Simple Guide to Telling Your Career Story on a Resume
Storytelling is a proven method of conveying key messages, typically by teachers, leaders, and journalists. It is a technique that can also work for job seekers, especially at a medium and higher level. It’s a way to highlight key achievements and indicate the scope and impact of your work.
Telling a story is more effective than making a laundry list of your skills and projects, as is often done on a functional resume. I use the stories in chronological resumes that begin with a short profile outlining your core value proposition – the key skills and abilities you bring to your employers. In most fields, chronological resumes are more intuitive and easier to read because people can track their career. In the technology field, a functional resume is often preferred. However, even those resumes can be more convincing if they include some stories that feature keywords and skills.
Here is how to do it:
1) Identify three or four accomplishments that you are truly proud of. They need to show different aspects of your ability.
For example, one story might show your facility with numbers or complexity, another might show how you work well with others and the team, another might show how you deal with crises, and a last might focus on the long-term profitability of your planning and discipline. execution.
If you find five or six, then most likely some of them contain similar items. You can combine them under one heading, to demonstrate a consistent thread throughout your career and a clear talent and ability to succeed in those situations. The numbers really help tell the story!
2) Write the story and then come up with the headline or punchline. This is the core result and the behavior that led to the result.
A great result is directional, meaning it affected something, preferably in a positive way. For example, say “increased campaign profitability” instead of “reduced campaign costs.” People would rather be associated with something that is growing, happy, or positive.
Remember, the best headlines tell a pretty complete story even if someone doesn’t read the whole story. Your story headlines should convey your core value proposition and results if a busy person simply flips through your resume.
3) Edit, edit, edit! The shorter and better the story, the easier it will be to get someone to read it.
4) Add the stories to your resume. Place a KEY ACHIEVEMENTS section immediately below your PROFILE and before your EXPERIENCE.
Here are three examples:
1. Telecom Marketing Leader
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
Oh Launch of successful products in highly competitive markets. As part of the nationwide key market launch, it introduced the wireless company as the fourth entrant in an already competitive market. Launch ranked sixth out of 40 markets, despite the company’s smaller coverage area and more expensive equipment. For another company, he took over the mid-launch of cable modems in the Los Angeles area. Sales increased by 150% compared to the first part of the launch. Created a marketing campaign and participated in an analyst tour that secured $11 million for the US launch of a Finnish company offering next generation DSL.
Oh Turned liabilities into profits by developing profitable marketing opportunities. Identified opportunity to save customers and revenue by purchasing third-party ISP providers that were going out of business. Framed opportunity and internally defended idea. He received acceptance and was appointed by the CEO to form a team on the transition plan. As a result, more than 75% of clients were retained and revenue remained within budget.
Oh Created innovative effective marketing programs. Created the first wireless kiosk and subsequent implementation as a transformative approach to increasing indirect sales channels. With [sports team owner]’s, jointly created and marketed the Auto Dealership Program which placed “car phones” at its 12 car dealerships where people bought cars. The result was a 200% increase in sales.
Oh Generation of considerable sales opportunities through co-marketing and visibility campaigns. Program created with shopping malls to offer their customers free or discounted wireless phones when they purchase a specific amount. Increased sales by 150% during the holiday season. The idea became a company-wide program. Used NFL sponsorship to promote the release of [company] with publicity, speaking engagements, grassroots marketing and an on-site promotion that generated 4,000 sales leads prior to launch.
2. Financial Services Marketing Executive
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
Internal culture transformation after the financial crisis. Conceived and sold idea for a video featuring a senior leadership discussion [company] Prime Finance looking forward beyond the financial crisis. I created the look and feel of the video in collaboration with the producer. I kept the production on time and under budget with filming in New York, London and Hong Kong. Well received by teams of all levels; is displayed on various external senior sites throughout the year. The long-term impact is a significant improvement in staff morale and productivity in each region.
Maximized revenue by focusing on world-class platforms for the most profitable hedge fund strategies. Identified revenue opportunities by segmenting clients by strategy, leveraging inside knowledge gathered by the sales team, especially those who have worked at other firms and hedge funds. Evaluate the competitive environment and customer needs. Gained top management buy-in to shift development priorities and focus on the most potentially profitable strategies. The product development platform was reviewed and information on key attributes and benefits was provided to the sales team.
Increased sales results through a targeted internal marketing campaign. Cross-sell campaign designed in multiple steps and easily repeatable targeting regional sales and business groups in the US Marketing messages developed with sales managers and actions to build buy-in across diverse teams. Materials developed aligned with [company] Brand and commercial objectives. Facilitated cross-selling roundtable sessions. The impact included an immediate significant increase in cross-selling, closer relationships between sales desks within the capital markets, and increased visibility for Prime Finance.
Reinforced overall brand strategy by ensuring cultural alignment across all operations. At Prime Finance, he led the merger of three separate Prime Brokerage businesses. He quickly knit them together into a cohesive business group, in part by creating Prime Finance University, which taught staff about shared business goals, culture and values. For the construction of the Lava Trading office, the company’s brand was clearly communicated to the architects, designers and contractors. I supervised all elements of the construction to ensure adherence to the brand. The final offices were delivered on time and on budget, reflected the company’s culture and brand, and were well received by senior management and staff.
3. Senior Executive of High Impact Operations
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
Oh He brought several new products to the market. Marketing of 3 new instant imaging products in the last assignment. In a previous post, I diversified the existing medical imaging portfolio in cGMP plants by introducing diagnostic, radiodiagnostic, and immunoassay products. Appointed by the CEO to the Board’s Technology Investment Committee to contribute to key product development and technology investment decisions. Experience in all aspects of the product lifecycle, from design, development, scaling and launch to portfolio management and exit planning.
Oh Liabilities transformed into profits through sales of plants and assets. The identified opportunity was scheduled to close to generate cash through the sale of the plant. He framed the opportunity and championed the idea internally, then partnered with Corporate Business Development to find a buyer. The parent company sold the plant to a new entity, in exchange for an equity stake, a board seat (which I held), and cash. Asset sales exceeded the cost of closing the product line. When the new company was sold within a year, we made a profit of $XX. In previous positions, he closed other plants and sold operating sites and manufacturing equipment while complying with all US and foreign regulatory requirements.
Oh Profitability targets exceeded. Closed a $500 million product line, successfully developing and implementing a long-term plan that includes a communications strategy. Outside consultants forecast a minimal profit on the sale, but successfully generated $168 million in operating profit on revenue of $960 million over a thirty-month period, 266% more than expected. The profit margin was 17.5%. In another role, I turned the $4 million division from a $250,000 operating loss to a $400,000 operating profit in 18 months.
Oh Reduced global inventory and increased cash flow. As the CEO-appointed “Product Czar,” he led a global initiative in a key $700 million worldwide division that reduced inventory and improved cash flow while maintaining excellent customer fulfillment performance.
CONCLUSION
As you can see in the last example, the stories are works in progress. Expect to have multiple drafts until you find the right title, the right content, and the right length.
After you finish the stories, review the rest of your resume to make sure you’re providing consistent information in both places. It is necessary to cite the achievements with the employer and corresponding position. People will want to know where you did these amazing things, so make sure they can easily find that information.
If you tell these stories and have 10+ years of experience or several top positions, it’s okay to have a 3 page resume. Otherwise, use 3 stories and keep your resume to 2 pages, including education and any affiliations, speaking, publications, or certifications you list toward the end.
Good luck and happy storytelling!