How to Write an Executive Resume
I get it. If you’re lucky enough to still be employed during the COVID-19 pandemic, you’re grateful to still have a job, and that makes complete sense.
However, there are a lot of people on furlough or who’ve experienced pay cuts and aren’t sure what the future holds. It’s impossible to know what will happen as things change day by day.
But if you’re thinking, “I have a secure job, why would I bother to work on my resume now?” - think again. I’m seeing people wait until they are in a difficult situation financially or emotionally and are not prepared to start searching. And there are many organizations hiring. In the past month, we’ve had at least 3 clients start new jobs and 4 additional clients interviewed.
Alternatively, even if you keep your job, if you were miserable in your job before the crisis hit, that is not likely to change when things return to a relative normal. Bottom line? You want to be ready. While the points below apply to anyone writing a resume, this is what you should focus on as a senior-level professional or executive.
First, no matter how many years of work experience you have, unless you’re in academia or a medical doctor, your resume should only be two pages. Quality over quantity. Employers don’t want a novel; they want the best of your career history and that which is relevant to your next move.
Refine your career profile.
This is a summary of you as a leader. It is not an exhaustive list of your accomplishments and skills. If it’s running a half page, it’s too long. Hone in on what’s really important. Some common, though by no means exhaustive, areas you should consider highlighting are: strategy, operations, leadership of people and teams, innovation, relationship building, and/or change management.
Highlight key accomplishments.
This is important, and it should be just below your profile. Use three to five bullets reflecting work you are most proud of and/or that stands out the most. Be specific and include results.
Don't date yourself.
Some organizations value young leadership and others value the wisdom that comes with experience. No matter your age and what companies espouse, age discrimination is rampant. It’s typically better to say “extensive experience” than “over 30 years of experience,” unless you are confident that the companies and roles you are targeting want that exact number (or more) of years of experience. While in most cases you’ll include your work history, which will contain years, you do not need to emphasize age by including your graduation dates.
Break down the big picture.
Senior executive resumes often sound the same because you’ll see general statements about P&L responsibility and management. While it’s not easy to dive into your day to day objectively, here are some questions to get you thinking:
- What types and levels of talent have I hired and developed over the years?
- What teams or departments do I lead?
- Who do I report to and what does that interaction look like?
- Have I led business transformations or major changes, and if so, what did I do and how did it change the organization?
Present results.
When you can’t share numbers due to confidentiality, get creative. Even if you can’t state sales or revenue numbers, but you may be able to use an estimated percentage growth year-on-year or over a number of years. Maybe you grew your team threefold but can’t divulge exact numbers; that’s fine, write that you tripled the size of the team. Also, consider areas you’ve pioneered or turned around. If a business unit or retail store was underperforming and you turned it profitable, that’s a result that you can point to without divulging a number.
Summarize roles over 10 years old.
It’s likely that you won’t have space for details of jobs over 10 years old, and the truth is, most employers will not take the time to read that anyway. You only need to include your past titles, organizations, locations, and years held. If there is anything from that period that you feel is important to expand on, you can do that on LinkedIn or in an interview.
Include awards and presentations.
Awards and Select Presentations (or Media) should be in separate sections. Choose five or less presentations or media appearances from the past few years, and include a hyperlink.
The rest is up to you. If you have space and have specialized skills, speak foreign languages, participate in volunteer or philanthropic activities, or have hobbies, you may want to include those items in another section. These all contribute to your story.
It can be difficult to figure out how to strengthen your career narrative and stand out for employers today, especially with increasing unemployment and competition for a limited number of senior-level jobs. We can help – it’s what we do best.