Does your story fall flat as soon as it hits the paper?

You have done so much for your employers, but when you put it on paper; it just doesn’t show.

Making your story come alive on your resume is a challenging task most people find daunting and even exhausting. Surely, if you could sit before employers, you would convince them you are the best candidate for the position. You would talk about the most significant improvements you have made and all the problems you helped solve.

With 200+ people applying to any given job and 5.8 million persons unemployed as of March 2023, you want to make sure your resume passes applicant tracking systems (ATSs), stands out, and is 1 of the 6 to be called for interviews.

If you want to have a shot at being one of the select few employers call for an interview, you must share the right information on your resume. Think about what you are eager to tell potential employers and write it down. 

How to Start Writing Your Resume?

Make this read worth your while by completing the activity below. You know if you don’t do it now, you probably won’t do it later.

ACTIVITY FOR YOU

1. Start a 30-minute free writing session and write about everything you would tell employers if you had the opportunity. Write as if you were speaking out loud. 
2. Begin to format the content into sections of accomplishments.
3. Create bullet points to include the results you produced and the actions you took to get those results.

A good format to follow for the employment section is the STAR method:
Situation – Task – Actions – Results

The situation and task can be presented in a three-line paragraph while the actions and results can be revealed in two-line bullets. I use this format with my clients and in the process, they realize how to present their stories or scenarios during their interviews.

A good way to initiate your free writing session is to think of problems you encountered. Write about those problems and about how they affected the company. Then, think about the actions you took to resolve them. Additionally, write about the benefits the resolution brought to the department or the organization. Also, you could mention issues you prevented from occurring. 

Do You Know What to Write on Your Resume?

I’ve heard some people say, “I can write well, so I can write my resume.”

Most of my clients are educated and can write; it’s not just about the ability to write, it’s about knowing what to write and the questions to ask yourself. It’s about being led and guided so that you can brainstorm and shift your mindset to hone in on what actually matters.

Sure, you can write, “Skyrocketed sales by 35% on year one, sent 1,200 proposals, and created a new customer acquisition initiative that benefited stakeholders,” but were you going to write that, or were you going to write the famous “Responsible for sending proposals, meeting with stakeholders, and following up with clients.”

Both are written correctly, but the first one requires I probe my clients to shift their mindsets from responsibilities to accomplishments. This doesn’t all happen in one draft; it happens as we collaborate.

Furthermore, what story will you tell in the first 1/3 of the first page, the most important section for the initial 6-second scan? Sure it may be well written, but will it be the right message to convey? Will it connect with employers?

Resume writing is an art. Writing about the most important points of the stories you want to share is where many people struggle. Writing about one’s self is not an easy task.

Resume writing is a process that includes several drafts before having a final copy worth sending to employers. Even after you finalize your resume, you should continue to update it once every three months to include new and relevant achievements.

Is Your Resume Merely Another Job Description?

It truly pains me to see a lot of the resumes people send employers. My type A personality cringes. “I’ve sent my resume out 300 times, got 5 responses, 2 interviews, and no job offers,” they say.

Look at your resume, open it on your computer, and read it.

Is your resume basically another job description?

If it is, remember employers aren’t looking for your job description. They have a good idea of what your responsibilities were based on your job title. They want to know about the results you’ve produced throughout your career.

Here is what they don’t know:

Employers don’t know…

• how you benefited the companies you’ve worked for.
• the difference you made for other employers.
• the challenges you faced and the actions you took to overcome those challenges.
• the problems you’ve resolved.
• the results you’ve produced.
• the initiatives you’ve taken.

They want to know this to have an idea of:

1. how you can benefit their organization
2. how you can make a difference in their organization
3. the types of challenges you are equipped to face and overcome
4. how well you respond to problems and the actions you take to resolve them
5. the results you can potentially produce for them
6. the types of initiatives you can create for them

So…why don’t you tell them?

Take out a blank sheet of paper or open a document and complete the activity above.

The truth is, while you are on the job, you are so focused on and consumed with producing results, you don’t take the time to measure the value you have provided for your employer. Everything is fast-paced. You become a robot on autopilot.

Developing an accomplishment-based resume that touches upon all of the points above takes multiple drafts and strategies, but the end result is simply amazing and rewarding.

If you want to partner with a resume writer near you who is local to Miami and can bring the best out of you, please reach me via the contact form.

See Client Testimonials Here

Hi! Are you interested in preparing your employees to transition into a new opportunity?

Reach out to me! I’d be happy to connect with your staff one-on-one to market them for new opportunities.

“Whatever work you do, put yourself into it, as those who are serving not merely other people, but the Lord.” ~ Colossians 3:23

---

No statement made on this site constitutes legal advice or employment advice. Persons seeking legal advice should seek counsel from a licensed attorney. Your ability to obtain employment depends on many factors that are beyond the control of Organic Resume Creations, LLC. / Yuleni Pulido; therefore, Organic Resume Creations, LLC. / Yuleni Pulido is not liable in any way for any event after implementing any ideas or tips expressed or implied on this website, in materials provided, or after purchasing the products or services.

REFUND POLICY: Organic Resume Creations, LLC./Resume Writer does NOT provide any refunds and all service payments are FINAL. If you change your mind or decide you no longer want resume services, Organic Resume Creations, LLC./Resume Writer will honor your payment for up to two years. This means you can contact Resume Writer again within two years to work on your resume and Resume Writer will honor the services you made payment for.