Rules for executive resume writing are different than those followed by candidates targeting an entry- or mid-level position.
Unfortunately, most high-level executives produce resumes that are no better than the rest.
These tips will show you how to make your executive resume stand out from the crowd.
Prove Your Worth
With any resume, it is important to highlight your accomplishments, but it is even more important for an executive resume to demonstrate results. By the time you have climbed the ranks of the corporate ladder, you are expected to have won a lot of battles -- you should literally have dozens of success stories.
So, when you list job descriptions, don't just plop down a bunch of bullet points detailing your job responsibilities. Provide detailed examples of the situations you were in, the solutions you developed, and the success that resulted from the solutions you put in place.
Remember that you are asking hiring managers to give you a larger salary than 95% of the rest of the company -- and almost certainly more than the HR people that are reviewing your resume -- so you must show them you are worth it.
Demonstrate Leadership
An executive resume should ooze leadership. Brag about the teams you built and the successes those teams achieved.
Speak graciously about your subordinates -- a gracious executive is a welcomed asset to any organization.
Flaunt Your Network
If you have built a strong professional network, you should mention it. In fact, if your LinkedIn profile is strong, consider including a link to it on your resume.
If not, build out your LinkedIn profile and then include it near your email address and phone number at the top.
Use More than One Page
Executive resumes should almost never be limited to a single page. Two or three pages are usually best.
Lie About Your Age
Age discrimination is a real thing in the United States. More often than not, it is unintentional, but it occurs regularly.
The prevailing attitude among hiring managers and recruiters is that executives should not be fresh out of college and they should not be too old either (it sounds so bad when you say it out loud, but it is true).
Your executive resume should focus on your experience without an unnecessary emphasis on items that reveal your age.
Consider grouping the early portions of your career chronology into an "early career" section where you summarize what happened long ago without listing dates. Also, eliminate dates from other sections that might reveal your age.
Bury Education
News Flash: By this point in your career, you need to have much more impressive things on your resume than where you went to school.
Yes, you spent a lot of money earning those credentials, but they go at the bottom of your resume now.
Simply list the college you attended, the degree you earned, and your area of study.
There is no need to list your graduation date -- it will show them how old you are (or how young as the case may be).
Get Professional Help
More than ever, you need to have a professional look at your resume. Errors that would have been forgiven earlier in your career will make you look sloppy and amateurish now.
A professional editor will be able to tell you what mistakes have made on your executive resume and how to fix them.
To learn how to strengthen your resume and fix your mistakes, get a free 51-point critique here: Executive Resume.
Jeremiah Allen
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