If you think executive resumes resemble the standard one, you are wrong. They are designed not only to show achievements. Instead, they should display the applicant’s qualifications.
Executive resumes must indicate the applicant’s success in leadership in earlier positions and strategies that you may carry to the next job. In your executive resume, you should present an overview of your career path. You should detail how you can take the reins and bring the organization into steady growth, new markets, directions, and expanded offerings.
Read the following truths about executive resumes. These will help you determine if you are making the right move or not. Learn from them and apply them to your executive resume.
The Truths About Executive Resumes
1. It has several pages.
Because you only have a few seconds to capture your hirer’s attention, you reduce the chances of your resume being read with every succeeding page. However, it is a challenge to compress years of experience to one or two pages. You may miss writing your achievements when you make room for your career history and education. Your executive resume may land in the circular file if it lists only companies, positions, and dates. It is guaranteed to turn off your hirer.
Your executive resume includes details to convince your hirer that you are the best candidate that can contribute to the company. You should compel him to pick up the phone and call you for an interview. To strike a balance, you should review and edit your resume with a very discriminating eye toward reducing wordiness.
Every word in your resume should have a purpose. Use succinct, dynamic, action-oriented language to convey your ability to add value to the targeted company and you will hold attention through three or even more pages.
2. It has an objective statement.
Your executive resume should cater the hirers. Let the hirers know you understand their needs and you can meet them. The objective tells of your expectations from the company.
Meanwhile, the executive profile allows your resume to show key skills you may offer the employer. This is where hirers decide on who to interview.
3. It displays accomplishments.
The highlight of your executive resume is your value premise. Focus your resume on how your problem-solving skills meet goals and achieve results. Showcase these qualities with proof throughout your career. How better to do this than by detailing your career history?
Interest your recruiters with your previous position. Share the challenges you met, your actions, and the results. “Responsibilities” only tell the reader what your tasks, not what you actually did.
Use active language to tell the reader the story behind your most relevant positions. Document results to show how you solve problems. These will display your ability to produce similar results in the future.
4. It needs not to carry too personal information.
You can’t predict the bias of those who will read your resume. This is the employer’s way to filter the criteria of candidates.
Include your professional memberships and volunteer work on your executive resume. Leave out religious ties, family status, and hobbies.
An exception is when you target a single individual who would be fascinated in your piloting license or passion for golf. If you are certain that your personal information will help you to break the ice and build rapport, you may have a valid reason to include it.
Christine Wilson works for a corporate advertising agency that mainly deals with personal branding and personality marketing.
Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels
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