how to write a resume without using i

Your Resume Should NOT Use the Word “I” … and other tricks of the trade—

I often receive feedback from clients about the resumes I have prepared for them; one of consistent comments I receive is about the word “I.” While resumes should not be written in third person (who likes the “royal we”?), they should not use the word “I” either. Resumes are appropriately written in first person implied. This means that not only should you not use “I,” you should not use other personal pronouns such as me, my, we, our, etc., either.

I also received feedback about “missing” articles—words like “a,” “an.”, “the.” These words are not missing; they are intentionally left out! For easier reading and brevity (even in federal resumes), resumes are written in what is called telegraphic style. In essence these words are eliminated but the sentence is still understood.

Here are some other common questions about resume writing style I hear:

• “Why don’t you use “responsible for…?” The phrase “responsible for…” is never a good idea; first, this is passive language. And second, just because you are responsible for something doesn’t mean you did it; it just means you should have done it!
• “Why do you use numerals instead of spelling out numbers?” Many resumes are full of text—by using numerals (even for numbers under 10), it makes it easier for the reader to see the numbers. This goes for using symbols such as $, %, and M as well.
• “I thought resumes were supposed to be in present tense.” Only your current job should be in present tense; all past work experience and accomplishments for your current job should be in past tense,
• “Why do you not put “s” on the end of verbs?” Because adding the “s” turns the writing into 3rd person; we use first person for resume writing. Of course, you’ll use past tense for verbs in your former work.
• “Don’t I need to include every job I’ve held on my resume?” The short answer is “no;” you do not need every single job on your resume. Most employers are only interested in your most recent and relevant work—for most people this is the last 10 years or so. If you feel like you must include your earlier work, consider including a section on your resume called Earlier Work Experience and Key Achievements (or something similar), list some of your earlier jobs without dates and be sure to include accomplishments. If you don’t have relevant accomplishments for those earlier jobs, why do you think they are important?
• “I don’t have any accomplishments!” Everyone has accomplishments. The key is to track them throughout your career and frame them in a way that shows your value to potential employers. Think about what makes you different from other people who have the same job you do

3 thoughts on “Your Resume Should NOT Use the Word “I” … and other tricks of the trade—”

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I truly appreciate your efforts and I will be waiting for your further post thanks once again.

Keep on writing, great job!

I read this paragraph fully on the topic of the comparison of most recent and earlier technologies, it’s awesome article.

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How to avoid the repetition of "I" while writing a cover letter for an academic job?

I use active voice for cover letter and while doing that I end up with too many "I" and most of the sentences in my letter also begin with "I". This makes my letter quite boring. I would appreciate if you share your suggestion/tips to avoid this while writing a cover letter.

Since cover letter is the first thing that the potential employer notices, I want to write a concise and attractive cover letter. It will be also helpful if you share a link of a well-written cover letter.

• application-cover-letter

• 2 This could be a good question for English language & usage as well. –  Peter Jansson Commented Oct 3, 2013 at 9:22
• @Peter, thanks for the useful suggestion. Is there any way to link my question to that forum? –  rana Commented Oct 3, 2013 at 9:26
• It is up to the moderators if the question should be migrated. I think it is a good question and keen to see the answers. –  Peter Jansson Commented Oct 3, 2013 at 9:28
• 4 @CharlesMorisset to be more accurate, cross-posting is forbidden if you post the exact same question on both sites. But you can post two slightly different questions, one here focussing on the academic issues (”should I avoid it? if so, how to?”), and a more generic one on English. You won't get the same type of answers on both sites! –  F'x Commented Oct 3, 2013 at 10:08
• 1 @F'x: Very good point. I was mostly mentioning it for the benefit of rana, who seems to be quite a new user, in order to avoid the question to cross-posted as such on ELU. But a different question would be of course just fine! –  user102 Commented Oct 3, 2013 at 10:11

2 Answers 2

Because it's a cover letter, I think it's quite natural that you say a lot about you in it. That's actually not to be avoided, because you want to give the addressee a good idea of your background, your motivations, your interests, etc. In short, you want to show them who you are, so they want to work with you. This is a totally different exercise than usual academic writing.

Now, regarding the redundancy of I , it is a matter of writing style. It probably wouldn't bother me much, but if you want to diminish it for some reasons, here are worthy alternatives:

Instead of starting your sentence with I , just push it somewhere down in some sentences. That way, you avoid the pattern of I as the first word of every sentence.

Looking at your group's wide range of research, I must confess a certain attraction for your recent groundbreaking work on the correlation between beer-drinking and publication rate .

Use constructions that, while retaining the first person, shift from the subject pronoun to other cases:

It has been my intention for a few years now to shift my research interests from pure psychology to experimental psychohistory, and I have thus taken in 2009 a post-doc position at the University of Trentor (group of prof. Seldon)

instead of “I decided a few years ago to move to the field of psychohistory…” . Similarly, you could say

The standard techniques of academic writing… introduce the pronoun once, then shift the discuss to avoid being the actor, e.g. using passive voice.

During my thesis, I introduced a new data reduction technique called XXZ. This algorithm, when applied to large datasets, was used to univocally establish whether data was being manipulated. In particular, results obtained on the 2000 election showed systematic bias against a specific candidate, highlighting its power as a diagnostic tool for real-life applications.

Be aware that there are downsides, though: most of these alternatives are longer than a direct sentence starting with I , which means overusing them could make you sound windy.

• thanks for the detailed discussion. I like to avoid passive voice and the introductory phases at the beginning of each sentence as these somehow dilute the importance/purpose of the sentence. So I prefer to use active voice and end up with many "I"! I think I should use a proper balance of active/passive voice and don't overuse any of these! Again, do you have example/link that might be useful? –  rana Commented Oct 3, 2013 at 10:18
• 3 While the link doesn't work for me, +1 for the link to the Grim study. –  StrongBad Commented Oct 3, 2013 at 14:08
• @DanielE.Shub link fixed (DOI changed since the ASAP version I had on my hard drive) –  F'x Commented Oct 3, 2013 at 14:36
• 2 Speak like Yoda, you can. –  Rolf Commented Jul 31, 2019 at 18:55

One possibility is to use "my" now and then: instead of "I am experienced in ...", write "My fields of experience include ...". Another possibility is to use references to previous sentences: instead of writing "I developed the method of ... . I applied it to the problem of ... ." write "I developed ... . Its application to ... resulted in ... .". Also, instead of writing "I'm interested in the position because ...", write "This position will allow me to ... and benefit my ...". The idea is always the same: look at all other words in the sentence and think of whether one of them can be made the subject without changing the meaning or diluting the "importance" of the sentence. If it can, do it. If not, resort to passive voice and other techniques suggested in this thread. If it is still not satisfactory for some reason, just use "I" and go to the next sentence.

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How can I avoid using I repetitively in a resume/about me?

My question.

How can I avoid using I repetitively in a resume/about me, should it be avoided or is it to be expected in that kind of writing? Are there any substitutes that can be used in place of it, or should the structure of sentences be modified altogether?

The about me page that I'm struggling with, an example

My name is Azat. I am an aspiring software developer based in Washington. My primary interests lie in Mobile and Web development. I have a strong foundation in Java, shown in my Android applications which have thousands of downloads on the Google Play Store. I have a solid knowledge of JavaScript and Bootstrap, and am well versed in Photoshop and SolidWorks. I have created several responsive websites such as my website about inauthentic learning. I have competed in Cyberpatriot X at the state level, and was in charge of our Windows machines. My other hobbies include modding phones, reading, card games, and poetry. Currently I am looking for internship opportunities that can utilize my existing programming skills and allow me to expand them further. My long term goal is to pursue a career in Web/Android development. Please feel free to contact me using the information in the contact section or view my resume.

--EDIT-- This question is different than others on overusing I because it specifically refers to a resume/about me writing format.

• word-choice
• business-writing
• Welcome to Writers.SE. This group is not for the critique or commenting on particular pieces of writing. –  JP Chapleau Commented Jul 11, 2018 at 20:36
• @JPChapleau that was not my intention, I simply wished to exemplify what I meant with the repetitive i's. –  user32233 Commented Jul 11, 2018 at 21:14
• 4 Possible duplicate of How can I stop overusing "I" in my writing? –  Craig Sefton Commented Jul 11, 2018 at 21:19
• @JPChapleau You're right, per the help center it appears to be out of bounds. –  Mast Commented Jul 11, 2018 at 21:37

3 Answers 3

Speaking as a former division manager of a public company that has hired dozens of programmers and engineers and read hundreds of resumes:

Use "I". It is expected. Stick to the facts, do not engage in puffery, but do not be afraid to note very positive results; either (as you have).

Do not be so stilted in your language. I would not use the word "utilize", "use" is sufficient. "Currently" is not necessary either.

Currently I am looking for internship opportunities that can utilize my existing programming skills and allow me to expand them further.

I would like an internship that uses my existing programming skills, with opportunities to expand them further.

... My primary interests are in ...

... and I am well versed ...

I would not mention any other hobbies unless they directly relate to your technical skills. None of yours do (not even modding phones, which suggests you are a hacker).

My long term goal is a career in Web/Android development.

Thank you for your consideration, my contact information is on my resume, and below: [email protected] Cell: 999-999-9999 etc.

• There are actually domain names that are specifically reserved for examples and documentation. I've edited this answer; you might want to use those domain names in similar situations in the future. –  user Commented Jul 11, 2018 at 19:52
• @MichaelKjörling I'm fine with your edit. –  Amadeus Commented Jul 11, 2018 at 19:54
• Thank you for the answer, it was very helpful and gave me some good insight. The other revisions are also much appreciated. –  user32233 Commented Jul 11, 2018 at 20:55

Most résumés seem to solve this issue by creating bullet points and starting each bullet point with the verb.

Modern thinking on the use of pronouns ('I') in resumes is that they should be avoided. The reason for this is simple - anyone who reads it already knows that the information is about you.

The standard approach is to start each sentence or, more commonly, bullet point with an action verb . This method leads you towards sentences like these:

• Aspiring software developer based in Washington.
• Interested primarily in Mobile and Web development.
• Having a strong foundation in Java as demonstrated by my Android applications which have thousands of downloads on the Google Play Store.
• Developed a solid knowledge of JavaScript and Bootstrap Expert in Photoshop and SolidWorks.
• Created several responsive websites such as my website about inauthentic learning.

If you want more help on choosing suitable action verbs then this cheat sheet is pretty good: List of Action Verbs for Resumes & Professional Profiles , but other lists exist, so look around.

Good luck with your career.

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Is it common to drop the pronoun "I" in resume?

There are recommendations to write your achievements without using "I". At first, I wrote my resume as:

"Have created ..." "Was responsible for ..." "Created something ..."

Now I heard that people don't use this style.

These are my questions:

Is it common to drop the pronoun "I" from resume? How can I drop it in the perfect tense and continuous tense?

Does this sentence "I bought potato and cooked it" work as well as "I have cooked potato"? Cooking food doesn't guarantee result, and I understand there is a perfect tense to express this.

As an alternative, is it correct to mix sentences as below?

"I have created ..." "Created something ..." "Collaborated with ... " "I was responsible for ..."

• 4 People do indeed often write resumes in "telegraphic" style, dropping unnecessary words -- or ar least this is true in the US; you didn't say where you were located. Since English isn't your first language, I strongly recommend having someone who is more fluent review the resume to make sure it's clearly understandable. For the rest, those questions belong in the English Language Learners section of Stack Exchange. –  keshlam Commented Feb 14, 2016 at 14:03
• This might also be good for Engilsh Language Usage stack exchange. It seems a little obscure/specific of an issue for normal "English Language Learners". It's the kind of thing that native speakers learn about in writing or grammar classes and then have long forgotten how to explain properly. –  Brandin Commented Feb 15, 2016 at 11:08

3 Answers 3

The style used in resumes is more complicated than just dropping the "I" from the sentences. It's not a mechanical transformation like that; it's something more subtle that can be a challenge to explain to a non-native writer of English.

Start by writing the resume in complete sentences. Next, look for content-free phrases. For example "I am responsible for writing x" is "I write x", isn't it? You want action-y verbs like write , manage , create more than am , for example. Third, pick a tense - most people use past tense for jobs they have left and present tense for the job they hold at the moment. Fourth, once you have a consistent and compact set of sentences, if the sentence or clause starts with I, which it probably does, just start with the verb.

Buy and cook food, choose vendors, design menus, collaborate with owners to plan the year

Don't leave out "I" or "me" if they don't start the sentence.

Buy and cook food. Owners rely on me when they are away - one week in 4.

Notice there is more "telegraph-style" happening here - the word "the" is being left out as well as "I". It's a good idea to have a native speaker look it over for you to be sure you're leaving out the right words.

Your resume should focus on your achievements. Hiring managers and technical leads can interview only a limited number of candidates. Your resume should convince them to invite you to an interview.

The style and grammar are important, but they are just a means to achieve the goal, not the goal by itself. Quantifiable achievements enrich a resume more than a perfectly grammatical sentence. Your hypothetical example would look better as:

Bought 10 kg potatoes, cooked them in 3 hours, which was served to 50 people.

Don't exaggerate the numbers to make your resume look good, however.

"I worked on this.", "I was responsible for that.", etc. don't sound impressive because they just tell that the candidate did the work assigned to him, which is the minimum expectation. Perfect grammar or absence of "I" doesn't matter. Nonetheless, the "I" in the resume is redundant because the reader already knows it is your resume, so drop it entirely. However, if your resume is otherwise impressive, no sane hiring manager will discard your resume just because of the "I".

That said though, avoid spelling and punctuation mistakes because being sloppy about your resume doesn't leave a good impression. Get your resume proofread by someone fluent in English, preferably someone who has reviewed a lot of resumes.

Masked Man's answer is excellent and covers the really important things here.

To supplement that though regarding the specifics of using "I" this seems to be an individual, possibly cultural thing, I've had discussions with others when reviewing CVs where they have commented negatively on the use of "I" suggesting that it sounds like a school kid's "what I did on my summer holiday" report, the inference being that it made then thing of the candidate as young and immature. Personally I can see where they are coming from but I wouldn't consider it anywhere near significant enough for it to affect whether I progressed their application.

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