Does Your Resume Tell a Story?

How do you stand out when you apply for a job? Thousands of people ask themselves that question every day, and the Internet is littered with posts and articles offering the same advice. As I prepared to write this, I read quite a few of those articles. Guess what? Almost all of them have the same advice, and that advice hasn’t changed much over the 13 years I’ve been in the recruiting industry.

Most of that guidance focuses on a few things: format, design, style, spelling, grammar and what I call logistics: name, address, social media, etc. One article I read had 44 pieces of guidance, of which 38(!) fell into those categories. The result of all this information being hammered into people over the years is that almost no one with a competitive skill set has a resume that isn’t at least close to being professional from a style perspective. While important, focusing your time on format won’t set you apart, it won’t get you an interview, and you need interviews to land a job.

So how does someone make it clear that they are different, and their past has prepared them for success? You need to think about the story your resume tells, and let it be clear, every resume tells a story. The people who tell their story in the most effective way get the most interviews. Let’s talk about how to do that:

1. Decide who you are, or who you want to be. This is important – write it down once you decide. This should be specific. Are you a project manager, or do you manage software development projects? Are you a Java Developer who is interested primarily in coding or do you use Java to build software solutions for X type of business?
2. Build a list of accomplishments for each job on your resume. To start with, include everything that comes to mind. You don’t need a long list of awards or recognitions. Just think about what you did well. What were you better at than most everyone you worked with and what set you apart? These accomplishments are the building blocks of your resume. Also, pull in anything relevant from outside your professional life. Want to work in the automotive industry? Mention the engine you and your kid rebuilt together.
3. Scratch the accomplishments that don’t fit who you decided you are. This one might sound weird. Why would you not include things you’ve done well? Because you’re telling a story! The most effective stories include very few extraneous details. Don’t worry, no one expects you to list everything you’ve ever done on your resume anyway.
4. Use daily tasks and tools used to fill in the details around your accomplishments. Most people use tasks to define what they did. A project manager might mention, “used MS Project to track project timelines and budgets”. In the Harry Potter books, Harry doesn’t “use his wand” over and over again. Instead, he shouts, “EXPELLIARMUS”, as he points his wand at He Who Must Not Be Named. We know he uses his wand to cast the spell, but all wizards and witches use wands. It’s the Expelliarmus* spell that sets Harry apart. For a project manager, it is the project results delivered that set someone apart, not the use of MS Project. So mention MS Project to define how something was accomplished, not as its own point.
5. Make sure your name and email are at the top of the resume. People need to be able to contact you.

Now grab a beer and watch the interviews start rolling in.

* Expelliarmus is a spell that disarms rather than maims or kills. It’s one of the way that JK Rowling reminds us how noble Harry is.