To ensure that your executive resume is in line with current trends and hiring trends, you need to make sure it’s up-to-date. The following are 10 tips for revamping executive resume:
Include your contact information.
Your resume must be able to stand on its own, but it’s also important to include enough information that the reader can easily find out more about you and get in touch. Your resume should include at least an email address and phone number so that people can contact you directly if they want more information or want to schedule an interview.
If possible, use a professional email address rather than one based around your name (such as jsmith@gmail.com). It’s also good practice for LinkedIn profile URLs; keep those consistent across all platforms so people can easily find out more about who makes up your professional network without having to figure out which username belongs where.
Add your credentials next to your name.
Your name is the first thing the hiring manager sees in the header of your document and should be a clear indicator of who you are.
You can list your credentials right below or next to your name in order to highlight key skills and experience that make you stand out from other candidates. For example:
Jane Doe, MBA, PMP
Include hyperlinks to your email address and LinkedIn profiles.
When you include hyperlinks to your email address and LinkedIn profiles, you make it easy for potential employers to connect with you. In addition, if they want more information about your experience, skills and education, they can easily find it on these sites.
Well-written summary section for your target.
The summary section of your resume is the first thing that hiring managers will read, so it’s important to make sure it’s well-written. The summary should be a brief recap of your professional skills and values, including what you bring to the target company.
Include keywords in a Core Competencies section.
Add keywords that your resume should include in a Core Competencies section. The point is to demonstrate that you have the skills needed for the job, so choose words and phrases that represent those abilities. For example, if you’re applying for a position as an Controller some Core Competencies would be: P&L, accounting, financial analysis, strategic planning, etc.
Highlight your accomplishments.
Quantifiable accomplishments are ideal. Results-based achievements will show your executive value.
Additionally, include accomplishments that are relevant to the company or industry you’re applying for. A great way to do this is by including any experience-based accomplishments—for example, if you recently boosted sales at one of your previous employers through a new marketing campaign, consider including it on your resume. Make sure you force rank these items in order of importance: they’ll need to stand out from everything else in order for them to get noticed.
Focus on your most recent experience.
When it comes to your professional experiences, write the name of the company, followed by the city and state where the company is located, then right justify the dates. Directly underneath that information, include your title along with bullets showing responsibility for specific accounts or projects.
Include only the past 10 to 15 years of experience.
The trend is to include only the past 10 to 15 years of experience. The reason is that hiring managers want to see what you have done in recent years, not so much where you began your career. So if your first job was 20 years ago, remove the dates from positions that are further than 15 years back and focus on those that are more recent.
Move your education and certifications to the bottom of the resume.
Now that you are a professional, it’s time to put your education and certifications at the bottom of your resume. These items should be listed in reverse chronological order with your most recent certification first. This will help keep potential employers from thinking that you are a new graduate.
Remove the dates from positions that are further than 15 years back.
If you have a career history that goes back more than 15 years, you should remove the dates from any positions that are further than 15 years in the past. This helps to minimize age discrimination.
Then add your job title, employer name, and omit the dates. For example: “Vice President, National Bank” instead of “Vice President, 2004-2006.”
Resume should be 2 pages max.
It is important to remember that your resume should be able to clearly and concisely articulate your information in 2 pages. If you are writing a resume over 2 pages, consider condensing it down or taking out some of the less relevant information.
This is by no means a complete guide to executive resume writing, so if you’re planning a major overhaul of your resume for an upcoming job search, please consult with a skilled resume writer about the best way to proceed. But these points should serve as a helpful refresher if you’re progressing to a director level job or an executive position at any point in your career.
If you need any assistance with navigating your career, contact us for a customized approach to your needs.
