Word clutter hides a clear focus.—Roy Peter Clark, How to Write Short
Today let’s focus on something close to my heart: cutting the clutter (aka jargon) from your sentences.
⚠️Yes, keywords matter, but beware.
It’s easy to get so caught up in trying to beat the ATS (applicant tracking system) or boost SEO (search engine optimization) that we lose sight of our message.
Keyword packing without strategic context won’t add the strength you need for a powerful profile. At best, that tactic will slow down the reader. At worst, it’ll cause some eye rolls on the other side.
Bottom line: Don’t confuse buzzwords with words that actually do bolster a phrase.
Here’s an example:
Original sentence:
Skilled strategist maximizing workable solutions and performance for key marketing goals.
(Wait…what?? As in, what does this person actually do, what do they deliver, and what are the results?)
Revised sentence:
Marketing strategist who introduces sustainable solutions that lead to multimillion-dollar results.
See how, by replacing a word salad with meaty specifics, the sentence is stronger?
💪 Try this exercise:
Print out a copy of your resume and ask a friend or relative (preferably one with a strong BS meter) to review it and highlight confusing or vague statements.
💡 HINT: Don’t ask them to edit. Ask them to just identify anything that doesn’t make sense with a quick read. Nothing works better than a fresh pair of eyes to catch statements that bog down your resume.
Once you have that highlighted document, play with the words, rearrange them, and see what you can cut. Hands down, the #1 reason resumes are a drag to read is that they’re bloated with unnecessary words.
🛎️…Or ask a professional for help.
My main service is re-writing resumes and LinkedIn profiles, but did you know that I’m also available to provide 1:1 guidance and feedback on your resume, LinkedIn profile, and other career documents?
Not everyone needs a complete resume or LinkedIn overhaul—if you have questions about your strategy, content, or layout, I’m here for you.
I had so much fun chatting with Heather Vickery, author of 📖 𝙁*𝙘𝙠 𝙁𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨: 𝙈𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙥 📖
Having fear isn’t the issue, says Heather. After all, fear is what protects us from real danger. But if we can break down our fears and question which ones serve us (or don’t 👀), we can learn to push through and reach our goals.
It’s all about taking 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 risk.
In this episode, Heather explains her BRAVE framework and how to use it as a trusty roadmap to reach our big, scary goals.
BRAVE stands for:
𝗕oundaries
𝗥eassessment, reframing, resilience,
𝗔ction and accountability
𝗩ulnerability
…which all lead to…🥁…
𝗘xpansion and empowerment (our results)!
Rarely do amazing things happen to us due entirely to luck. It’s more about how we (bravely!) show up in the world so we can create the thing that we want.
My conversation with Heather reminded me of my favorite quote from Seneca:
𝙇𝙪𝙘𝙠 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮.
So grab your cup of coffee or tea…or your walking shoes…and hear what Heather has to say about embracing fear and stepping out with bravery.
Book order: F*ck Fearless: Making the Brave Leap
By the way, if you’d like to get tips like this more frequently, I spend a lot of time on LinkedIn. Please do connect with me. You can find me at www.linkedin.com/in/emilysfwong. Please let me know if you heard me on this podcast, and let me know if there’s a topic you’d like me to cover.
Loved this episode? Follow Career Cohort on Apple, Spotify, and other major platforms—or sign up to get monthly tips delivered right to your mailbox (I guarantee no spam!).
We’d so appreciate a review and/or a 5-star rating. We provide an ad-free experience, so your support helps us reach new listeners and attract rockstar career experts so you can stay current on the latest tips and trends.
Thanks for listening!
Connect with me:
For more tips and advice for your job search, I post regularly on LinkedIn (emilysfwong), Instagram (@YourResumeCoach), and Facebook (@CareersEmily).
I just got great feedback from a client regarding my process; she thought a tactic we used was helpful to landing her new job. 🎉
To be honest, the tactic is so simple that I’d taken it for granted.
I’m referring to the practice of using 1-3 job descriptions (a.k.a. job postings) to help you focus and tailor your resume to your target role.
The key to writing a compelling resume is to begin with the end in mind: In what role do you see yourself in 6 months? How can you help the employer envision YOU in that role?
Job postings help you future-proof your resume—and learn to think like an employer.
So, how can you use and analyze job descriptions?
🕵️♀️ Dig for themes
🏆 Gather your own examples of success
🎯 Align and get specific
🌟 Differentiate yourself
To listen to the full conversation, tune in to your favorite podcast app.
By the way, if you’d like to get tips like this more frequently, I spend a lot of time on LinkedIn. Please do connect with me. You can find me at www.linkedin.com/in/emilysfwong. Please let me know if you heard me on this podcast, and let me know if there’s a topic you’d like me to cover.
Your feedback is valued!
Loved this episode? Follow Career Cohort on Apple, Spotify, and other major platforms—or sign up to get monthly tips delivered right to your mailbox (I guarantee no spam!).
We’d so appreciate a review and/or a 5-star rating. We provide an ad-free experience, so your support helps us reach new listeners and attract rockstar career experts so you can stay current on the latest tips and trends.
Thanks for listening!
Connect with me:
For more tips and advice for your job search, I post regularly on LinkedIn (emilysfwong), Instagram (@YourResumeCoach), and Facebook (@CareersEmily)
So many of us used strategies that worked well early in our career:
1️⃣ Preparing to perfection
2️⃣ Eagerly pleasing
3️⃣ Fitting the mold
4️⃣ Putting pedal to the metal
5️⃣ Performing patiently (Oh, how can they NOT notice my amazing work?!)
Do any of these sound familiar?
⚠️ Here’s the problem:
Those same strategies can stifle our promotion to executive leadership roles.
Despite our best efforts to excel and stand out, a seat at the leadership table may seem elusive, leaving us feeling undervalued and stuck in our current position.
Ellen knows her stuff. She’s a Clinical Associate Professor at the Kellogg School of Management, where she teaches Personal Leadership Insights and is the Director of Women’s Leadership Program.
Before that, she spent 25 years with Fortune 500 companies holding the top brand management post at divisions of PepsiCo, Royal Caribbean, and Whirlpool Corporation.
By the way, if you’d like to get tips like this more frequently, I spend a lot of time on LinkedIn. Please do connect with me. You can find me at www.linkedin.com/in/emilysfwong. Please let me know if you heard me on this podcast, and let me know if there’s a topic you’d like me to cover.
Loved this episode? Follow Career Cohort on Apple, Spotify, and other major platforms—or sign up to get monthly tips delivered right to your mailbox (I guarantee no spam!).
We’d so appreciate a review and/or a 5-star rating. We provide an ad-free experience, so your support helps us reach new listeners and attract rockstar career experts so you can stay current on the latest tips and trends.
Thanks for listening!
Connect with me:
For more tips and advice for your job search, I post regularly on LinkedIn (emilysfwong), Instagram (@YourResumeCoach), and Facebook (@CareersEmily).
The first order of business in overcoming interview-related anxiety is 🥁:
💡 Remember that you’re also interviewing THEM! Yes, you’re the candidate, but fit is as important for you as it is for them. You deserve the opportunity to gather your own intel to make a decision.
💡 Write down 10 success stories to share.
💡 Curate a list of possible (interviewer) questions.
💡 Record your answers on Zoom or Yoodli.
💡 If the interview will be remote, this is a great opportunity to check how you should clean up your background, and check your eye level to see if you’re looking through the camera.
Please let me know if you heard me on this podcast, and let me know if there’s a topic you’d like me to cover.
Loved this episode? Follow Career Cohort on Apple, Spotify, and other major platforms—or sign up to get monthly tips delivered right to your mailbox (I guarantee no spam!).
We’d so appreciate a review and/or a 5-star rating. We provide an ad-free experience, so your support helps us reach new listeners and attract rockstar career experts so you can stay current on the latest tips and trends.
Thanks for listening!
Connect with me:
For more tips and advice for your job search, I post regularly on LinkedIn (emilysfwong), Instagram (@YourResumeCoach), and Facebook (@CareersEmily).
She’s an expert at the art of developing a unique voice that resonates with readers and strengthens our connection with them.
As a marketer, she’s consulted with more than 100 tech companies, so believe me when I tell you she understands voice.
With her extensive knowledge and future-focused approach, Anne continues to serve as a trusted guide for aspiring writers so we can quickly adapt our writing to the evolving landscape of technology and reader preferences.
Anne demystifies the concept of voice and its impact on our writing through her engaging and relatable style.
Listen to our conversation about the importance of honing our writer’s voice and the transformative power it can have on how we connect with others.
In this episode:
Discover the power of developing your unique writing voice to unlock a world of creative expression, and create captivating storytelling. Gain useful insights into the art of sentence structure to create writing that flows seamlessly. Craft clear and concise content that captivates readers and keeps them engaged.
ABOUT ANNE+ RESOURCES
To continue getting guidance on writing, join Anne’s writing list at AnneJanzer.com. I guarantee she walks her talk about getting to the point quickly and adding value for her readers.
Did I mention that she gives away a 🎁 free book 🎁 on writing via raffle once a month? I know this is true because I’ve been a lucky recipient 😊.
If you’re interested in ordering Anne’s book 📖 The Writer’s Voice 📖 you’ll find it on Amazon and bookshop.org, as well as at retailers and other indie bookstores.
By the way, if you’d like to get tips like this more frequently, I spend a lot of time on LinkedIn. Please do connect with me. You can find me at www.linkedin.com/in/emilysfwong. Please let me know if you heard me on this podcast, and let me know if there’s a topic you’d like me to cover.
Loved this episode? Follow Career Cohort on Apple, Spotify, and other major platforms—or sign up to get monthly tips delivered right to your mailbox (I guarantee no spam!).
We’d so appreciate a review and/or a 5-star rating. We provide an ad-free experience, so your support helps us reach new listeners and attract rockstar career experts so you can stay current on the latest tips and trends.
Thanks for listening!
Connect with me:
For more tips and advice for your job search, I post regularly on LinkedIn (emilysfwong), Instagram (@YourResumeCoach), Facebook (@CareersEmily), and Twitter (@CareersEmily)
By the way, if you’d like to get tips like this more frequently, I spend a lot of time on LinkedIn. Please do connect with me. You can find me at www.linkedin.com/in/emilysfwong. Please let me know if you heard me on this podcast, and let me know if there’s a topic you’d like me to cover.
Your feedback is valued!
Loved this episode? Follow Career Cohort on Apple, Spotify, and other major platforms—or sign up to get monthly tips delivered right to your mailbox (I guarantee no spam!).
We’d so appreciate a review and/or a 5-star rating. We provide an ad-free experience, so your support helps us reach new listeners and attract rockstar career experts so you can stay current on the latest tips and trends.
Thanks for listening!
Connect with me:
For more tips and advice for your job search, I post regularly on LinkedIn (emilysfwong), Instagram (@YourResumeCoach), Facebook (@CareersEmily), and Twitter (@CareersEmily)
Our readers’ inboxes are already overflowing. Grabbing their attention and making things easy for them is a non-negotiable for the modern business writer.
So I was grateful to have Erin Lebacqz of High Value Writing as my guest on Career Cohort to share advice for wrangling our words and hooking our reader right from the subject line.
(By the way, if this is one too many emails today and you’re not in the mood for reading, you can listen to our full conversation here. I’ve got you 😊.)
The following is a sampling of Erin’s advice:
✨ The Magic of the 2-part Subject Line
Imagine this: You’re rushing to leave the office, scanning through your emails, and you come across a message with the subject “Food Drive: Donate Soon.”
Without opening the email, you instantly know what it’s about and the action required.
💡 You know to pick up some cans of soup from the store on your way home.
Now let’s apply this principle to another context—your job search.
If you’re sending your resume to a recruiter, consider a subject line like “Opening for Marketing Director: Resume Attached.” It’s concise and immediately tells the recipient what to expect.
💪🏻 The Power of Action Verbs
For resumes, I avoid the phrase “responsible for” and any variation of the verb “to be.” Instead, I encourage clients to use action verbs to say more with less.
But Erin reminds us that action verbs aren’t just for resumes.
In any correspondence, verbs serve as a powerful anchor for conveying information concisely—and even setting the right tone.
Consider: “Please join us for the session.” vs. “Please attend the session.” How do you feel when reading those 2 nearly identical invitations?
🎯 Knowing Our Audience and Tailoring Content Accordingly
Tailoring our message to our audience is key. The president won’t need the same level of detail as the tech team that’s working with us on a project.
Let’s just remember…
🤝 Tailoring Content Doesn’t Mean Sacrificing Respect
If there’s one place where consistency matters, it’s how we communicate with others across our organization—no matter their title.
After chatting with Erin, I’m even more motivated to read every email (before I hit send) and ask myself, as the reader:
🤔 Do I feel motivated? Do I feel like my time is respected? Is there a balance between clarity (writing IQ) and empathy (writing EQ)? If not, I’ll need to work on my message. 🤔
To listen to the full conversation, tune in to your favorite podcast app.
Avoiding trigger words. Hint: You’ve heard the phrase, “Don’t should all over yourself.” Well, Erin challenges us to avoid “shoulding” all over others, too!
Giving feedback. How about starting with, Have you tried…? Also works as a great replacement for Should!
Balancing brevity with warmth. Concise doesn’t have to mean cold. As Erin says, we can be “concise AND nice!”
ABOUT ERIN
Erin Lebacqz helps you write with confidence, clarity, and strategy. Her book and curriculum, High-Value Writing offer strategies for informing and connecting with readers—and for using writing as a management tool. Erin has been teaching writing for 25 years, in the academic, business, manufacturing, and public sectors.
RESOURCES
Erin’s High-Value Writing program and book can also help folks understand the power of both words and reader interpretation.
Loved this episode? Follow Career Cohort on Apple, Spotify, and other major platforms—or sign up to get monthly tips delivered right to your mailbox (I guarantee no spam!).
We’d so appreciate a review and/or a 5-star rating. We provide an ad-free experience, so your support helps us reach new listeners and attract rockstar career experts so you can stay current on the latest tips and trends.
Thanks for listening!
Connect with me:
For more tips and advice for your job search, I post regularly on LinkedIn (emilysfwong), Instagram (@YourResumeCoach), Facebook (@CareersEmily), and Twitter (@CareersEmily)
Let’s talk about career gaps without stirring up the usual associated anxiety. Your career opportunities don’t dry up just because you took time off from work. In fact, some important personal or professional growth may have taken root during those periods. If you plan to travel, study, volunteer, or take care of family, you may find you return to the office reinvigorated and with a newfound appreciation for work in the traditional sense.
The good news: according to a recent LinkedIn poll, the perception of employment gaps may be shifting.
