Creating Honest and Authentic Resumes

Honesty about your past experience is important. In a previous video, I emphasized the importance of taking resume advice with a grain of salt - particularly when transitioning from teaching to other professions. I wanted to revisit this topic because I've noticed the concerning trend of teachers embellishing or misrepresenting their experience on their resumes. Look...I get it. ➡ It's tempting to tweak job titles and responsibilities to align more closely with your desired role, but outright lying about your experience is a recipe for disaster. It may seem harmless, but it can lead to misunderstandings during interviews. 🛑 Calling yourself an instructional designer when you were a teacher misrepresents your experience. You weren't an instructional designer. 🛑 All this does is erode your trust and credibility. 🛑 Plus, falsely claiming experience in a new field may land you interviews, but it leaves you ill-prepared to address skill gaps during the hiring process because you didn't do the upskilling you needed to actually market yourself in that career. You'll struggle to answer questions related to the role, ultimately hindering your chances of success. ✅ Instead of distorting your teaching experience, embrace it for what it is: a valuable source of transferable skills. Highlight your expertise in time management, communication, and problem-solving - skills that make you a strong candidate in any field. ✅ Remember, your past experience as a teacher is an asset, not a liability. Don't shy away from it or feel the need to embellish your resume to fit a mold. ✅ Be honest, transparent, and showcase how your teaching experience uniquely qualifies you for the new role. Transitioning careers is challenging, but authenticity will ultimately serve you better in the long run so resist the temptation to misrepresent your experience and instead leverage your teaching background as a strength. #careertransition #resumeadvice #authenticitymatters #transitioningteachers #careergrowth #softskills #professionalgrowth #personalbranding #honesty #edxit #instructionaldesigner #upskilling #transferrableskills

Want to know how I helped my 4 students land interviews last week? By excelling at the art of resume alignment. Here's my exact process (save this for later. Let's make your resume naturally match job descriptions: 1. The Foundation Setup - Use JobScan or TargetMyResume for initial analysis - Create a "master resume" with ALL your experiences - Keep ATS-friendly formatting (no tables/graphics) 2. Strategic Keyword Integration - Copy job description into a word cloud generator - Identify top 15-20 recurring terms - Review your master resume for matching experiences 3. Natural Implementation Process - Start with your most relevant role - Weave keywords into achievement statements - Use exact phrases from job posting (when authentic) - Focus on action verbs that match required skills 4. Tools That Make It Easier - Grammarly for professional phrasing - Word cloud tools: WordClouds or WordArt - LinkedIn Skills Assessment (validate your keywords) - Google Doc's built-in thesaurus 5. The Reality Check Method - Read each bullet point out loud - Ask: "Would I say this in an interview?" - Remove any forced-sounding phrases - Keep industry-standard terminology only The key? Make every word count. Don't just stuff keywords - prove you've actually done what they're looking for. Remember: Your resume should read like a human wrote it, not like an AI generated it. Hope this helps you land more interviews in 2025. Save this post for your next application. P.S. What's your biggest resume challenge? Drop it below, and let's solve it together. Join me in the #LIPostingChallengeIndia and let's grow together!

The room went silent when I said "Hanuman." Twenty blank faces. One nod. Your resume isn't the mountain - it's the herb you choose. I spent an hour with undergraduates, reviewing their resumes. The patterns were clear. And concerning. Here's what I shared with them: Define your resume's purpose first. Context determines content. An internship application is different from a committee membership application. Add a short summary at the top. Guide the reader's attention. If you want finance, say it upfront. Don't make them guess. You're hired for potential, not past performance. Show energy and achievements that hint at future value. Use AI to refine, not fabricate. Hiring systems use AI too. Amplify what you've actually done. Authentically. Avoid premature words like "strategy" and "leadership." Managing an event doesn't make you a corporate leader. Not yet. Zero errors allowed. Formatting matters. Attention to detail isn't impressive—it's baseline. Write what you can defend. Don't copy generic phrases that everyone uses. Be specific. Focus on doing, not being. "Built accounting framework after visiting 10 NGOs" beats "part of NGO committee." And most important: Accept rejections as part of growth. Don't blame the system when things don't work out. Improvise. Evolve. That's how you grow up professionally. Make your day Xtraordinary.

Most resumes don’t get rejected for lack of experience. They get rejected for how that experience is presented. Over the last 3 months, I’ve reviewed over 50 resumes.  Friends, Referrals, and community members. Each time, I notice the same patterns. The mistakes are often small but costly. The wins are subtle but powerful. Here’s what I’ve learned from those reviews and what you can fix today: What actually works? 1 - Tailored Content The best resumes don’t try to be everything to everyone. They’re sharp, role-specific, and rich with keywords that match the job description. 2 - Quantifiable Achievements A line like “handled sales” is forgettable. A line like “Increased sales by 20% in 6 months” gets noticed. 3 - Simple, Clean Formatting Single-column. Consistent fonts. No design drama. ATS systems will thank you. So will recruiters. 4 - Professional Summary > Objective Statement Start with a crisp summary that answers: “What do I bring to the table?” 5 - Action Verbs “Led,” “Built,” “Implemented,” “Optimized.” Not “Responsible for” or “Helped with.” What to absolutely avoid? 1 - Generic Phrases “Hardworking team player” is white noise. Show it. Don’t say it. 2 - Outdated or Irrelevant Info That 2012 internship? Probably time to let it go. 3 - Over-designed Layouts ATS bots don’t care about your Canva skills. Keep it functional. 4 - Typos & Formatting Errors One comma out of place? Might not ruin your chances. But why risk it? 5 - Missing Contact Info Yes, this still happens. Double-check that your phone and email are visible. Bonus enhancements that make a difference: - Use metrics in every role, not just the latest one. - Match your skill section to what the job actually demands. - Move education below experience, unless you're a fresh grad. - Include certifications and recent courses. - Keep font styles and spacing uniform throughout. My suggestion? Take an hour this weekend and do a ruthless edit. - Cut fluff. - Add metrics. - Tweak layout. Ask a friend for feedback. And if you want a second set of eyes, I’m happy to help. I regularly do resume reviews (for a small fee). If you're looking for personalized, actionable feedback, DM me or drop a comment. Let’s make your experience shine the way it deserves to. -- ♻️ Reshare if this might help someone. ▶️ Join 2,485+ in the Tidbits WhatsApp group → link in comments