Is your résumé telling the right story?
You've done the work. You've built the experience. But when someone opens your résumé, are they actually seeing what you can do?
A few things I've learned from years on the hiring side, and a little help making your experience easier to understand.
Responsible for coordinating projects and supporting the team.
Kept project timelines moving, brought the right people together and resolved issues before they became delays.
Your résumé isn't your whole story.
And it shouldn't have to be.
It's a way into a conversation. Its job is to help someone understand where you've been, what you bring and why they'd want to know more.
That can be hard when you're the one trying to write it. You know everything behind those job titles. The person reading it doesn't.
Three things worth another look.
You don't need to reinvent your whole résumé. Start by looking for the places where your experience isn't coming through.
Lots of duties. Not much context.
Job descriptions tell people what a role involves. Your résumé should give them some idea of how you did it, what you were responsible for and why it mattered.
The important stuff is buried.
Sometimes the experience most relevant to the job is hiding halfway down a long list. Make it easier to spot what connects you to this opportunity.
It sounds like everybody else.
Hard-working. Team player. Excellent communicator. Those words aren't necessarily wrong, but real examples tell a much stronger story.
A small rewrite can change a lot.
You don't have to inflate your experience. You just have to explain it in a way someone else can picture.
Responsible for customer service, scheduling and administrative duties.
Helped customers resolve day-to-day issues, coordinated a busy appointment schedule and kept records organized so the team could respond quickly.
One important note: use details that are true for you. A stronger résumé isn't about making your experience sound bigger than it was.
A résumé reality check.
Not a score. Not a test. Just a chance to look at your résumé through someone else's eyes and decide what you might want to improve.
Could someone tell what kind of work you do?
Look at the top of your résumé. Does it make your experience and direction easy to understand?
Are your most relevant strengths easy to spot?
Think about the jobs you're interested in. Which experiences would you want someone to notice first?
Where are you listing duties instead of contributions?
Choose one bullet that sounds like a job description. What did you actually do in that role?
Can you support your claims with an example?
Think about phrases such as organized, adaptable or strong communicator. What real situation would show that?
Is there anything that needs context?
Career changes, different job titles, contract work or time away from work can be explained clearly without apologizing for them.
What's one thing you want to improve first?
Don't rewrite everything today. Choose one change that would make your résumé more useful.
A little perspective from the other side of the desk.
When I'm reviewing someone's experience, I'm not looking for perfect wording. I'm trying to understand the person behind it.
What work have they done? What kinds of problems have they handled? What might they bring to this particular team?
Clear examples help. So does a résumé that's easy to navigate and honest about where someone is in their career.
And remember, a résumé can help start a conversation. It doesn't have to answer every question someone could ever ask you.
Before you send it, ask yourself:
Is the information accurate and up to date?
Can someone quickly find the experience relevant to this role?
Have I included specific examples instead of only broad claims?
Would I feel comfortable explaining every line in an interview?
You don't have to figure out the wording alone.
Sometimes you're too close to your own experience to know what's worth highlighting. A conversation can help bring the important parts into focus.
If you'd like someone to look at your résumé with a recruiter's eye, help you sort through your experience or get ready for what's next, I'd be happy to talk.