How to Write a Resume: Start by Defining What a Resume Actually Is

Some advice for the folks out there trying to write a resume and struggling, or if you're wondering how to make their resume sound more like "you".

When you’re writing your resume - before worrying about bullets, formatting, keywords, ATS compatibility, or any of the other advice you'll find online - it's worth asking a question that is often ignored:

What is a resume?

Most people I meet tend to treat resumes like historical documents. They're written as proof of your professional existence.

- I worked here.

- Then I worked here.

- Then I got promoted.

- Then I had these responsibilities.

That's technically accurate, but it isn't persuasive. A resume isn't a historical document. It's a positioning document for your career. Its purpose is to guide the reader through an argument about who you are, what you've done, and how you operate, ultimately answering one question:

Why should I want to interview this person?

That's the objective.

Unfortunately, most resumes become timelines. They tell me what happened and when, but they rarely tell me why any of it matters or why I should care. Listing your work history isn't the same thing as making a case for yourself.

So how do you fix it?

When I build resumes for clients, I think about them almost like a court case. Every section has a purpose, and every section should strengthen the same argument.

Your name and headline introduce you.

Your summary is the opening statement. It explains who you are, what you do, how you work, and what you're looking for.

Your experience section is the evidence. This is where you prove the claims you've already made instead of simply making new ones.

Your education provides supporting credentials, while volunteer work, publications, awards, or professional highlights become your character witnesses. They help answer a different question: Is this someone I'd actually want to work with?

Then when you make a point, you stop repeating yourself. That's one of the biggest problems I see on resumes. The headline says one thing, the summary says the same thing with more words, and the experience section repeats it again. Nothing builds. Nothing moves the reader forward.

Persuasive writing doesn't work that way.

Every section should contribute something new while strengthening the same overall argument. By the time someone reaches the bottom of your resume, they shouldn't just know where you've worked. They should understand what differentiates you and why you're worth talking to.

Everything else - all the KPI, numbers, formatting, keywords, and ATS optimization - comes after that. If you don't understand the purpose of the document, it's almost impossible to make good decisions about how to write it, right?

Because a resume isn't there to prove you've existed professionally.

It's there to make someone want to have a conversation with you.

Best of luck out there, people. Happy to answer questions on this and help however I can.