Researchers at the University of Michigan undertook a study “systematically examining the impression management (IM) content of actual résumés and cover letters and empirically testing the effect on applicant evaluation.” Or, in non-researcher-speak, they tried to figure out what works and what doesn’t.
They broke impression management — trying to influence the opinions of others — down into eight basic categories:
- Four involved self-promotion (“I’m so darned awesome”)
- Three involved ingratiation (“Your organization is so darned awesome and I would love to work there”)
- One was a hybrid category, an expression of personal values that also reflects on the company (“I’m so darned passionate about taking on challenges and would love to embark on your incredible mission with you”)
Read the article at Pocket.
