Taking a Conversational Approach to Writing Your Resume

Oftentimes, writing a resume can be difficult because we have a hard time connecting on a personal level to what we’re writing. While we may relate to the skills we possess, we often take a bit of a mechanical approach when delivering the message.

A great way to begin the process of drafting your resume without getting caught in robotic writing is to try taking a conversational approach. By envisioning that you’re speaking to a person about your qualifications, you could add depth to your resume.

Write as If You Are Speaking to a Person

Many people don’t internalize when they’re writing their resumes the way they do when they’re writing to an actual person. But writing a resume essentially is telling someone through words, “I’m the right person for this job.”

How would you communicate that to a person if you were speaking to them face to face? Would you offer dry statements like, “I am responsible for managing sales representatives” or would you want to sell yourself by sharing how many sales representatives you manage, how much money you’ve earned for the company, and why you love your job?

You would likely opt for the latter. To mimic this in your resume, review a conversation like this in your mind, and then jot down ideas you might share as you write your draft.

Envision Questions a Manager Might Ask

Another great way to create your resume using a conversational approach is to envision the hiring manager or key decision maker in a company asking you questions about why you want the job.

Just imagine that you own a company. If you wanted people to work within your business, you would likely prefer they have a great deal of knowledge in the areas you’re hiring for. In fact, you’d love it if they brought exceptional expertise to the table so that you can move the company ahead of the curve.

As you can imagine, a hiring manager is looking for the same from you. So think of questions a manager might ask you, then come up with colorful responses—keeping your own “company” in mind.

This could help you align yourself with the true goals of the position and inspire you to share information you believe could propel the company in new and exciting directions.

Read Your Resume With a Friend

Finally, take time to read your resume to a few people and watch their reactions to your qualifications. Do they react as though they’re impressed by your accomplishments, or are they bored? Get their feedback to help improve your resume.

After you’ve drafted your resume from a conversational perspective, then you can go back and give it a professional tone—but have colorful adjectives and action verbs in your arsenal.

This approach can help you remember that your resume is designed to deliver a message that you’re the right person for the job. There’s no better way to get this done than through the colorful language of a conversation.

It’s important to remember to brand your resume before applying to each new position for more information on branding check out my recent article 5 Key Areas to Target When Branding Your Resume. You can also get additional job search and career related advice by checking out our blog or following us on Twitter @GreatResume.