Are you the same person you were back when you got your very first job? Of course you aren’t!
Part of the resume writing process is putting earlier work experience into a context that makes sense today. Sometimes, that is hard. We all have emotional connections one way or the other to previous parts of our careers. These emotions can make it hard to be objective when pairing down our resumes to a manageable length.
- Did you receive an “Employee of the Quarter” award in your first job? It may have been important then, but it should not be on your resume now.
- Perhaps you started your sales career as a top performer, but you have not done so well recently. The emotions tied to this can make it challenging to put your current position into perspective in your resume.
- Maybe you recently earned an MBA, but you want people to understand the high-level engineering work that you have done previously in your career. Which should you give a more prominent position to in your resume?
So, what can you do to “let go” some of the older parts of your resume?
- If you hire a professional resume writer (like me!), that person will not be emotionally attached to events in your past or the people involved. Therefore, it is easier to be objective.
- Review your resume to consider both the good and bad emotions that are attached. Maybe you were angry about something in a previous job, but it’s not a problem now. Try to take the emotions out and be as objective as possible.
- Use this opportunity to look backward, let some things go, and then more clearly put your focus ahead for the next steps in your career.
If you are unhappy with your current resume because your emotions have gotten in the way of clear writing, I can help! I’ve worked with thousands of clients, helping them reframe their resume with the future in mind rather than the past. If you want to move forward with your career, please schedule a FREE consultation with me. Let’s get started “letting it go” and making your resume into one that will get you hired!