Executive Resume Writing Essentials

What YOU need to have on your executive resume

If you are an executive and are thinking about building a resume, there are some key considerations that need to be developed to ensure that you remain competitive in the market.

Firstly, your resume should not have an ‘Objective’. There is plenty of information on the internet that indicate that this practice is outdated. Recruiters and HR prefer that candidates stay away from writing an ‘Objective’ on their resume. Instead, a good rule of practice is the create an ‘Executive Summary’. This summary can be written in a paragraph form or be showcased as bulleted items.

What should be included in an Executive Summary?

When writing this section, a good rule of thumb is to include the years of experience you have, the specific industry (or industries) you specialize in as well as a couple sentences to highlight your areas of expertise. If you have the education to match what employers are looking for it is also a good idea to include this as well. If you don’t have the required educational qualifications for the position it is recommended to not include this in the top section as it simply brings to light that you don’t have the education to match your experience.

The reality is that many employers want the best of both worlds – they want to find candidate that has the experience requirements as well as the education requirements for the job. Many executives that I have written resumes for have the experience component and some education but not always at the master level (which employers often look for). If this is you, you should still include your education in the body of the resume just not in the executive summary.

Here is an example of an Executive Summary (with education included):

An accomplished Facility Manager/Property Manager with 20 years’ experience leading operations and contract initiatives in the real estate, construction, oil and gas, property and facility management industries. Excellent communication and leadership skills demonstrated by leading large team of up to 500 staff. Strong business acumen developed by managing budgets in excess of $400M and completing a Master of Business Administration.

Areas of Expertise

As you likely know, many employers these days are using Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) which scan resumes for keywords related to the job at hand. As an executive, it is important that you clearly identify that you have the competencies they are looking for.

This can be easily done by including an ‘Areas of Expertise’ section right below your ‘Executive Summary’.

This should be a bulleted section that lists approx. 6-12 areas that you are highly proficient in. The areas that you list here should be DIRECTLY correlated to the requirements of the posting. No need to list areas that are unrelated as the whole point of this section is to clearly demonstrate that you ate a MATCH.

Here is an example of what this might look like for someone looking fore other work as a Financial Controller:

Areas of Expertise:

· Financial reporting

· Strategic planning

· Financial analysis

· Internal/external audits

· Policy implementation

· Tax compliance & government reporting

· Software implementation (Microsoft Navision)

· Cost control negotiations

· Policy implementation

· Process improvement strategies

· Team management

Achievement oriented skill statements

One of the things that will differentiate your executive resume from a regular resume is that you are able to showcase the IMPACT you have had in the positions you have occupied. This is done by highlighting your achievements and identifying the results of your actions. Instead of just listing the tasks you performed under each job, try quantifying your actions to show the reader the scope of work performed.

Here is an example that provides a lot of detail on the magnitude of this General Manger’s leadership. I think you will agree that this has a lot more impact and speaks to this executive’s skills and abilities.

Increased revenue and visibility for the brand by managing and overseeing all marketing and business development activities. Successfully implement strategies that helped to grow the company from a $2 million-dollar company to a $7 million-dollar company within a period of 18 months.

Conclusion

As an executive, there are some key resume design techniques that will set you apart from the competition. As a senior level professional, it is advisable that you include the following in your resume:

· Executive summary

· Areas of expertise

· Achievement oriented skills statements

If you are an executive who needs help crafting a beautifully designed resume, contact us to find a resume writing package that will suit your needs.