Career Confidence

11The Power of a Really, Really, Really Great Resume

In a world bustling with hopes and dreams, wherever people seek their happiness, fulfillment, paycheck, and place in the sun, the often-underestimated document known as a resume can wield an extraordinary power.

I am often quite surprised by the terrible resumes that people send over to us as they begin working with us on the process of crafting their professional stories.

Really bad layouts, generic descriptions, no pizazz or accomplishments, looking like something that was thrown together as an afterthought, I often say, “Do you realize this is the ONE thing that YOU have the power over to make an impression on a hiring manager for a job that may change your life?”

People often respond, “Well, when you put it like that, yes, this sucks!”

A well-crafted resume is more than just a piece of paper or a digital file, it is the two-page presentation of your life's work, the key that unlocks doors to opportunities, connecting professional dreams to reality. This is the story of how a seemingly unassuming compilation of experiences, skills, and aspirations has the potential to change lives.

A young man of 22 took a job at a local warehouse as an assistant shift supervisor. He has a degree in business and dreams of becoming a CEO. Smart, ambitious, and thoughtful, he jumped with both feet into the role, and soon found himself tasked with many things not originally found in his job description.

The warehouse had a very high turnover ...