive. “Accomplished …, Organized… Drew team together.” Hard hitting descriptive words. No adverbs or fluff.
Paragraphs were short. 2-3 lines ideal. 5 lines maximum.
Every paragraph contained a single thought.
How about critiquing newsletters? First read for content and flow. Made couple suggestions. Then went through each sentence and paragraph. Based on 5 above. Applied same principle when critiquing presentations.
Key take-aways:
Keep all writing short and sweet.
Think about your audience.
What do they want to know or hear?
Give it to them succinctly.
CTA: Write down 3 specific ways you will change you writing, starting today.
End of week review to see how you did.
-Happy writing. Always inspirational to hear success stories. Send me yours.
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Tom Ferree is the founder of Ferree & Associates and SecureEmploy, organizations focused on helping companies find exceptional talent and helping professionals advance their careers. Since founding Ferree & Associates in 1977, Tom has worked extensively with hospitality companies, executives, and rising leaders across the industry. Through SecureEmploy, he shares practical career strategies, leadership insights, and real-world advice to help professionals grow their careers and help organizations build stronger teams.
