What happens when you decide to write a blog about resumes but that’s as far as the brainstorm went?

Flow happens. And depending on forces yet to be understood, that flow may or may not make sh$t happen. Let’s test it and see.

Starting with the blog post title, I clicked the cursor to command that empty box begging for input. The cursor blinked at me, expectedly. It must have thought I placed it there because I had something to write in mind. Ha! Silly cursor. Not tonight.

Without any predetermined thoughts, I counted on my brain to offer a title relevant to resumes. I hoped for something catchy.

Much to my surprise and possibly to the detriment of this blog post (TBD), the first thing that came to my head was the song we’ve all heard way too many times, thanks to Grey’s Anatomy, “How to save a life.”

Reason would suggest that the next course of action be a complete dismissal of this random Grey’s Anatomy thought. But it’s late, and my fatigue overrides reason. So, we’re rolling with this theme. Let’s see if I can somehow weave Grey’s Anatomy and resume writing into a meaningful post.

So. Many. Experiments. So much living out loud. 😉

[Jenn giggles at the silliness of this approach but is invigorated by the spontaneity of it. She begins to apply her framework thinking to distill the major components of an episode, and then jots them down]

The central pillars of each episode of Grey’s Anatomy are:

1. Meredith’s narration
2. Compelling music
3. Saving lives.

[Ooo! I can work with this! Jenn excitedly realizes. She continues.]

According to the research I’ve done on writing interviewing-landing resumes, the following are the central pillars:

1. Career Profile
2. Career Highlights
3. The Great Eight

These three components are unlike any I’d heard from the standard sources I scoured, and they come from Andrew LaCivita, founder of Milewalk Academy. I found him on YouTube and became part of his community, where I downloaded a copy of his resume template and jumped on a webinar he offers. (All are free, by the way!) What sets him apart from others is that he truly embodies the perspective of the Hiring Manager.

[Jenn pauses in complete fascination with the fact that these 3 resume components are nearly an identical match to the pillars of a Grey’s episode. Did the Universe have an idea for an interweaving of these two topics? Did Jenn tune in, she wondered? Will this keep playing out bit by bit if she continues allowing flow without judgment?]

1. Career Profile as Meredith’s Narration

Meredith’s narration frames each episode. Her words invite us into a perspective outside of our own. She guides us into a story already in progress using a brief yet powerful monologue. She drops us off right where the live story begins, and we’re ready to take it all in thanks to the backstory she provided.

We create a frame with the narration of our Career Profile. The frame steers the reader’s perception, and if we’re effective, that becomes the lens through which the Hiring Manager consumes the rest of the episode- I mean – resume. 😉

2. Career Highlights as Compelling Music

There’s a moment in every episode where the music tells us how to feel. It surrounds a pivotal moment of the story, and nearly always accompanies massive change. Where the Career Profile narrated objective facts, Career Highlights are the compelling music of our resume. Born of the ethos variety, they reveal character, grit, passion, and persistence. Through these highlights, your talents and skills are exemplified via their impact on the organization for which you were employed. These stories – much like the compelling music – create an opportunity to stir the emotions of the Hiring Manager. They begin rooting for you and your story.

3. The Great Eight as Saving Lives

Grey’s Anatomy is so addicting partly because of the good-feeling life-saving in each episode. Not unlike your work history, what makes your story riveting is seeing all the proverbial lives you’ve saved. To write the most awe-inspiring work history that keeps the Hiring Manager engaged and wanting to read more of your resume, focus on The Great Eight, Andy says. These are the eight reasons any business has an employee. If done well, every job should contribute to one or more of these eight. Look at your experience within each position through the lens of The Great Eight and write your overview based on these. You may not have saved lives, but you likely helped save the company money, for example.

These are the pillars on which I will write my resume as I attempt to reenter Corporate America after eight years of being self-employed. Of course, any happenings around this will become part of the posts, so we’ll all see the impact of applying these tips to my job search. If you use any of these and have some stories to share about your success with getting an interview, please comment and share!

Andddd….. there it is, ladies and gentlemen. The result of flow taking the wheel. If Writing a Resume Were an Episode of Grey’s Anatomy. Brought to you by The Fray.