I just wrote a resume for my teenage daughter so she can apply for an internship this summer. The first thing I had her do was make a list with the headings academics, leadership, activities, and community and then I asked her to list everything she could think of that she had done during high school that could fit within each of the category headings. By grouping what she participates in by themes she was better able to recall everything she has done and create a more compelling record of her achievements.

But beyond systematizing the process of recording achievements, the exercise had another, more profound effect on her. It helped her realize just how much she had accomplished in a relatively short period of time and it made her feel really good about herself. It’s not that easy to feel good about yourself as a high school junior. You are constantly being measured by subject tests and entrance examinations. One bad grade in your junior year and you feel like you will never recover. So the exercise helped put everything in perspective. And it allowed her to realize that she could actually be a real “catch” for a company seeking a summer intern.

I think job seekers sometimes feel like high school juniors. They may feel judged during interviews and the whole process might make them feel very anxious. If they have a bad interview, they may feel like they will never recover. But assessing your skills and accomplishments and grouping those skills into categories or themes can also help job seekers see the value in what they do and allow them to better articulate their brand proposition. These themes can be used to create content for a resume or hone interview stories. Yet they can do more than that. They can provide that boost of confidence on the days when you are feeling down about your search.  Reviewing your themed stories of success around such competencies as business development, process improvements, operational transformations, and staff development can serve as a great reminder of the value you bring to an organization and the fact that there is an employer out there that will need someone with those skills.