The season of On Campus Recruiting is upon us, and one of the questions we see so many student struggle to answer is “Are You A People Person?” Or, they’ll confidently put “People Person” on their resume, but then are unsure of how to convey that in their interview. Don’t worry, the Culture and Manners Institute at http://www.cultureandmanners.com/ is here to save the day!
“I’m a people person.”
What does that even mean? It makes me think of people who say, “I’m a dog person” or “a cat person.”
The idea is to show potential employers (or potential clients) you get along with people without saying, “My etiquette skills rock.” Because in a me-focused world, employers want to know if you will get along with others or be a human volcano of bickering, fighting, gossiping, whining, blaming… and leaving a splash of coffee on the bottom of the coffee pot to burn, instead of refilling it after you take the last cup. Nobody wants that in their workplace.
There’s a better way to show you get along with others and that’s to say it on your resume (or sales materials) by starting each bullet point with what I call, “I-work-well-with-others action words.”
- Collaborated with…
- Teamed with
- Involved with team
- Negotiated
- Contributed
- Joined
- Joined forces with
- Worked together with
- Supported
- Cooperated
- Co-authored
- Resolved
- Assembled group of
Mix these words with bullet points of individual initiative and leadership action words: (Managed, Specialized in, Supervised, Initiated, Delivered, Designed, Motivated, Selected, Directed, Drove, Created, Trained, Coached, Counseled, Researched, Edited, Produced, Fostered, Enhanced…) and you have a winning resume. All of these action words work well in your cover letters and the actual interview, too.
ALBRIGHT ELCDC 