Are you inspired by your resume? Does it present you as a truly valuable employee that any company would be lucky to have as part of its team? It should. In fact, your resume should deliver a message that inspires and motivates hiring managers to call you in for an interview as soon as they see your application. But how can you create that type of inspirational resume? 

In this article, we’ll explain why your resume needs to be positive and inspiring, and how that can impact your confidence and success as you search for a new job. In addition, we’ll explore strategies you can use to craft a truly inspirational resume that helps you land more interviews.

Why is an inspirational resume so important?

One of the most important assets you have in any job search is your confidence. However, self-confidence is not enough. You also need to have confidence in all the tools you use as you search for a better job. Because your resume is so vital for making atype: entry-hyperlink id: 5buE3wj6cZO3Nfy43PoVQC on employers, you need to be confident in its ability to do that job. 

Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to create a truly inspirational resume. All it takes is a little self-doubt or a dose of negativity to craft a dry, uninspiring resume narrative. In other words, if you are not confident about your own abilities and achievements, that negativity will be reflected in your resume – and that could spell big trouble for your job search chances. 

Reclaim your positive mindset

Before you even begin to create your resume, you need to make sure you do so with a positive mindset and a healthy dose of self-confidence. It’s always difficult to sell anything you don't believe in, so take the time to solidify your belief in your own value as an employee. Humility is a wonderful thing, but it should never have a prominent place in your resume! 

To present yourself as the best candidate, you’ll need to learn how to focus on your own positives. Do some self-reflection to remind yourself just how far you’ve come in life, all the obstacles you’ve overcome, and the impact you’ve had on friends, family, colleagues, and employers. Don’t be afraid to allow yourself to be inspired by your own story.

It can be helpful to just start writing down all of your achievements,type: entry-hyperlink id: 5M5b5q8H89xWpCF3JHMXAr, positive traits, strong relationships, and even charitable endeavors. Include everything you can think of that you've ever done to make your company and community a better place. You don't have to show this to anyone else, so feel free to toot your own horn as much as you want. Remember, the idea is to get in touch with your positive mindset again so that you get inspired by your own story. Once you've done that, you’ll be ready to transfer that inspiration to your resume. 

Tips you can use to identify positive, inspiring achievements for your resume

The following tips can help you focus on your inspirational achievements and identify accomplishments and attributes that you can include in your resume.

Start a brag book

If you haven't already started your own brag book, then now is the time. As Amanda Augustine notes in her stellar piece, type: entry-hyperlink id: 6KtyasqYeUvIQmuWXx7WtU, a brag book is one of the easiest ways to learn how to “confidently talk about your strengths and the value you can bring to a prospective client or employer.”

Your brag book is simply a running digital document or notebook in which you record all of your achievements, with quantifiable results, that show how your work benefited your employers and customers. Augustine recommends updating your book regularly to ensure that you don't forget to document notable accomplishments.

A well-documented brag book can eventually become a great resource for recalling positive achievements whenever you need to revise your resume or negotiate a raise in pay. It will take time to put together, so the sooner you get started, the sooner you'll have one more tool to aid in your career advancement. 

Look at previous performance reviews and other feedback

It is also important to take note of how others have assessed your work. What positive statements were made about you in past performance reviews? What compliments have you received from co-workers, supervisors, and customers? Add these types of feedback to your brag book, too. 

Create an achievement portfolio

This can include physical or digital documents and should represent some of your type: entry-hyperlink id: 7uvySAFKCvbyrFQsmgMKR1. This type of portfolio can provide another great reference point when you are looking for key information to create a more inspirational resume. In addition, it can be a great tool to bring to interviews.

Spend time in self-reflection

Think about what makes you happy and fulfilled in life and your career. How do your accomplishments contribute to that fulfillment? If you are still struggling with your value as an employee, this type of introspection can help you find the balance you need to focus on achievements that make for a more inspiring resume.

Tips to help you add more inspiration to your resume

Once you have identified your positive traits and accomplishments, it is time to do a little bragging on your resume. Start by selecting key inspirational achievements, then create a compelling narrative and showcase the experience and results employers want to see in any inspirational resume.

• Begin by selecting things from your brag book and portfolio that genuinely make you feel good about the work that you do. The things that are important to you are likely to be important to prospective employers, too. That includes volunteer work, things you've done to help others reach their goals, and similar achievements.

• Make sure you match each accomplishment to your work experience or skills since that is the context that is most important to prospective employers. For example, you could link your time as a volunteer helping refugees by noting that you spent four months using your team-building and logistics skills to organize the distribution of aid to refugee groups.

• Think about the things you want to be able to talk about during an interview and add those stories to your resume. Which achievements best highlight your value as an employee? Now, add snippets of information to your resume that showcase those accomplishments, with quantifiable results that illustrate the value you can bring to their organization. For example, “Hired and organized a team of sales professionals that boosted annual sales by 17%.”

• Make sure you go through your entire resume, including your summary, skills section, and work experience, to ensure each statement is informative, compelling, and inspiring. If you are still not sure, have a friend or family member review it when you are done and ask them whether they would be inspired to hire you. 

Don’t neglect your own personal inspiration!

If you find yourself struggling to create an inspirational resume, focus on getting yourself inspired. The job search process can be frustrating at times, and it’s easy to lose motivation. Check out some of our great articles filled withtype: entry-hyperlink id: 7nvN9llLqwk1w6ufDMxsRp, including a three-part series of great quotes you can use to power your career development:

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Land more interviews!

It’s extremely challenging to conduct a serious job search when you have no real confidence in your own resume. By using the tips and strategies in this guide, you can overcome that challenge and create the inspirational resume you need to achieve your job search and career advancement goals.

Don't be afraid to ask for help if you find yourself struggling to craft a resume that presents you as the best candidate for the job. Our resume writers are always available to help you create an inspirational resume that makes the right impression on employers!

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