How to Make Your Previous Job Sound More Impressive on Your Resume

"Maintained product delivery materials in accordance with company and governmental standards, thereby assuring the safety of end users."

Any guesses what this job seeker actually did?

Read it again and take another guess.

You may have guessed that he was a dishwasher. If so, you are correct.

While he may have camouflaged his title, he told the truth. The product delivery materials he maintained? Dishes, flatware and cups. Since the restaurant and Health Board mandated these materials be washed between uses, he fell into compliance. Doing so, of course, killed germs and bacteria, thus protecting patrons from other people's germs.

This job seeker did what all who have low-wage jobs should do when vying for better jobs. He made his job sound more important than it was by following a basic formula:

Put a little lipstick and some eye shadow on that pig. Instead of just saying "washed dishes," the job seeker translated this item to business speak. Instead of "washed," he wrote "maintained." He also substituted "product delivery materials" for the word "dishes." The customers? They were the "end users." In short, he took an unglamorous duty and made it more attractive.

Fit it into the bigger picture. While the act of washing dishes is pretty mundane (spray, load rack, insert rack in washer, stack and repeat), it is an extremely important function. The job seeker knew this, as well as why it was important and who it was important to. The Health Board wants clean dishes, the restaurant wanted to keep the Health Board happy, and besides - customers don't want to eat off of dirty plates, cups and utensils.

Who's reading? This job seeker aspired to a paraprofessional position which paid substantially more than his dish washing gig. As such, he used professional language to describe his low-level job. But what if he was looking for something that was only a little better than what he had? As luck would have it, he also had a second resume for shipping and receiving positions. Here, he rephrased his dish washing experience to read: "Sanitized dishes and stored them..." The job seeker knew resumes should be written for the level of the positions one is applying for - and who will be reading.

IN A NUTSHELL: Low-level jobs sound better when you dress up the language, show you know why the position is important, and write to the level of the job and hiring manager.