Write your Own Resume

One thing I often hear candidates say is, "I need to get a resume writer." I say, quit being lazy and write your own resume.

Your resume does not have to be perfect. But it does need to be a clear representation of you and your professional and academic experience, which no one knows better than you. If you’re not getting interviews, it’s not because of your resume. If you're actively seeking opportunities and have chosen not to invest time to sit and work on your resume, could a challenge be your inability to prioritize? Perhaps it’s not your resume that’s holding you back. It’s you.

Take responsibility for yourself and write your own resume. If you think you need some help, start demonstrating your ability to utilize your resources before even beginning your next interview process - a trait your future hiring manager will be looking for.

You can do a quick Google search on how to write a great resume and what to include. YouTube is also a great resource. Or check out the LinkedIn profile of an accomplished teammate or someone in your field whose footsteps you might like to follow in. What do they highlight in their profile?

Another reason to write your own resume is chances are when you sit down to reflect on your past career achievements and how you attained them, you’re going to feel really good about yourself. Having a positive mindset will help you attract the right opportunities faster. It’s also an exercise that will help you prepare to better speak to your experience in the interview process. The more clearly your achievements and accolades are documented on your resume, the more clearly you will able to articulate them in an interview. When you do well in your interviews, you land your next opportunity faster. This is one way taking time creates time. Take time to work on your resume.

Here are a couple of examples of bad resume writing I’ve seen coming from resume writers. One resume writer got the company name wrong of the candidate's most recent role, causing the hiring manager to overlook the candidate submission as he was not familiar with the incorrect company name. As this candidate had the exact specific background this hiring manager was looking for, I persisted until receiving feedback on why the hiring manager wasn't considering this candidate. When I shared why the manager was passing, the candidate looked at her resume, discovered the mistake and corrected it, got an interview and got the job. But first I had to bother the hiring manager four times asking, "are you sure you don’t want to look at this candidate?"

I also saw a stellar resume from a resume writer but the title they gave the candidate was misleading. It read as though this candidate was more advanced in her career than she really was, setting her up for a potential problem going into the interview and having to explain her experience. Creating a false title, one the candidate is aspiring toward instead of the one they currently have, might cause the hiring manager to feel misled or confused. Rather than giving the hiring manager a puzzle to figure out, it's best to speak to exactly what your experience is.

Sometimes you will check all the boxes and it still might not a be a fit for a different reason. Other times you check some of the boxes and not all, and it’s great fit. I always tell candidates to speak to what their experience is, not what it isn’t. Avoid trying to fit yourself into what you think the hiring manager is looking for. This becomes confusing and shows inability to prioritize, as it wastes time rather than being direct and straight forward with your communication. It also shows a lack in confidence. You’re experience is your experience and that’s great. Speak to exactly what skills you bring to the table and you’re more likely to align with the right opportunity for you. If you experience is hard to figure out, the manager or recruiter has to decide whether they want to take more time rephrasing their questions until they get the honest answer, or whether to just move on. Be clear. Be confident. If it’s not the right opportunity, that’s okay and you will find out faster and save time by being honest.

I’ve also seen resumes from resume writers that are colorful and flashy with dotted lines and logos. This is distracting as it pulls the eye away from the important information - where you worked, who your customers were and the service you provided, and your responsibilities and achievements. If you stick to just that information you will have two to four bullet points under each role and can more easily create the ideal one-page resume. Plain black and white with no pictures is best. Use sentence fragments, never complete sentences on a resume, and omit documenting responsibilities that would be obvious for each particular role. For example, medical sales reps do not need to state, "held educational inservices with clinicians" or "drove business in the territory." We already know and hope you did this.

I often see three page resumes that use so many words yet leave out key information. They’ll have a paragraph under each role but nothing about the call points, products or sales performance. A recruiter or hiring manager should be able to quickly glance at your resume and know where you worked, what you did and how well you did in each role.

Rule of thumb throughout the interview process – starting with your resume – is to always be specific yet brief. If something is missing on your resume, the hiring manager will have a question, which may result in hesitation.

Take some time revisiting your past experience and celebrate and document your wins. Consider what you want next in your career and write that at the top. This is your career objective. Think of it as an exciting goal that you are actively working toward and ready for.

You will always be your best investment. Take some time investing in yourself by writing your own resume.