You know not to brag on your resume, but you also know it’s important to state what you did in the best possible way.

How do you do this while maintaining honesty and accuracy?  By writing euphemistically.  Euphemisms help add zest to language. Here’s how:

Strength.  Most know to start bullets with verbs.  But not all verbs are created equally.  A common mistake is use weak action verbs like “worked,” “did,” and “helped.”  While technically action words, they are unimpressive and vague. Using stronger verbs makes your bullets more dynamic while conveying the same thought.  For instance, instead of “did,” one might substitute “completed.”  Likewise, “helped” could be replaced by “assisted.”  “Worked” can also be replaced; usually by industry specific verbs (e.g. “programmed,” “designed,” “managed,” etc.).

Lipstick.  Makeup is used to add color.  It does the same thing when applied to resumes.  Nearly every job has important, yet mundane aspects.  For instance, “cleaned work station” can be changed to “maintained environment in compliance of company aesthetic and safety policies.”  Here, “cleaned ” was replaced by “maintained,” which is a stronger verb.  Likewise, “work station” was booted in favor of “environment,” which has a better connotation.  A word of caution: just as with cosmetics, a little of this lipstick goes a long ways.

Thesaurusicize. Using 50-cent words instead of 10-cent words can improve the perceived importance of tasks.  That’s why every job seeker should have a thesaurus handy.  If one isn’t available, using the one built into nearly every word processing program is acceptable.  If the word can’t be found there, one could try Thesaurus.com.  There’s always a different (and usually better) way to convey a thought. Exercise your lingo with a thesaurus.

IN THE CARAVAN: Euphemisms can pump up the perceived value of nearly every job, thereby improving resumes.

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