Mastering your 30 second resume
Description
A great career story can accelerate growth, yet most struggle to craft one. Even top performers fall short, telling stories that are overly detailed, abstract, jargon-filled, or poorly structured – all of which can lose a listener's interest.
The first 30 seconds are crucial; you need to hook your audience quickly. Think of the beginning of your story as a movie trailer: highlight the most engaging aspects rather than chronologically detailing every event.
This episode focuses on crafting a captivating 30-second introduction to your career story that engages listeners and enhances your professional profile. We've taken a unique approach by inviting Skip community members to submit their career stories for a live workshop. You'll hear real examples of me coaching engineering and product leaders, demonstrating the transformation from initial attempts to polished and punchy narratives.
We also discuss:
- Common storytelling mistakes that everybody makes
- Techniques for weaving a theme into your story
- Effective strategies that will hook listeners
- Adapting your story for various audiences and situations
- Balancing between brevity and showcasing your unique value
Referenced:
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Don't forget to subscribe to The Skip to hear me coach you through timely career lessons. If you’re interested in joining me on a future call, send me a note on LinkedIn, Threads, or Twitter. You can also email me at nikhyl@skip.community
Timestamps
(00:00 ) Episode teaser: Mastering your 30s resume
(01:15 ) Common mistakes everybody makes
(09:42 ) Why you need a 30s and 2m career story
(12:21 ) Showing the trailer, not the movie
(16:44 ) Example 1
(17:28 ) Thinking about story sequencing
(19:04 ) Example 2
(19:44 ) Avoiding detail
(21:21 ) Example 3 (before)
(21:54 ) Avoid abstract stories
(23:52 ) Example 3 (after)
(24:41 ) The art of thematic narratives
(28:29 ) Example 4 (before)
(29:18 ) Crafting a theme
(29:51 ) Example 4 (after)
(31:24 ) Avoiding jargon
(34:51 ) Tailoring communication tempo
(36:19 ) Example 5 (before and after)
(39:04 ) Example of a strong 30s resume
(41:13 ) Preparing multiple versions
(45:20 ) Nikhyl’s strong but generic resume
(47:50 ) Nikhyl’s deeper version
(50:57 ) How to submit your career story
(52:50 ) Get in touch with Nikhyl