These 27 Prompts Will Make Your Resume Practically Write Itself

The Challenge We're Solving Today

“I don’t know what to put on my resume.”
If this thought has ever crossed your mind, you’re not alone. When it’s time to update your resume, many professionals freeze—not because they lack experience, but because they don’t know how to translate it onto the page.

Why This Matters to You

A resume isn’t just a list of tasks, it’s a highlight reel of your impact.

But if you’re simply answering, “What did I do in this role?” your resume is likely missing the mark.

Employers aren't hiring based on what you were told to do, they’re hiring based on what you actually did.*

*That distinction is the key to standing out in a sea of applicants.

Common Solutions and Why They Might Not Work

Here’s what most people do:

• Copy and paste job descriptions.

• Use vague, generic language like “responsible for managing schedules.”

• Focus only on duties instead of results.

These approaches don’t give employers a reason to care. They gloss over your strengths, dilute your value, and worst of all—make your resume look just like everyone else’s.

A Better Approach for You

Here’s the fix: Stop asking “What did I do?” and start asking better questions.

Instead of starting at the keyboard, start with these 27 prompts organized by category—skills, accomplishments, collaboration, innovation, leadership, and more.

Each one helps you recall and articulate moments that prove your worth.

🔥...About Your Skills and Abilities:

1. What technical skills do you have (e.g., programming languages, software proficiency)?

2. What soft skills do you excel in (e.g., communication, leadership, problem-solving)?

3. Have you undergone any specialized training or certifications?

🏆... About Your Accomplishments and Achievements:

4. What notable projects have you completed?

5. Have you received any awards or recognition for your work?

6. Can you quantify any of your achievements (e.g., raised $X for special event, reduced  meeting time by Y%)?

📋... About Your Tasks and Responsibilities:

7. What were your day-to-day responsibilities in previous roles?

8. Did you manage any specific processes or workflows?

9. Were you responsible for training or mentoring others?

🤝... About Your Collaboration and Teamwork:

10. Which teams or departments did you collaborate with regularly?

11. Have you led any cross-functional teams or initiatives?

12. How did you contribute to team success and cohesion?

🧠... About Your Problem-Solving and Innovation:

13. Can you provide examples of times when you identified and solved a problem in the workplace?

14. Have you introduced any new processes, technologies, or strategies to improve efficiency or effectiveness?

🙋... About Your Leadership and Management:

15. Have you held any leadership roles, formal or informal?

16. How have you motivated and inspired teams to achieve their goals?

17. Have you managed budgets, resources, or timelines for projects?

🏃‍♀️‍➡️... About Your Adaptability and Flexibility:

18. Describe instances where you had to adapt to unexpected challenges or changes in priorities.

19. How do you handle ambiguity and uncertainty in the workplace?

📱... About Your Customer or Client Relations:

20. Have you directly interacted with customers or clients? If so, how did you ensure their satisfaction?

21. Did you implement any customer feedback processes or improvements based on customer feedback (parents count as "customers")?

🖥️... About Your Professional Development:

22. How do you stay current with industry trends and best practices?

23. Have you participated in any professional development activities (e.g., conferences, workshops, courses)?

💥... About Your Impact and Contribution:

24. What positive impact did you have on your previous employers or projects?

25. How did your contributions align with the overall goals and mission of your organization?

🌱... About Your Personal Growth and Learning:

26. Reflect on instances where you stepped out of your comfort zone to learn new skills or tackle new challenges. What were those new skills or challenges and why were they important to tackle?

27. How have you grown both personally and professionally throughout your career?

Go through each job you’ve held and use these prompts to “brain dump” all the moments you’re proud of. 

Summary

• Most people frame their resumes around job descriptions—not actual results.

• Asking better questions helps you uncover stronger, more compelling resume content.

• These 27 prompts cover everything from skills to impact, ensuring you don’t overlook key achievements.

• Start with a brain dump, then polish your responses into resume-ready bullets.

Your Next Steps

1. Block 45 minutes on your calendar this week.

2. Grab a notebook or open a doc and list every role you’ve held.

3. Answer as many of the 27 prompts as you can for each role.

4. Start shaping your answers into bullet points that highlight your results.

5. Keep this list nearby. It’s awesome for interviews and LinkedIn updates too.

P.s.

When you’re ready to turn your resume into a job-magnet, my Career Change Accelerator can help you get there faster. We’ll take your teaching experience (and any other experience) and translate it into a competitive advantage that hiring managers notice.

Steph Yesil

Find me on LinkedIn , Get My Career Change Kit , Book a 1:1 Call