Words Don't Count

Okay. The title is misleading. Words do matter but not when you use them like an idiot.

Within the thousands of applications with "good communication skills", "hard working", "innovative and intuitive", "thinks outside the box" what do you think happens? These flattering words became meaningless. The only positive coming from this is your unmistakable ability to use adjectives. 

Cries of "IT'S ALL TRUE" doesn't give a whimper of acknowledgement to recruiters!

If pieces of paper could talk or you have some telepathic ability to transmit justifications it might help but that's for the future. For now you've got to demonstrate your abilities through justifications not just empty words. Real life examples are nice. The number of words becomes important because describing one situation takes sooo many words and you've only got one page. You will run out unless you use your words to explain STAR (situations, task, action, result) concisely. Like seriously concise.  

If anyone has been a teacher, marker, examiner or invigilator (hehe) they will tell you they look for key words and skip pretty much everything else because there is too much to read on every single application. Imagine that and having no appreciation for those key words! Start thinking how to cut away words like "really", "good", "I have..." unless it's backed up with some evidence. Show them, not tell them.   

Stay warm. 

:) 

pathfolios