Deep into a months-long job hunt, a recruiter told me my resume lacked a coherent narrative. My first reaction was frustration, both with my circumstances and with the pressure to present a perfectly linear trajectory this early in my career. I had studied international relations, completed research projects, worked with nonprofits, and later moved into public affairs at an agency in Washington, DC. On paper, it looked scattered.
I worried it made me seem unfocused in a field built on storytelling. The irony wasn’t lost on me. I was pursuing a career in communications but struggling to articulate the story of my own work. Over time, I began to realize the experiences themselves weren’t scattered. I just didn’t yet know how to see the throughline connecting them.
It’s still a work in progress, but learning to recognize and articulate the relevance of each experience has become an essential part of how I approach communications.
Here are four tips I have to help frame your resume for success, no matter the experience you already have.
Early careers rarely follow a straight line, and mine definitely hasn’t. What took me time to understand is that recognizing and articulating the thread connecting your experiences is a skill in itself, and one that becomes essential in communications.
Many of us enter communications from adjacent fields like policy, journalism, advocacy, or research without immediately recognizing how those experiences translate. I remember feeling like I was missing something, like everyone else knew how to position their background and I didn’t. It wasn’t that I lacked direction, as much as I didn’t know how to interpret or explain the value of what I had already done.
I began by identifying roles that interested me and mapping the overlap with my own experience, especially in writing, analysis, and strategic thinking. I revised my resume to reflect these skills within each role. For example, emphasizing narrative development within policy analysis. The next step was to craft a clear, high-level narrative to explain my path in interviews.
The first piece of my narrative was my degree in international relations. Right after graduation, I assumed it had only prepared me for roles in policy or diplomacy. But studying IR meant analyzing how global events were framed, how leaders communicated priorities, and how narratives shaped public understanding. Research required synthesizing complex issues into clear arguments, and discussions often centered on how governments and institutions influence people through communication.
One of my most meaningful projects involved analyzing Geographic Information System (GIS) imagery of Russia and Ukraine to produce an intelligence report assessing the accuracy of claims about cross-border movement during the outbreak of the war. At the time, I saw it as research experience. Looking back, I can see that I was already practicing a core communications skill: translating complexity into clarity. That perspective helped me recognize and communicate the value in work that might otherwise be overlooked.
My early professional experiences added new layers. In nonprofit roles, I saw how storytelling could connect audiences to mission-driven work. I moderated panels on misinformation and mentored high school students on civic engagement projects. Later, working in public affairs at an agency in Washington, DC, I experienced a faster, high-stakes side of communications. My days were shaped by rapid-response work tied closely to the news cycle.
I struggled with the pace more than I expected to. It pushed me to reflect on what actually held my interest. I found myself drawn to storytelling, analysis, and shaping strategic narratives, rather than constantly reacting in real time. That period of struggle ultimately showed me that challenges can offer insight and that it is okay for your path to evolve.
Clarity didn’t come all at once. It started to take shape as I paid attention to the parts of my work that consistently held my interest and energy. Instead of trying to map out a perfect path, I began noticing patterns. What I didn’t see at first was how consistently I was drawn to work that combined research, critical thinking, and storytelling to help others see the bigger picture.
If you are early in your career, it can feel like there is pressure to present a clean, coherent story right away. I felt that too. At times, exploration can even feel like a liability. But over time, those experiences become the raw material for something more meaningful. Each role, project, or experience adds perspective. Slowly, patterns begin to emerge in your interests, your strengths, and the way you think about your work.
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Meet Sofia
Sofia Sandrea is a communications professional and 2023 International Relations graduate from Austin, Texas. She has experience in nonprofit communications and public affairs and is currently seeking a communications role where she can apply research, strategy, and storytelling to make an impact.
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