If you’ve recently found an executive-level position that you want to apply for, you may be wondering whether it’s necessary or not for you to rework your resume. Should you send the same resume you used to apply before? The answer is no. If you’ve never applied for an executive position before, you’ll want to take the time to review and make some adjustments. An executive resume specifically aims to highlight your professional accomplishments, management experience, and skills. Most importantly, it demonstrates your potential to lead and manage a team of professionals. Sending a proper executive resume is crucial for anyone looking to land a dream job in the C-suite. In this blog, we’ll discuss how to write an executive resume, and what to include and avoid.
Importance of Writing a Proper Executive Resume
An executive resume is a critical document that can open doors to senior management and executive-level positions. It’s a document that is typically reviewed by senior executives and hiring managers. Resumes are so important because they can make or break your chances of getting an interview. Therefore, it’s essential to craft a resume that’s tailored to the specific job you’re applying for. It should highlight your unique strengths and areas of expertise.
A well-written executive-level resume should capture the attention of the reader within the first few seconds. It should be easy to read and visually appealing. Additionally, it should have a clear and concise summary of your relevant experience and accomplishments. It should also showcase your leadership and management skills, as these are crucial for any senior executive role.
What to Include in an Executive Resume
When learning how to write an executive-level resume, it’s critical to highlight your relevant experience, accomplishments, and skills. Start with a strong headline that summarizes your career goals and your most significant achievements. Use industry-standard terms such as c-suite, CEO, senior management, and senior executives to demonstrate your familiarity with the role.
The summary section should provide a brief overview of your professional experience, skills, and achievements in a few sentences. This section should be tailored to the specific job you are applying for. Additionally, it should highlight your strengths as they relate to that position.
The experience section should include your work history, starting with your most recent position. Use bullet points to highlight your accomplishments, responsibilities, and achievements in each role. Make the points short and to the point. It’s also advised to use action verbs to describe your achievements. Words such as “led,” “managed,” and “implemented” are great choices.
Including measurable results will help your resume stand out. If you increased revenue or productivity, for example, you’d want to be specific by using percentages or numbers. Wording such as “increased revenue year over year by 20%” is much more effective than vaguely noting that your team helped increase revenue for the company.
The skills section should include your technical and interpersonal skills, such as project management, strategic planning, and leadership. Use keywords that match the job description to demonstrate your familiarity with the industry and the specific job requirements. We have several senior executive resume examples available to view.
What To Avoid in an Executive Resume
First and foremost, you should avoid using jargon that’s not relevant to the industry or the specific job you’re applying for. Also, avoid using buzzwords and generic phrases that don’t add any value to your resume. They often do the opposite and detract from it. Instead, focus on using industry-specific terms and highlight your unique strengths and achievements.
Another thing to avoid is including irrelevant experience or education. Unlike a standard resume, you don’t want to list jobs from numerous different industries. Only include experience and education that are relevant to the job you are applying for. Not only does it clutter up a resume, but it provides information that they simply won’t care about.
Finally, make sure your resume isn’t too long or too short. A typical executive resume should be about two pages. This of course depends on your experience and accomplishments. Make sure your resume is easy to read and visually appealing, with plenty of white space and a clear font.
Learning how to write an executive resume is an important part of the job search process. Most importantly, it’s a document that can open a door of possibilities. A well-written executive resume should highlight your relevant experience, accomplishments, and skills in a concise and visually appealing way. If you’d like assistance, we offer resume writing services that have helped countless job-seekers land the job of their dreams. Talk to us about utilizing an executive resume writer or to get help in your job search. You can book a call here.
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