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The Devil is in the Details: The Heavenly Benefits of Specificity in Writing

by: Linda Abraham

You can argue about the devil, but certainly the substance, distinctiveness, and success of your essays depends on the details.

Many applicants tend to bury their uniqueness and success under vague assertions. You don't want to hide your achievements; you want to trumpet them loudly and clearly. For instance, if you led a team working on a software development project, was it a three-member team or a thirty-member, cross-functional team with representatives from five different divisions and two continents? Was the potential market for the product $5 million or $200 million? Did you launch the product on time and in budget? Did it zoom to the top of the market-share charts? The details reveal the level of your responsibility, the confidence others have in your abilities based on their prior experience with you, and the significance of your accomplishment.

What about your volunteer work? Do you simply "volunteer"? If you do, you aren't saying anything distinctive or substantive. Are you an EMT working five hours per week? Do you volunteer at a legal aid clinic? What have you seen or experienced? What have you learned? Have you launched a bereavement group in a country where such services were previously unheard of? What were the challenges you overcame to establish that group? What did you learn from the experience? How has it influenced you?

You may ask, "How can I fit all these details into a short essay?" Good question. Include many of the specifics in the work history sections � the boxes � of the application or in an attached resume if allowed. Then in the essay, provide enough detail to provide context and create interest. Balance your profound insight and reflection with devilishly dazzling detail. Liked this tip? The above tip and many, many more can be found in Submit a Stellar Application: 42 Terrific Tips to Help You Get Accepted.

About The Author

Linda Abraham, Accepted.com's founder and president, has helped thousands of applicants develop successful admissions strategies and craft distinctive essays. In addition to advising clients and managing Accepted.com, she has written and lectured extensively on admissions. The Wall St. Journal, The New York Times, and BusinessWeek are among the publications that have sought Linda's expertise.
Reprint of this article is only permitted when reprinted in its entirety with the above bio.
onlinesupport@accepted.com

This article was posted on January 31, 2005

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Effective Resume Writing
by: Dave Lympany

A lot of places around the world call it A Curriculum Vitae, in North America, it's a R�sum�. This is definitely one of the most important tools that any jobseeker has at their disposal. You may be THE best candidate for a particular job by a long way, however, if you don't make it to the interview stages the company will never know.

Many companies (especially the larger corporations) will use computer software to "read" all the r�sum�s and reject any that don't fit a particular template. This may seem unfair, but it's cost effective.

So, for some jobs you have to beat the computer and still read well enough for someone who may not have any knowledge of the position you are applying for. It is definitely worthwhile to adapt your resume for the position that is advertised. There may well be some of the "buzz" words the "filter" is looking for mentioned in the job description.

It is very important that you can substantiate all the claims you make, preferably with physical examples or letters. This will be essential in any in interview situation.

There is now a wealth of information available online, from books, local employment offices and with professional writing agencies. You can also access other people�s r�sum�s that are posted online which will give some great ideas for style and content.

Professional writers may seem the answer, but, all the research I have done seems to lean away from them. I have never used one and feel that it will give a good impression if you have written it yourself (this will display literacy). Apparently, if they are professionally written, they are easy to spot; however, they may be worth the expense if you are stuck. You can always "customise" what has been written to make it your own work.

In my case, I had been in the military since I left school and had never written a resume or had an interview. I spent a lot of time writing, copying other people�s styles and changing things. I didn't realise how difficult it is to catch up on 16 years - I'll never allow mine to go out of date again! I found the hardest part was to actually start writing. The best advice I was given was to just write anything that you can think of and it will soon start to flow. With modern word processors it's relatively quick and easy to cut and paste so you can keep on changing it until you are happy. More detailed information can be found at http://www.onestopimmigration-canada.com/resume.html

Good Luck!!!!!

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