FIRST PERSON vs. THIRD PERSON. -- Response to a recent inquiry regarding first person job description verbs vs. third person.

Harold, résumés are correctly written in the FIRST PERSON. Sure, we omit the first person pronoun (I, we). But a résumé is an AUTOBIOGRAPHY.

One wouldn't start out a cover letter by saying, "Harold Herrington requests that you consider his qualifications for your recently advertised position. Please examine his enclosed résumé." That kind of writing sounds stilted at best. In a cover letter, one would speak in the first person -- "Please consider MY qualifications...."

Likewise, your résumé SHOULD use the first person verbs. Therefore, "possess, analyze, anticipate and provide." -- Not "possesses, analyzes, anticipates and provides."

The confusion probably arises from employer-written job descriptions, which are always in the THIRD PERSON. But that is because the employer is NOT writing an autobiographical piece; he is writing it about a third person! You. Or him or her or them!!!.

You might remember that in his ill-fated and ill-conceived exploratory run for the Presidency in 1999, Donald Trump was soundly ridiculed by the press and his detractors for his penchant for speaking of himself in the third person, as in "The Donald promises...." He came off sounding officious, conceited and imperious. http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/gaming/part4_bar.htm

Experts in job marketing may and do disagree on lesser résumé issues such as length, format, font, photos, paper color, personal information, politics, religion, etc., but they all concur that résumés should be written in the first person verb without the first person pronoun.

Helpful Links (cut & paste into your browser):

http://www.florisumc.org/resume-prep.html
http://www.augustachronicle.com/stories/042902/bus_124-8285.shtml
http://www.work4teens.com/structure.htm

Thank you.

ô¿ô Mike

P. Michæl Young
Executive Writing Services
402.399.9853
Fax: 402.399.9571
now on the web at www.ews.blogspot.com
and www.writearesume.biz