My resume coaching questions

I failed a lot when it came to making a career transition from government to tech. I had the wrong network, terrible LinkedIn presence, and an old school resume. Then I got smart and hired a badass coach (💓 Amanda Townsend of BoldChange 💪) who helped me get my stuff together. Now I'm paying it forward, because you better believe it's a game, and you need to learn how to play.

That’s why I teamed up with the Swing Shift for their Career Catalyst series. Today I got to share my experiences (i.e. many failures) with an amazing cohort of people who are ready for their next big thing.

Check out my top 5 questions for rethinking YOUR resume.

---

---

Question #1:

"Explain your job to me like I'm a 5-year-old...or a cat."

Most people over-complicate their resumes, forgetting that the people who will read it might not be familiar with your job and probably have less than 2 minutes (if we're being generous). If you can't explain your role in simple terms, you're not going to be able to write a compelling resume.

Bonus advice: the target audience of your resume is usually a recruiter, not the hiring manager.

Photo by Luiza Sayfullina on Unsplash

---

Question #2:

"What are you proud of?"

We tend to undervalue our accomplishments...DON'T.

Maybe it's something that was part of your previous role, or a side hustle, or your work with the PTA. The things you're proud of are likely the things you need to be showcasing on your resume.

Own it.

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

---

Question #3:

"What skills does the job require?"

Although many companies are moving towards sourcing candidates based on accomplishments, skills are still a big part of the process.

I like to group skills by categories, and I always advocate for a non-technical section. Click here for a report from the IBM Institute for Business that explains why!

A skills list I helped my mentee put together

---

Question #4:

"Why was your job important?"

In other words, why did you get paid?!

Why did the company need you?

How did YOU ensure the company's success?

Photo by Alexander Mils on Unsplash

---

Question #5:

"Who did you impact? How?"

Last, but not least, what mark did you leave? Did you impact your coworkers? Department? Customers? I WANT TO KNOW!

Potential employers are less interested in what you know how to do, and more interested in what you have accomplished.