Creative Resume Language and Ideas

By Stephanie Clark.

An active member on several organizations, I often offer my help, and can also seek help, from my peers. Today, a colleague wrote:

“I am currently working with a world-class facilitator who works with senior management teams. She is applying for a position with a Canadian corporation after a 15-year career as an entrepreneur. She feels that one of her greatest assets is her voice (along with her commanding presence) and she wants to state this on the resume.”

She went on to ask “I am stuck…how do I say this? ‘Recognized for a unique presentation delivery with a commanding presence’??…I don’t want anyone to be intimidated by that though. She is a very warm and delightful person with exceptional facilitation skills (I watched a few of her videos).”

There are many ways to address this, and here is my reply to the question:

What about something like this:

This could be in the cover letter, or in the resume as a quote from her, in a shaded box or text box, or it could be in the form of a testimonial, if she has something similar from one of the audience members who gave feedback.

I’m sure there are additional ideas, but it’s a great start. No need to stick to same old boring resume-speak; venture outside that box, ditch the expected, and prove you have presence!

– I love transforming resumes from mediocre to masterful! – Stephanie