Building Inspirational Resumes, CVs and Cover Letters
“ Be yourself because everyone else is already taken.” ~ Oscar Wilde
When it comes time to put passion to paper, many people struggle. Every year students tell me they have no problem conveying passion in person but when it comes time to construct a resume, energy and originality disappear. Instead of being themselves, they sound just like everyone else.
Hitting this wall happens for a couple of reasons. Face-to-face communication gives us additional tactics for conveying passion. We can engage non-verbals (e.g. tone of voice, posture), answer questions, and instantly cater our story to our audience. The biggest obstacle however, is the unconscious shift in focus that takes place when it’s time to construct a resume. We move from a focus on story to a focus on structure. This shifts communication from why you do what you do to only what you do. As we discovered in Standing Apart in a Competitive Market, focusing on what instead of why takes the inspiration out of the conversation. The goal of this program, is to learn how to put it back.
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4 Comments. Leave new
Thank you Courtney for sharing this comprehensive and detailed approach to resumes and cover letters. This is very timely as I am currently trying to add some pizzazz to those!
As always, let us know if you want any feedback as you get to your final drafts! I am sure they are going to be great – you have so much to bring to life!
This is very helpful! I have always struggled with updating my resume as I enter a new stage in life (knowing what is no longer relevant). This is a great approach to help share our story and convey our passion and experiences.
Thank you Courtney for sharing this great advise! I found the lists of most valuable skills and the step-by-step breakdowns of how to organize and write a professional CV and resume very helpful! Over the years I have been given various answers on how to/how not to write a CV versus a resume and I found it helpful to have an actual descriptive approach .