TheCareerGrid

Let me tell you something that will probably sting a little.

A LOT of the time, when someone comes to me for help with their job search, the problem isn’t their experience. The problem is their story.

I’ve worked with marketers, bankers, HR professionals, sales leaders, people in corporate finance, operations, legal. Ambitious, experienced people with genuinely impressive careers.

And around 70% of them have the same problem. They describe their careers like they’re listing tasks, like they’re doers, not strategic, not making any impact, adding no value.

“I do this. I manage this many people. I’ve worked at this company for X years.”

It reads like a job description and the worst part is, sounding like every other person in their industry. There’s nothing there that makes someone stop and say, I MUST talk to this person.

The issue is most of us fall into the assumption trap. We assume that our credentials speak for themselves and everyone will read between the lines and they know what I mean when I say this or that.

We think that if we’ve worked at a well known and/or global company, people already know what that means. We think listing titles and years of experience is enough because “anyone in the industry would know” what the role involves.

Guys. Just no.

Nobody knows what you’ve done unless you tell them. Literally, specifically, clearly, in language that makes a busy hiring manager pause and pay attention.

My favourite reminder for this? Never ASSUME – because it makes an ASS out of U and ME. lol

AND yet. This is what most CVs and LinkedIn profiles are doing. Assuming that because you’ve done impressive things, people will automatically understand that you’re impressive.

They won’t, unless you show them.

You’ve heard me say it a million times and I see it every single week. The professionals who get remembered aren’t necessarily the most accomplished. They’re the ones who can explain what they’ve done simply, specifically, and memorably.

It’s like when you buy something. Two people can have the same product, but you might favour one over the other because its well known, it’s got  good rep, it shows you its value, it’s positioned well.

Don’t show a flat career story. If you’re not sure whether your story is flat, here are the signs.

Your CV lists responsibilities, not results. “Responsible for managing a team of 10” – instead of what that team actually delivered under your leadership.

Your profile sounds like the job description of the role you’re currently in. If someone reads it and can’t identify what’s unique about you, it’s flat.

You assume your company brand does the work for you. “I worked at [major bank / big four / global company]” – without saying what YOU specifically contributed.

You’ve been in the industry a long time and assume people know what your role involves. They know what the AVERAGE person in that role does. Not what you did.

What actually changes when you fix this? This is the part I love.

When we work on the language, the framing, the specificity, the actual story behind the titles and the years, it looks totally different. We start getting noticed, getting interviews, and better responses when you reach out to your network.

BUT the bigger takeaway? You feel more confident.

Because for a lot of professionals, working on their story is the first time they’ve actually sat down and figured out who they are professionally. What they stand for, what they’re genuinely good at and what makes them different from every other person with the same title.

They already knew they were good. They just had never said it out loud in a way that made sense.

Start with a simple audit. Read your CV out loud. Ask yourself, does this sound like me, or does it sound like my job description?

If it sounds like your job description, we need to fix your story. That’s exactly what my CV Refresh is designed to do.

Your experience is impressive. Your story might not be doing it justice.

Have a workplace or talent related question for the team at TheCareerGrid? We would LOVE to hear from you! Contact us at info@thecareergrid.com

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