Lately, a candidate reached out to me with a stellar track record & with accomplishment-packed resume. His worry was that his “personal story” wasn’t truly coming out in the CV—he was quietly struggling with it.
I went through his profile thoroughly & found that the candidate was an epitome of depth & complexity, yet he wished to deliver it simply, effortlessly, raw & flawlessly.
List of things the candidate shared with me about his CV
We had a candid talk, excerpts:
- He wanted his USP to be unearthed across the depth of work, talent & challenges.
- As per him, a laundry list of accomplishments & awards is history—no resting on laurels. Instead, he wanted to focus on the key takeaways or strategic values garnered.
- He had a very honest motivation to rise in career. Moreover, he didn’t want to work strictly as per the JD, instead, new challenges excited him.
- He wanted to showcase how he intends to grow & cover some of his skill gaps in the portfolio, which he was very honest in calling out.
- Lastly, he wanted to go beyond ATS, which was fine, but he wished to say his story.
A resume is not merely a chronology—well, it can sit there—but rather, it should be a platform to voice your USP to drive the future. He wanted to give it an emotive touch, like his signature.
Truly, the talk was an emotional burst in shaping his career. I could see the spark in him to reach the sky—very aspirational, striving like a rough diamond to get cut, polished, & shine.
Coined a 7-Step Strategy:
- Break your Resume into 3 heads: 1st: Career Synopsis or “Me Location.” 2nd: A detailed account of current role. 3rd: Snippets of previous engagements.
- Define the Core Story: Ask yourself: What is the central message for recruiters to understand? e.g. “Turnaround architect in FMCG industry.” Once you define the theme, you must reinforce it throughout the CV.
3.Craft a powerful executive summary: The resume should articulate who the candidate is beyond titles, integrating keywords & personality. Create an engaging narrative that ties the past to future aspirations.
📌e.g. “Dynamic finance leader known for transforming underperforming business units into growth drivers across APAC. With 20+ years of cross-border M&A and digital transformation experience with strategic clarity & financial agility in fast-paced environments.” - Present Accomplishments strategically: Instead of just listing achievements, structure them to support the story. This transforms the resume into a strategic narrative, not just a work diary.
📌 e.g.“Driving Digital Innovation,” “Operational Turnarounds.”
5.Add a Personal Branding statement in the header.
📌 e.g.”Strategic thinker, Transformational leader”. - Give enough visibility beyond the Resume: Supplement the resume with a brief cover Letter.
- The USP must resonate with the hiring company’s pain points. A resume alone is a static document; Reinforce USP through LinkedIn profile, interviews, or personal branding, it can remain hidden. The USP should echo across all touchpoints, not just on paper.
