You’ve done the research, spell checked and made sure you used all the right words. You know you’d be a good fit for the job – but still no call-backs.

Why is it so hard to write a resume that gets the attention of hiring managers?

We all know that having a stellar resume is the key to landing the job where you’re doing what you do best every single day. But still, we’ve all struggled with crafting the perfect resume that gets us through the door.

Over the past 15 years as an HR Leader and now as a Career Strategy Coach, I’ve seen thousands of resumes and coached countless number of clients who were rockstars, but they struggled to find the key elements to make their resumes stand out.

These clients had 3 resume struggles in common. Are these getting in the way of shifting your career into a new, more fulfilling direction?

We Don’t Like to Brag
A lot of us think we need to brag on our resumes and many of us are not comfortable with that. But let’s be real, a compelling resume needs to have a brag factor.

In a recent blog post (3 Reasons That Selling Yourself is So Hard), I shared the fact that hiring managers want to hear about the impact you’ve had in your past roles. How did the people, processes, or organization change as a result of you being there?
They want you to tell them how you can add value to their team. They want to hear about the unique perspective you have to offer.

If you struggle with not wanting to brag, shift your mindset and remember that it’s not bragging. You’re just proud of your accomplishments and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Being humble will leave you wondering why you didn’t get the call even though you’re exactly what they need in the role.

Resume Writing is a Professional Skill
The path to crafting a stellar resume requires work and you might not know where to start. In fact, resume writing is a professional skill that we’re never taught how to master.

Were you ever shown how to write a resume that works? I certainly wasn’t. I had to learn the ropes through a ton of trial and error.

But, I believe we should know how to write our own resume. It’s an area of knowledge that’ll serve us throughout our entire career, time & time again. That’s why I created a step-by-step formula that I teach in my program (Irresistible Resume Bootcamp™) to help you learn how to write a killer resume.

Step 1: Get clear on your target job
Step 2: Identify your biggest accomplishments
Step 3: Write your resume with the hiring manager in mind
Step 4: Fit your resume into your overall professional brand

For some positions, a hiring manager could easily receive hundreds of resumes. Which is why it’s important for you to know the winning strategies that keep you out of the “thanks, but no thanks” pile.

Let’s make it so that luck isn’t the only thing you have going for you.

We Undervalue Our Contributions
Have you ever been in a meeting, come up with a brilliant idea that you know will change the conversation, but instead, you choose to let it die in your imagination?

When this happens, you unconsciously undervalue your contribution. And we tend to undervalue things that come easy to us (like new ideas), or we think that everyone does it too, so it’s no big deal.

When it comes to your job search, potential employers think differently.

They want to know how you can contribute to solving business problems and how your ideas helped make progress in the past. When you value your contributions, your job of painting a picture of what they can expect when they hire you becomes that much easier.

Your resume is the perfect place to give them a preview of the type of results you’ve created. And remember, you can always share your accomplishments in a way that’s authentic to you.

Consider your resume the first step to building an incredible brand and ultimately, getting the job you want next. Make sure you include your most relevant wins and brag on!

To Your Success!

Cindy Harvey is a Career Strategy Coach and Founder of Amelia Dee, a career strategy company for women. Cindy helps corporate career women learn how to make the next phase of their careers the most fulfilling version they’ve ever had.

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