Why Writing a Resume is so Hard: Discover 7 key Reasons

Assisting individuals with their resumes has taught me that everyone believes others effortlessly craft their resumes in 15 minutes to perfection. Consequently, they feel inadequate when grappling with resume writing.

Here’s the concealed truth: Writing your own resume is hard.

It’s markedly simpler for me to aid you with your resume than to draft my own. Here’s the complexity that underlies and makes writing resumes a though task.

1. Societally, we’re conditioned against boasting.

Collectively, we’re expected to await external commendation before modestly responding, “Oh, thank you! It was nothing!”

A resume contradicts this notion. It’s akin to standing on a chair and proclaiming, “Behold my paramount accomplishments! This is why I merit your employment!”

It’s discomforting.

Yet, this discomfort is meaningful. I’m not advocating for a culture where self-aggrandizement prevails incessantly. However, on a resume, it’s permissible.

2. You probably remember all the lyrics to your favorite high school songs, yet recalling what you accomplished at work last year might be a struggle.

Here is another scenario to demonstrate why writing your own resume is hard.

This challenge also pops up during year-end performance reviews, whether you’re writing them for yourself or your team.

Suddenly, your mind goes blank, and you find yourself thinking, “I know I’ve been working long hours, but what exactly have I achieved?”

This is why it’s a good idea to update your resume regularly. If that seems daunting, no worries – most people don’t do it either.

Instead, try emailing your accomplishments to yourself using a “Resume” tag or subject line whenever you receive praise or achieve something significant. This way, when it’s time to update your resume, you’ll have a bunch of ideas to work with.

If that approach doesn’t work, delve into your old emails and review your calendar. This tactic is pretty straightforward for your current job, but it might be trickier for positions you’ve left.

Consider having a brainstorming session with yourself, or even better, team up with a former coworker.

Collaborating can help both of you come up with fresh ideas and insights.

As a last resort, take a scroll through LinkedIn and see what others in similar roles have accomplished. Sometimes, seeing their achievements can jog your memory and spark your own ideas.

Find out: 7 Signs Your Resume is Making You Look Old

3. Tasks are the simple part, while accomplishments are hard.

When crafting your resume, it’s vital to highlight specific sought-after skills you possess.

However, placing greater emphasis on showcasing what you achieved is even more crucial.

How did those skills contribute to the success of the company?

This might require some reflection. Experiment with these structures as you write (remember to refine them later to avoid repetition):

• I successfully completed X, resulting in Y
• I innovatively designed X, leading to Y
• I improved X by 10 percent compared to the previous year
• I executed X, resulting in the company saving Y dollars
  

Everyone has their strengths—ensure these shine on your resume! It’s simpler to list tasks, but the real value lies in your accomplishments.

4. I’m not great at grammar.

That’s okay. Unless you’re aiming for an editing job or you encounter an overly strict recruiter, nobody really minds if there’s a comma mistake.

In fact, many people wouldn’t even spot a comma error. Try running your resume through Grammarly or a similar tool. It’s not flawless, but it can be quite useful.

Also, get a friend to look over your resume. That can make a difference too.

5. Resume writing is a professional skill

Creating an outstanding resume takes effort, and if you’re unsure where to begin, you’re not alone. The skill of writing a resume is one that we’re rarely taught.

Have you ever been shown how to craft an effective resume? I haven’t either. I had to figure it out through lots of trial and error.

However, it’s crucial that we know how to compose our own resumes. This knowledge will benefit us throughout our careers, time and time again.

This is why I usually recommend this step-by-step approach to guide you in creating an impressive resume.

Step 1: Define the job you’re targeting.

Step 2: Highlight your major achievements.

Step 3: Tailor your resume to appeal to the hiring manager.

Step 4: Ensure your resume aligns with your professional brand.

For certain roles, hiring managers might receive hundreds of resumes. That’s why it’s essential to understand the strategies that help you stand out and avoid rejection.

Let’s work together to ensure that luck isn’t the only thing on your side.

6. We Often Underestimate Our Impact

Have you found yourself in a meeting, having a fantastic idea that could really make a difference, but then deciding not to share it, letting it fade away within your thoughts?

In such moments, we unknowingly downplay the value of our contribution.

It’s common to undervalue things that come naturally to us, like generating new ideas, or assuming that what we do isn’t a big deal because others could do it too.

However, employers view things differently, especially during job searches.

They’re interested in understanding how you can contribute to solving their business challenges and how your ideas have driven progress in the past.

Recognizing the worth of your contributions can significantly simplify the task of showcasing what you bring to the table once you’re hired.

Your resume presents an ideal platform to offer a sneak peek into the kind of results you’ve achieved.

Bear in mind that you can present your accomplishments in a manner that genuinely reflects who you are.

Think of your resume as the initial step in crafting an impressive personal brand, which ultimately paves the way for securing your desired job.

Ensure that you highlight your most relevant successes and proudly highlight your achievements!

7. I understand my thoughts, but others might not.

Acronyms? You might assume everyone knows them, but they don’t.

Some acronyms are specific to certain companies, and you might not be aware of it.

Despite thinking they’re very clear, spell them out unless you’re completely sure that someone new to the field would understand.

A useful guideline is to only use acronyms mentioned in the job postings.

Writing a resume is hard and challenging! It’s okay to struggle. Ask someone to review what you’ve written and highlight areas for improvement. Alternatively, if you can spare some money and save time, you may opt for paying a resume writing service to do all of the hard task for you.

And don’t worry if your first draft looks bad – that’s the case for almost everyone.

Struggling with writing your resume? Here’s how to ease the process:

Use Resources: Grab books or browse online for samples, like our Free Resume eBook. It offers a simple step-by-step to craft an impressive resume.

Expert Help: Get support from our professional resume writers armed with combined experience of 65+ years in the industry.