When it comes to writing a resume, there is always room for improvement. In many instances, people don’t realize the time, effort, and expertise that goes into crafting a successful resume. This rings especially true for executive resumes, as expectations increase, and room for error is obsolete. There are several ways you can improve your executive resume, ensuring you put your best foot forward, and get one step closer to success.
What to avoid on an executive resume
Before we discuss how to improve your resume, let’s briefly chat about the common mistakes we have seen, and what you should avoid on your executive resume.
- Not listing quantifiable examples. One of the biggest mistakes made in an executive resume is failing to list quantifiable achievements and successes and relying more on listing experiences. A generic laundry list of positions is not going to make the cut for an executive position. You need to stand out by stating specifics, such as successful projects, revenue growth, or cost savings.
- Fill with fluff. Often, people get hung up the length of their resume. Whether it be one page, or 15, what is important is the information your executive resume contains. Don’t pad your resume with information that isn’t relevant. Craft your resume to fit what the position is seeking, keep it focused, and emphasize the information necessary for the job you are applying.
- Being too generic. Most people think that a resume is one size fits all. However, you want to ensure your resume is customized to the position. Pay attention to the details in the posting and be sure to highlight skills and expertise that reflect how you will be an excellent fit in the specified role.
Tips to improve your executive resume
Emphasize your value
Your value is key. When applying for an executive role, you want to put emphasis on the value you will bring to the position. This can be done by ensuring you focus on your key achievements, using specific details, to demonstrate your ability to deliver results, and achieve certain goals and targets. Our skills-based resumes are perfect for adding value, as the focus of the resume revolves around the skills you possess, and how those align with the role and the organization. Paint the hiring managers a picture where they can imagine you in the position and see how you will benefit them.
Show your industry knowledge
Along with adding value to the position, you want to demonstrate your knowledge of the industry. As an executive, you want to showcase your knowledge and expertise. You can do this by ensuring you include industry specific keywords as well as relevant terms. Be sure to include certifications, publications, or professional affiliations to highlight not only your involvement, but also your influence, within the industry.
Focus on leadership skills
You will be expected to have well developed leadership skills in an executive position. Therefore, include abilities such as strategic planning, team building, decision making and problem solving. However, don’t simply list these as skills. Be sure to include specific examples to demonstrate these skills effectively and the impact they had on the organization, your team, or individual employees.
Avoid templates
As tempting as it might seem to consider using a resume template, we highly recommend you don’t. If you are thinking about hiring a professional resume writer, be sure to educate yourself about their services and offerings and be sure to know who you will be working with. You want to ensure that the person writing your resume is familiar with your industry, the location in which you work, related keywords, and respects effective communication.
Your resume is your first impression. Therefore, it is key that it showcases you as a leader in your industry, and an expert in your field. If you are embarking on an executive career journey, we would love to help you succeed. Contact our team today, and let’s get started.