04 Aug Shit Every Resume Says – “I Am Very Motivated and Can Learn Quickly If Needed”

Let’s play a game. I will give you two recruiter’s responses to a résumé that has “I am very motivated and can learn quickly if needed” in the objective statement or cover letter. You pick which one is most likely the response from the recruiter.

Ready?

Recruiter #1: HEY GUYS, HOLY $@#%, I just received an AWESOME resume from our online posting. This guy says he is very motivated AND he can learn quickly. Get this guy an interview ASAP. Now, THIS is someone we need on our team. I’m almost at a loss of words. It’s like he fell from the sky on to our laps!

Recruiter #2: BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BA BA BA BLAH. Throws resume in trash.

Any guesses? If you guessed Recruiter #1, you have some serious issues. If you picked Recruiter #2, you win 100 Robbie Points. These points can be redeemed for nothing. Thank you for playing.

If that sentence is in your résumé, remove it now. It does not help you. It makes me want to drink 100 cups of coffee in a row to stay awake. That sentence basically says “Forget evidence to support that statement. You’re just going to have to trust me on that.”

Here’s the problem: Your résumé should imply that you’re motivated and can learn quickly. But you should never tell them that directly because why in the world would they believe you. They want to see experience & results.

How do you fix it? #1 Remove the sentence. Duh. #2 Let your experience do the talking. If you don’t have much relevant experience, this obviously becomes a lot harder for you. Mention something unrelated but something that shows that you’re a hard worker & motivated and can learn quickly. Just never tell them out right.

—

PS: Read the only resignation letter template you’ll ever need.