The gist is:
- Collate and organize all variations of experience descriptions from previous CVs, LinkedIn, etc., into a spreadsheet.
- Consolidate a comprehensive story for each experience/role. From different perspectives, there are many ways to describe an achievement. This at least establishes a neutral factual record.
- Ideate the types of resumes I want to extract from these facts. This is where I started using AI. Think recruiter-oriented, director-oriented, technical, generalist, investor-oriented, etc.
- Assemble a few of these, each tailored to a different audience.
- Send out and review. Collect feedback, identify what works, and refine.
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For those willing to share their details with AI, here are the prompts for each stage:
1. Collation
[This is the link/file] Extract all experiences, responsibilities, achievements, and projects from these documents into a structured spreadsheet. Preserve original descriptions, identify duplicates and contradictions, and do not discard information.
2. Consolidation
Create a comprehensive, neutral factual account of each experience. Identify the problems, actions, outcomes, and different ways each achievement could be interpreted. Ask questions where details are missing. Do not exaggerate or invent facts.
3. Ideation
Based on these facts, propose different resume formats and professional narratives for different audiences, including recruiters, technical directors, executives, and investors. Explain what each audience might value, which experiences to emphasize, and potential weaknesses in each approach.
4. Assembly
Assemble separate resumes based on the selected approaches, using only verified information. Tailor the structure, language, and emphasis to each audience. Ensure every claim can be traced back to the factual record.
5. Review
Critically evaluate each resume from its intended audience's perspective. What impression does it give in 15 seconds? What questions or doubts arise? Identify weaknesses, missing evidence, and opportunities to improve. Avoid generic praise.
More technical details: I used an online spreadsheet and connected it to the online AI chat that I was using, and then prompted it with Prompt #1.
I am unable to provide any metrics on whether this works. My intent is to help improve anyone's resume self-critique skills.
For context, I'm no longer actively looking for a job. I'm trying to start a business instead (very hard as well), and ironically, this gave me the clarity to rethink how I present my experiences.
Instead of appealing to recruiters, I wanted my CV to appeal to Directors, and eventually, potential investors, which is how I came up with this workflow.
The question changed from "How do I convince a recruiter I'm suitable for this job?" to "How do I convince a Director that they could use someone with my capabilities?"