Don't let your resume determine what's possible. Own your story.

Your resume doesn't have to define you

The concept of a resume has not changed much in 500 years. Leonardo Da Vinci is credited with writing the first resume, a letter to the Duke of Milan detailing his abilities as an engineer and military mind. It included skills such as making an “Endless variety of bridges”, “methods for destroying every rock or other fortress”, and “many machines both for offense and defense”, with his artistic talents offered merely as an afterthought.

The unfortunate impact of more than 500 years of putting our experiences and skills on a single piece of paper is that we begin to believe that a piece of paper defines our professional potential. We ask ourselves if the next job we take ‘makes sense on our resume’. We apply for jobs after painstakingly ‘polishing’ our resume, hoping that one or two keywords will pass a company’s applicant tracking system. We worry about ‘gaps’ in the resume, wanting to be sure every waking moment is filled with growth.

But here’s the reality – your resume does not define you. Your resume doesn’t have to ‘make sense’. Your career is a narrative that you, the author, get to write. Once you understand the quest you are on, and what the next chapter in your narrative needs to be, you can share with potential employers a narrative that resonates. And importantly, when viewed as a narrative (rather than a linear list of jobs or skills that need to look good on paper), you will land in places that a resume-focused mindset would never lead you to.

Vocation was built to help anyone who is wrestling with change, who is evaluating and contemplating next steps, but isn’t quite sure where to go. Our research-backed process provides you with tools and frameworks to unpack the mental blockers that prevent you moving forward, which is often a traditional, resume-based view of your career. It allows you to discover your own career narrative, and start writing your own next chapter.