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Prior to becoming a career development coach, Sue Griffey had a wealth of experience evaluating evidence-based results in global public health development. When she returned to the U.S. in 1995 living and working for two decades in 10 different countries, Griffey said she did not understand why so many people were using buzzwords instead of facts on their resumes and CVs (curricula vitae).
“I kept hearing ‘You need to use these fabulous phrases like 24/7 and mission-critical, she said. “When I see that on a resume, it doesn’t say anything to me.”
Data-driven Approach Transforms Your Resume
Job seekers benefit from using data on their resumes in terms of their self-confidence, Griffey said. She included this approach in a manual she created in 2014 for a newly launched mentoring program at the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, where she received a doctoral degree earlier in her career.
For years, she has mentored university students – undergraduate and graduate. Recently, in 2021, she launched a free online course, “Build and Update Your Professional Presence in 4 Steps,” attracting graduate students and others from around the world.
I decided to take the class in August 2023 because I knew that I would soon be embarking on a job search at a time when the market was highly competitive.
During the course, I quickly realized how wishy-washy my job duties were on my old resume and how lengthy my bulleted lists had become without including substance. Below, I’ll share a few pointers that can help you get started using this approach.
Develop a Biopara
First, start with a biopara which is similar to an elevator pitch. Focus on telling your story. HigherEdJobs has several articles on crafting your elevator pitch.
The biopara can be used at the top of your resume or CV and in the “about” section on LinkedIn and other platforms. Describe your career in four to six sentences, using the first person – “I worked as an events manager in the Office of the Vice President for Research or I helped the university’s athletics division increase web users by X amount.”
You can also use third person, which is what I went with – “Joe is an award-winning admissions director or Cherie recently led content strategy for the student affairs division.”
- The first sentence should provide an over-arching look at your career. Focus on skills you’ve developed and provide a job title. It doesn’t have to be the same title as your current university position. It should provide a glimpse into your area of expertise.
- The second sentence should highlight general areas of expertise you’ve developed. If the first sentence already captures this move on to the next step below.
- In the third sentence, describe what you’re currently doing and quantify an accomplishment. Are you an event planner or coordinator on campus? Highlight a major campus meeting you helped manage, the number of attendees and your unique role that led to positive outcomes. If you work in communications at an institution, how many articles did you write and post online? How did your work play a role in the success of your division?
- In the fourth to sixth sentences, highlight previous jobs and describe unusual accomplishments that define who you are. What have you done that helps show that you’re interested in your professional development? Highlight awards, language skills and certifications. Do you work in development at an institution and hold a Certified Fundraising Executive credential? Include that in this section.
Griffey said the biopara can be used in numerous ways. “Write it once, and use it often,” she said. Disseminate it everywhere – use it in cover letters and on job sites or social platforms.
Revamping your Resume
On your resume or CV, identify what you own. Get rid of laundry lists, and use no more than three bullets under a job description. Use sub-bullets to add more details.
Regroup your work under two to three work task areas. Insert two to three evidence-based results or achievements in each role. Focus on the two most recent jobs you’ve held to make those descriptions strong.
To illustrate the transformation, here’s a look below before and after for job duties from a previous role I held.
Before:
- Write news releases and stories on COVID-19 research, infectious diseases, natural resources, conservation and the environment, veterinary medicine, sustainability and climate change.
- Pitch the university’s top research stories to national and local media outlets, with placements on NBC News, Science Friday, Colorado Public Radio, KUNC/NPR, The Coloradoan and The Denver Post.
These duties from a previous role are now more robust and meaningful:
After:
- Positioned the university as a local, state and national news source for COVID-19 research, infectious diseases, natural resources, conservation and the environment, veterinary medicine, sustainability and climate change.
- Placed the university’s top research stories in national and local media outlets (NBC News, Science Friday, Colorado Public Radio and The Denver Post) through effective pitching.
Benefits of Using Data on your Resume
I felt more confident about my online presence, applying to jobs and in interviews armed with my new resume and data points. My experience is not unique.
Griffey said that students, faculty and others that have completed even portions of the training tell her it has helped them overcome imposter syndrome and gives them ownership of their career, allowing them to advocate more for themselves well after finishing the course. One former mentee gained the confidence to apply to graduate school.
“It really helps people take control of their professional development,” she said.
