Real, Simple, Powerful: Crafting Resumes for Real Results

In a world saturated with corporate jargon and cookie-cutter resumes, standing out requires authenticity, simplicity, and a touch of uniqueness. Throughout my career, I've witnessed the transformative power of resumes that are real—real simple, real powerful, and yielding real results.

Most people approach their resume in a similar way: they find a basic template in Google Docs or Microsoft Word, they copy and paste lines from their past job descriptions, add in 1-2 projects they've worked on, and call it a day.

The problem? Everyone else is doing the exact same thing. There's no compelling narrative, there's no contextual information to ground your reader in the environment you were in, and there's no achievements that show how you stand out from the rest of the stack.

A Different Approach:

My philosophy is rooted in simplicity, yet it packs a punch. I've helped hundreds of professionals navigate their career paths by employing a strengths-based model coupled with design-thinking principles. It's not just about listing job duties and responsibilities; it's about digging into your history of wins, successes, and achievements.

I will forever stand on this resume hill:

Achievements, Wins, and Successes > Responsibilities

Don't waste valuable blank space in your resume by copying and pasting in responsibility language; persuade your reader with context and specific examples that show them that, not only can you do this work, you can do it really well.

Building from Strengths:

In a market crowded with candidates, it's crucial to identify and leverage your core skills and competencies. I believe in building from strengths and successes, quantifying accomplishments, and creating a bridge from your past to your future. When we are able to effectively identify what makes us good at what we do, we're better able to package it in a professional brand and market that brand.

Remember, you are your professional brand. You own your brand and you should market it full-time.

Data-Driven and People-Centered:

My style of resume writing is wildly unique—it's people-centered and data-driven. I view your past wins as key data and your resume as the dashboard. By portraying your data in a compelling narrative, I help the reader quickly identify you as a difference maker in a sea of applicants.

I use the blank space in a resume to tell your unique story amplified with data that supports your achievements, wins, and successes. This is wildly effective as it grounds your reader in the environments you've worked in, the actions you took, and the impact those actions had.

Applying Design-Thinking Models:

But why design thinking in careers and resumes? Design thinking is an innovative problem-solving approach that places empathy, ideation, and iteration at its core. When applied to career strategy, it transforms the way we approach challenges or barriers to achieving your targeted role.

The Resume Realist Method:

Empathy: Understanding the unique journey and aspirations of each individual. By empathizing with your career story, we create resumes that resonate with authenticity.

Defining Success: In design thinking, success is not one-size-fits-all. It's about defining what success means to you. We work together to identify your goals and aspirations, shaping your career path accordingly. We unpack your history of success and use that to bridge to your future.

Ideating on the Future: Design thinking encourages thinking beyond the conventional. We ideate on potential career trajectories, exploring possibilities that align with your strengths and market demands, including identifying the key skills, competencies, and keywords used in today's market.

Practicing/Failing/Learning: Just as in design, iterations are key in career development. We embrace the practice of trying, failing, and learning—constantly refining your resume and strategy for optimal results.

Your career story deserves to be told in a way that resonates, and I'm here to make that happen—real, simple, and powerful.

Ready to craft a resume that speaks your truth and propels your career forward? Let's get started on your journey to real results.