Resume: Describing Major Things You Did Only Once Forum

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 10:22 am

Is it generally OK to describe a major task that you did only once during your summer job in plural terms? I.e., "Advocated for specific rulings on who let the dogs out in written requests to the Federal Dog Catcher" instead of "Advocated for a specific ruling on whether a client let the dogs out in a written request to the Federal Dog Catcher"?

I ask because 1) it's generally convention to describe tasks in plural terms on a resume and 2) the flow of the resume is disturbed by switching to singular terms. Thoughts?

estopped · Post by **estopped** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 11:20 am

Anonymous User wrote:Is it generally OK to describe a major task that you did only once during your summer job in plural terms? I.e., "Advocated for specific rulings on who let the dogs out in written requests to the Federal Dog Catcher" instead of "Advocated for a specific ruling on whether a client let the dogs out in a written request to the Federal Dog Catcher"?

I ask because 1) it's generally convention to describe tasks in plural terms on a resume and 2) the flow of the resume is disturbed by switching to singular terms. Thoughts?

I think the first one "sounds better" because it is more impressive; it is also a fabrication. I would go with the second one.

lolwat · Post by **lolwat** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 1:03 pm

IMO, it's only convention to describe tasks in plural terms because you generally do the task more than once. Hence, you'll probably have something like "drafted memoranda on x issues" instead of "drafted a memorandum on x issue" because more likely than not you'll have written more than one memo.

But for something you literally only did once you should write it as singular because, as noted above, it would be a fabrication to suggest you did it more than once.

dixiecupdrinking · Post by **dixiecupdrinking** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 1:11 pm

If this is something impressive you did, you'll want it to come up in job interviews. And when someone brings it up, you'll look ridiculous when it turns out you only did it once. Forget about the "flow" of your resume.

ggocat · Post by **ggocat** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 4:23 pm

Singular.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 4:24 pm

OP here. Edited to singular. Thanks everyone.

SchopenhauerFTW · Post by **SchopenhauerFTW** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 4:35 pm

OP got help without a single Baha Men reference in this thread. TLS is improving.

20130312 · Post by **20130312** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 4:46 pm

SchopenhauerFTW wrote:OP got help without a single Baha Men reference in this thread. TLS is improving.

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