A reader asks:

Do you have any tips or tricks you can share about how to write a resume that will actually get results? I have great experience. I am certain I am among the top tier of the candidates in the job market. Yet, I send out my resume and nothing happens. Nobody calls. It is like my message just isn’t getting across and I don’t know what to do to improve this. Can you help? Please tell me how to write a resume that will actually win me some interviews!

Sincerely,
(A Loyal Reader)

In this article, published on Forbes, I reveal what is one of my most important professional trade secrets on how to write a resume that engages a reader and compels them to pick up the phone and call you:  Storytelling: The Secret Formula For An Engaging Resume

The most essential 4 points in the article:
 

1. Know and write to your audience
2. Incorporate the key elements of good storytelling (characters, setting, plot, conflict, and resolution)
3.  Organize your stories and write them with attention to CARS (Context, Actions, Results, Strategic Impact)
4. Find and showcase the overall theme

Of course, it is one thing to be told how to write a resume using storytelling. It is another to see it in action.  Here are some example excerpts from effective resumes I have written that illustrate the storytelling technique in action. The story is dramatic in some and subtle in others. Can you identify the 4  key elements for how to write a resume?



This example resume excerpt tells the story about a leader who came in and successfully rebuilt an underperforming team.



This resume tells a dramatic story about a company that was saved literally from the brink of failure.



Sometimes, it may be appropriate to break the story elements into their own separate categories.



This example shows how to write a resume using the storytelling technique at any professional level.