Having looked at many hundreds of resumes over the years, one of several tired, worn out clichés that appears far too often is “I’m a fast learner.”
It reminds me of the following ‘Dilbert’ cartoon:
But getting back to the resumes: how do job applicants use this simple statement and why is it such a problem?
Firstly, it is used (or misused) in a number of ways. Sometimes it is put in the job applicant’s covering letter. Sometimes it’s in their ‘Personal Attributes’ or ‘Career Profile’ or something similar. Occasionally it’s in one or more of their previous job descriptions.
People who use “I’m a fast learner” in their resumes usually sabotage whatever advantage they were trying to gain by using this statement.
But why?
Mainly it comes down to their focus on telling instead of showing. The well-meaning but slightly ignorant applicant feels compelled to tell the prospective employer how good he/she is, but is unaware of how the resume looks. These applicants hope or expect that their resumes will be read literally, but they are usually read metaphorically by the employer.
For example, imagine that you are an employer looking at resumes. A candidate tells you in her resume that she is a fast learner but you also notice that she has spelled your company name incorrectly and has several other spelling mistakes in her resume. When her resume is read literally, it says “I’m a fast learner.” When her resume is read metaphorically, it says “I’m a slow learner or non-learner.” The obvious, simple mistakes send the employer a much more powerful message than the words printed on the piece of paper. That message is a negative one, completely the opposite of what the applicant was trying to convey.
Another problem with claiming on your resume that you are a fast learner is that it strongly implies that you are not really the ideal applicant, but the employer can put in time and effort to teach you. This is pitching a desperate, relatively unattractive case for second prize. It’s much better to go for first prize (getting the job!) by letting your resume show (not tell!) that you are a fast learner.
Some important actions to take with your resume to avoid this trap are:
1. Pay Attention to detail. Ensure that your resume is as perfect as you can make it. Spell check it and then have it edited by a professional. A common mistake is doing multiple resumes for multiple job applications and forgetting to change names and details in the duplicates, so you transfer across an incorrect employer name or details. Another common mistake is to use a ready-made resume template and then forget to remove the printed instructions in the template like “Insert your job history here.” It looks lazy and/or stupid and suggests that you are a slow learner or a non-learner.
2. Specifically address the employer’s needs. Grab a highlighter and highlight all the key words or phrases in the job advertisement. Then make sure you have comfortably (not forcibly!) used each of them in your resume and/or cover letter. This shows the employer that you have read the ad properly, you have probably understood the requirements better than most and you have specifically addressed what the employer is after.
3. Don’t say that you are a fast learner.
I’m glad you don’t need an explanation for number 3. You’re obviously a fast learner!
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Learn fast but don't say you do!
