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I think all of this should be taken into consideration, when determining who the best candidate is, if our resumes are very similar. Like, yes, we have accomplished the same things but, I was clearly more capable of doing those things, if I was able to accomplish the same things as someone whose life has been cake. Someone who had a very stable life and gets a good GPA/job does not possess the same skill set or grit or determination as someone who did not.
And, I think other things should be taken into consideration as well. Like, did you immigrate over here in your teen years and still graduate high school in time and still graduate college with a good GPA, despite having to learn a new language?
Where are you disabled and still had to study in the hospital room?
Did you face a life-threatening illness and still manage to get promoted at your job while battling it?
All these things tell recruiters about your determination and about your true accomplishments, but they’re not able to be articulated on the résumé.
Write a cover letter. That’s where you can sell yourself like that. You could also find a way to put that in your summary/bio at the top of your resume but that’s mostly geared towards summarizing your skills and experience. So maybe using adjectives that point to your grit like industrious can describe who you are well enough to get you an interview. Then in your interview you’d get the opportunity to describe yourself further.
Not to sound callous, but you shouldn’t show off your struggles or expect a token. Be the best candidate bc you’re the best simply not bc you were an orphan. How will that make you better at your job than someone from an Ivy League that was constantly at the top 5%? If you can bring something different then add it otherwise keep it personally for perhaps one of the interview questions