Your Job Search is an Anthropology Experiment

In The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, sociologist Erving Goffman argued that human interaction is a performance.

We step into different roles, adjust our behavior based on our audience, and shape perceptions through carefully chosen words and actions.

Your job search is no different.

But most people approach their resume like an inventory list—a series of disconnected bullets that describe tasks, not impact.

And as a result, they fail to make hiring managers see the bigger picture.

Harvard Business Review wrote about this problem in How to Turn Resume Bullet Points Into Compelling Stories.

Their argument? Before listing the “what,” first establish the “why.” 

Frame your career narrative like a transformation story, then support it with details that bring it to life.

Let’s take an example:

Before (Traditional Resume Bullet)

• Taught high school English for 10 years.

• Designed lesson plans and assessments.

• Managed a classroom of 30 students.

  
  

It’s a list. It’s accurate. But it’s forgettable because it lacks a clear story.

Now, let’s frame it using the before-and-after structure that HBR suggests:

After (Compelling Story + Impact Bullets)

"When I first stepped into the classroom, many students lacked confidence in their writing. By the time they graduated, they were submitting essays that won state-level competitions."

• Built an engaging curriculum that increased student literacy rates by 23%.

• Implemented project-based learning, leading to a 40% improvement in student participation.

• Trained a team of five new teachers, improving department-wide student engagement scores.
  

See the shift?

Instead of just telling a hiring manager what you did, you show why it mattered—and how your work led to meaningful outcomes.

Your 60-Second Pivot

1. Start with the transformation. Think of a moment where your work made a difference.

2. Then break it down. Support the bigger story with bullet points that highlight measurable impact.

3. Make it clear. If someone with zero context read your resume, would they immediately see the value?

   
   

Because hiring managers aren’t just looking for “skills.” They’re looking for proof that you can solve problems.

Your Next Move

Take one bullet point from your resume and rewrite it using this format.

• Frame the before and after.

• Connect it to a larger transformation.

• Add specifics that make your impact undeniable.

Then read it aloud and ask yourself: Does this make it easy for someone to see my value? Or am I expecting them to connect the dots?

Make the dots impossible to miss.

Luisa