How to Write a Proper, Badass Resume

SAM IS BACK. Just to reacquaint you with Sam if you haven’t read her last post:

Samantha works in our office & is the Marketing Director for Woo. She helps curate content, do the newsletter & run the brand. She’s savvy, sweet & knows her shit when it comes to getting a job. I am thoroughly impressed with her work ethic- she’s professional, self-aware & just gets it. Sam lived in NY where she worked at VaynerMedia, so she knows what it takes.

Her last post on interview tips was so well received, I’ve invited her back to talk about how to write an amazing resume, whether or not to include your social handles, & getting rid of part of the resume that we all thought we needed.

As I said, Sam used to work at Vayner Media so she really knows her shit. Sam & I work together every day at The Skinny Confidential office, & she adds so much tangible value. With that, let’s get into details & welcome back Sam.

Hey skinnies!

Sam again, here from WOO – & today we’re talking HIGH PERFORMANCE RESUMES.

Résumés are tricky. Some will argue that you don’t even NEED one these days, & that it’s not what employers look at anymore.

And, this is partly true. In our 2019 world, when hiring an employee, there is a lot more to take into consideration than simply your Summer Internship abroad, or general work experience.

If you are active on social media ( Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. ) you have been developing your personal brand all along, & curating a sort of “Personality Résumé” in cyber world. Yes, employers look at it. No, that doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to cheers with rosé in your #hotgirlsummer boomerang. If you’re 21+, obvs.

ANYWAY – whether you work in a creative industry, like say, lube – or you’re like my sister & you work as an actuarial scientist (???) you need a résumé. Just because your potential employer may not look at it, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have it. Period.

MEET THE FAMOUS PERSON RESUME

When I was in college, I studied Public Relations with NYC’s top professionals who either: a) retired from the biz or b) were teaching Event Planning 101 as a side hustle.

On the first day of senior year, my mentor gave me this outline that I have attached below: The Famous Person Résumé. She told me to throw away all knowledge of any other type of résumé, & edit the Famous Person Résumé according to my life. Dramatic.

Naturally, I tried to argue.

“BUT… It’s not pink!”

“It’s not even FUNNY! No one will know my personality!”

“But it’s in Times New Roman…. Times. New. Roman.”

And while I was complaining about what it’s NOT, here is what it is: SIMPLE.

Straight to the point. Clean. Professional. And exactly what an employer wants to look at QUICKLY when they are sweeping through potential applicants, & deciding who gets the privilege of an in-person interview. One where you can wear pink, be funny, & leave a handwritten note – in Handwriting.

I have attached a very Samantha-version of the Famous Person Resume in PDF from for you babes to download & USE to get the job of your dreams! Aside from the template, read on for my tips + tricks for ANY résumé, no matter where you are applying:

1. YOU GET ONE PAGE.

Unless you work at NASA ( & even then…) you get ONE page for your résumé. One. Not one-and-a-half. Not six. If a CEO or Senior Vice President of a company is able to condense their experiences & titles into one résumé to show relevant experience & ability, then you can too! I know, I know – everything seems very important. Like that 4th job in retail at your local boutique or that one time you helped someone at the Animal Shelter in 2013.

Pick your TOP skills, work experience, & internships. Next, include dates & responsibilities. Yes, you have to LEAVE SHIT OUT!!! This doesn’t mean you did it for nothing. Everything will be important when you get the job, I pinky swear.

2. THE EMAIL ADDRESS.

Ohhh this is a good one. For example, xxkayla1995xx@aol.com is NOT an appropriate email for your résumé. Or honestly, your life after you turn 18. I get that this is what you’ve been using forever & ever, but let me get to the cool part: EMAILS ARE F*CKING FREE! You can make an email right now, this very second, for FREE! Don’t try & think outside the box here – firstname.lastname@gmail.com or whichever email hosting you prefer is just fine. May I NOT suggest Hotmail, though? I don’t know what it is. Something about Hotmail throws me off LOL.

3. KILL YOUR OBJECTIVE STATEMENT.

Just get rid of it altogether. Objective statements are blah, blah, blah… all about YOU. And if you read my recent post about interview tips, you know that this application ( &  position ) is not actually about you & what you want, but it’s about THEM & how your very shiny skills will provide value to their COMPANY. See?

4. WHAT YOU DID > WHAT YOU WERE HIRED FOR.

When you’re including the details of what you did at your last job, don’t simply list the duties of your role at the company. Most professionals peeking at this résumé know very well the tasks of an admin, a fashion week coordinator, a front-desk associate, or a copywriter. What they don’t know, is HOW you performed these tasks with an edge, & how it positively impacted the company. DON’T GET SCARED! Something as simple & true as “audited client meetings and shared notes in a Google Drive folder for team to refer back to” shows that yes, you did your job, but it was also a huge score for your company.

5. THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION: DO YOU INCLUDE YOUR INSTAGRAM?

This is a touchy one, & very much depends on the industry of the job you’re applying to. As someone who has always worked in the creative + media industry, I have seen it as the STANDARD to include your social handle, LinkedIn profile, personal website & if you are an artist, your portfolio – right from the jump. In more conservative industries such as finance, tech, medicine, etc. a social profile is not crucial. Regardless of how many followers you have, your presence on social media DOES say something about who you are. Of course, it’s just the highlight reel, but everyone’s is unique & that’s the part about Instagram that’s awesome. Personally, I would include your social handles if you have built a large community & it would be helpful to represent your interests & connections – otherwise, do without. Your interviewer will stalk you on their own anyway, trust me.

There you have it! Five tried + true tips for your amazing, Famous Person Résumé. Don’t forget to check out my interview hacks here when they give you a call back, & DM me on Insta to let me know how it went! Always here for you xx

Thank you again to Sam for incredible tips. If you guys want more posts on getting a job let me know in the comments.

x, lauryn

+ if you like this post, you’ll love Sam’s interview tips.

++ meet The Skinny Confidential team here.

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