Schnurman: Sending the right message with your resume

A résumé’s purpose is to send clear, well-conceived messages about experience, capabilities and skills. But a résumé must also deliver the right subliminal messages about a candidate, who she is as a person and her approach to work. These messages often speak louder than the intentional ones in differentiating candidates.

What follows is a brief discussion of meanings that résumés often unwittingly send that, if incorporated as part of a thoughtful process, can distinguish you from other candidates.

Format. A résumé’s format says a lot about a candidate. Choose wisely among the myriad résumé layout styles and formats. Résumés with clean lines and structure infer that the author is detailed, precise and organized. These candidates generally succeed in organizations with clear processes and procedures and are great choices for accountants, engineers and IT professionals.

In contrast, less rigid, free flowing résumés are authored by creative and resourceful individuals likely to succeed in entrepreneurial and imaginative organizations and roles. These are good for sales, marketing and other innovative roles.

Font type speaks loudly. Times New Roman is a conservative font, whereas Arial and Calibri are the font equivalent of business casual. Some fonts are creative in design. Ensure the font you choose sends the intended message. "Creative" may be perfect for marketing and public relations positions but would probably be wrong for accounting.

Paragraphs vs. Bullet Points. Candidates present their past experience through the use of bullet points or paragraphs. Paragraphs are indicative of people who may prefer to share a lot of information and not prioritize key points.

On the other hand, the use of bullets identifies people who are bottom-line oriented. They tend to communicate by identifying key points without all the details. This is especially true of very short bullet points.

A hedging strategy is to employ bullet points with a sentence or two of text. This is middle ground between short bullets and dense paragraphs and positions the author as someone who can prioritize, communicate clearly and share important details.

Order. Simply put, order counts and communicates what the candidate thinks is important. Consider section order in a résumé. After a summary or objectives, most résumés begin with education, experience or skills. The section you choose to start with will be perceived to be your area of greatest strength. For example, a recent college graduate should lead with education. However, after several years, experience should be listed first. Make deliberate decisions about section order because it must correlate with the employer’s perception of the job.

This also holds true with the order of bullets or paragraphs. Candidates must be mindful of how they order their experience. Begin by reading the job description and arrange your experience in the same manner that the employer does.

Choose words wisely. Words are a window to the mind. Use of esoteric or industry specific words denote a person who is good for similar roles, but may have a difficult time transitioning into another industry and learning different ways of doing things. Using general language means a candidate can move easily between industries.

Another way that word choice is important is when describing a position. For example, the words monitor, oversee, supervise, manage, direct and drive are words that may be used to describe the same task. The first couple of words, monitor and oversee, are more passive than the others. The middle two, supervise and manage, indicate a candidate who is balanced between passivity and assertiveness. The final two, direct and drive, identify a person who is forceful and assertive. Choose your words prudently since they offer a lot of insight into your personality.

Measurement. Some résumés are replete with measurement, numbers and results, whereas others are devoid of them. Measurement indicates a candidate who is results oriented. In comparison, candidates who do not use measurement are perceived to be less goal-focused.

Mistakes. Résumés, like people, are imperfect, although some are less imperfect than others. Almost every résumé possesses a mistake, whether a missing period, improper use of tense or a spacing issue. A minor mistake--such as using periods after some bullets but not all--can be dismissed. Major mistakes, like misuse of tense or a misspelling, position a candidate as sloppy. Regardless of the position, this is the wrong message to send. Double and triple check your résumé and have others review it as well.

Résumés often say more about candidates than intended. These tips will help you send the right messages.

Mark Schnurman may be reached at or on the web at