Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash
Your personal narrative is the story that you tell someone about where you came from, what you have done, what you love/hate, and what you would like to do in the future. Your right to your story is sovereign and how you choose to tell your story will result in how you are perceived.
That being said, the chance to share your personal narrative is typically subordinate to the first impression created by your resume. Put another way, you only get the chance to share more about yourself if your resume does its job of getting you an interview.
Your resume is effectively a form of advertising and it needs to do a great job of marketing you to potential employers.
“Are you SURE you want to do THAT?” is a question you should ask yourself any time you consider a new role and how it will affect the ability of your resume to do its job of getting you an interview. For example, I recently spoke with a candidate that had been in sales management for most of his career. This candidate reached out to me regarding a regional sales manager role, an individual contributor position, and he said he was interested in learning more. We chatted for a bit and I asked him how he thought a future employer might perceive such a move given his long tenure in sales management. Would such a move indicate that he did not want to be in management anymore or perhaps that he had reached the limit of his competence?
RECOGNIZE that every single recipient of your resume has to tell themselves a story about you that helps them to make sense of what is on the paper. A resume can only say so much and the human brain will fill in the gaps. Of course, as an applicant, you do not get to participate in this story telling. Your resume must stand alone.
Not every person is a great storyteller but every person enjoys a good story. If you don’t feel like you are a good storyteller, talk with people that you trust about key decisions and ask them how they think a choice will affect your story. Consider engaging a resume writing professional. They are professionals and can objectively provide feedback. Lastly, after you have a resume in hand that you feel does a great job of telling your story, perhaps share it with a former boss or colleague that you respect.
The more eyes the better as you only get one chance to create a first impression.
Written by: Austin Meyermann, Founder and President of Hunter Crown, LLC
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