A Little Career Writing, a Little Witchcraft, and Everything in Between

I’ve been meaning to write a personal update for a while. The funny thing is, I spend practically every day writing, yet somehow I never seem to find the time to write about what I’ve been doing.

And I’ve been doing quite a bit!

Most of my weekdays are still devoted to writing for executives, helping them tell their career stories, develop their personal brands, and prepare for whatever comes next professionally. I’ve been doing this for more than 20 years, and although the work itself is familiar, the way I approach it has changed considerably.

I’ve also been exploring an entirely different kind of writing. One that involves caterpillars, little witches, magical broomsticks, and some rather mischievous characters.

But first, let me tell you what’s happening in the résumé world.

Résumé Writing Isn’t What It Used to Be

Recently, I was looking back at some of my earlier professional work, including Certified Professional Resume Writers, a website I worked on with other career professionals years ago. It reminded me just how much résumé writing has evolved.

When I began my career, résumés were largely about documenting professional experience. You described your responsibilities, outlined your accomplishments, and demonstrated career progression. There was often an expectation that more information meant a stronger résumé.

Today, I find myself doing almost the opposite.

I spend considerable time deciding what to leave out.

Executives accumulate enormous amounts of experience. Some have led organizations through acquisitions, difficult turnarounds, international expansion, and years of business transformation. Trying to capture everything can result in a résumé that reads more like an annual report than an introduction to a person.

And that’s really where my thinking has changed.

I believe today’s executive résumé should be more selective, more focused, and more personal. Not necessarily shorter in page count, but certainly tighter in its storytelling.

I still love numbers. Revenue growth, profitability, operational improvements, and measurable business results matter. But numbers alone don’t explain why someone is an exceptional leader.

I’m increasingly interested in the thinking behind those accomplishments. What did the executive recognize that others didn’t? Why did they make a particular decision? What changed because of their leadership?

These are the details that make a career story interesting.

Personal branding has become a much bigger part of my writing, too. I’m not talking about catchy slogans or exaggerated descriptions. I’m talking about understanding what distinguishes one professional from another and communicating that value in a way that feels authentic.

Most importantly, I’ve come to think of a résumé as the beginning of a conversation.

It shouldn’t attempt to tell absolutely everything. It should create enough interest for someone to want to know more.

That’s the approach I bring to my clients today, and after all these years, I still enjoy discovering the stories hidden beneath the job titles.

Meanwhile, I’ve Been Writing About Witches and Caterpillars

Now for something completely different.

I’ve started writing children’s books under the name Rosie Eli.

I’ve always loved creative writing, but for most of my adult life, my professional writing took priority. Somewhere along the way, I decided I didn’t want to keep postponing the other stories I wanted to tell.

My first picture book, Oh, No, Not a Butterfly!, follows Nomi, a little caterpillar who is absolutely not interested in becoming a butterfly.

I loved writing Nomi because she’s afraid of something everyone around her seems to think is wonderful. Change can be frightening, even when it’s supposed to be a good thing. I wanted children to see that it’s okay to feel uncertain and that they don’t have to be brave every minute.

Then came Zoe.

My newest picture book, Zoe the Witch and the Broomstick Glitch—Oh, What a Stitch!, introduces a little witch whose beloved broomstick breaks during a rather unfortunate flying adventure.

Zoe tries everything she can think of to fix it, with some amusing results.

Writing her story was a completely different experience from writing a résumé. Suddenly, I was worrying about rhymes, rhythm, silly witchy expressions, and whether a sentence would sound funny when read aloud.

And the illustrations! My husband, Julio, has been helping me adapt and refine the artwork, which has turned this into a wonderful creative project for both of us.

We’ve had some hilarious conversations about broomstick bristles, witch boots, crooked bows, and how many fingers a little witch should have.

I never imagined these would become serious topics of discussion in our house.

I’ve also been experimenting with coloring books, short animations, and relaxing bedtime videos featuring my characters. There’s a lot to learn, and I’ve discovered that creating a children’s book involves far more decisions than I ever expected.

I’m enjoying the process, though, even when it drives me a little crazy.

Two Very Different Kinds of Storytelling

The interesting thing is that these two writing worlds have more in common than I originally thought.

Whether I’m helping an executive communicate 25 years of leadership experience or writing about a little witch and her broomstick, I’m still trying to tell a story that connects with someone.

The audience is certainly different. So is the vocabulary!

But the challenge of finding the right words, knowing what to leave out, and creating something memorable remains much the same.

I’m not walking away from my executive writing work. I still enjoy working with my clients, especially when we uncover something about their careers they hadn’t quite recognized themselves.

I’m simply making room for another part of my creativity.

And perhaps that’s what I’ve been learning lately. After doing something for more than two decades, it’s wonderful to discover that there are still entirely new things to try.

For now, my days are filled with executive career stories, and my evenings occasionally belong to a little witch, a frightened caterpillar, and whatever character wanders into my imagination next.

It’s a rather unusual combination, but I’m enjoying it.

Until next time,

Rosa Elizabeth Vargas

Also known these days as Rosie E

Explore my work:

Career Steering | Executive Resume Writing Service | Nurse Resume Writing Service | Rosie Eli Books | My Personal Website