How can you create a narrative arc in your resume?

1 Identify your main theme

The first step is to identify the main theme or message that you want to convey in your resume. This could be based on your career goal, your personal brand, your unique value proposition, or your passion. For example, if you are a marketing manager who wants to transition to a social media role, your theme could be how you have used your creativity, analytical skills, and strategic thinking to create and execute successful campaigns across different channels.

2 Choose your plot points

The next step is to choose the plot points that support your theme and demonstrate your progression and achievements. These are the key moments or milestones in your career that highlight your skills, impact, and challenges. For example, you could include a plot point about how you launched a new product, increased sales by X%, or won an award. You should also include plot points that show how you overcame obstacles, learned new skills, or adapted to change.

3 Structure your resume

The third step is to structure your resume according to the narrative arc. This means arranging your plot points in a logical and chronological order, starting with your most recent or relevant experience and ending with your education and additional information. You should also use headings, subheadings, bullet points, and keywords to make your resume easy to read and scan. For example, you could use headings like "Summary", "Skills", "Professional Experience", and "Education" to organize your resume.

4 Write your resume

The final step is to write your resume using clear, concise, and powerful language. You should use action verbs, quantifiable results, and specific examples to describe your plot points and show how you contributed to your previous or current organizations. You should also tailor your resume to the specific job and employer that you are applying for, using the keywords and requirements from the job description. For example, you could use phrases like "created and implemented a social media strategy that increased engagement by X%" or "collaborated with cross-functional teams to optimize content and performance across multiple platforms".

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?