You have years of experience and knowledge to bring to a company. You’re a proven leader and you have what it takes to succeed in an executive role. Now you just have to convince a hiring manager of that.
The executive candidate pool is highly competitive, and standing out amongst that level of professional expertise and skill can seem daunting. But, it doesn’t have to be an impossible task.
Last year we discussed what to include in your executive resume. Now, we’d like to discuss how to ensure you stand out amongst the other highly qualified executives who are applying for the same position as you.
First, here’s a quick refresher on the things you should include in your executive resume:
- Executive Summary – This is where you convey who you are and include information relevant to the specific job you are applying for. The executive summary gives you an opportunity to capture the hiring manager’s attention.
- Professional Experience – Relevant career experiences are a way to show the hiring manager how your unique experiences can benefit the company and what you will contribute.
- Career Highlights – Career highlights should focus on what you have accomplished rather than simply what your job responsibilities were.
How To Get Your Executive Resume Noticed
Include Your Title
You’d be surprised how many executives don’t define their professional title. A title clearly defines your current role and the position you’re looking for. Without a title, recruiters who are quickly scanning your resume won’t have a clear and immediate idea of what role you’re applying for. It’s also important to make sure the title is descriptive and compelling.
Define Your Value
You’ve most likely heard the term “value proposition.” It doesn’t just apply to products or services, it can also come in handy when you are trying to market yourself to a hiring manager. Defining your value is a huge part of your executive resume. Ask yourself, what is it that you specifically can offer your future employer to benefit the company? What experiences, skills, and achievements do you have that make you the right fit?
Be as specific as you can about your experiences and achievements and be sure you’re using examples and context to paint a full picture of who you are as an employee.
Know What You Want
As you work on your resume, ask yourself what exactly it is you’re looking for. What type of company do you want to work for? Do you want to manage a large team? Are you looking to have a narrowed focus or do you prefer a broad range of responsibilities?
It’s important to know the type of specific position you are looking for and the type of company you want to work for so that your resume can be tailored to that. Think about the title you want to hold and industry you want to work in and then make sure every part of your resume speaks to that target audience. When thinking about your career history, target each of those experiences and accomplishments to the specific role you are applying for.
Get Specific
When it comes to executive resumes, it’s important to be as specific as possible. Especially when it comes to your achievements. Be sure to measure your success and the value you added to the company by using quantifiable data. Instead of simply saying “improved production” or “cut costs” say how much you improved production by or how much you cut costs with exact figures. This will prove your value and give clear data that is quick and easy to understand.
Prioritize
It’s important to make sure all of the critical details of your professional history are on the first page of your resume. Hiring managers are busy and see hundreds of resumes a week. If they can’t quickly find out that you have an MBA and were part of a billion dollar project, they most likely won’t ever see it.
A simple way to make sure you aren’t burying the important information is to make a list of your top achievements, skills, degrees, etc. Once you do this, compare them to your resume. Are all of them listed And more importantly, are all of them listed towards the top of your resume? Or at least on the first page? If the answer is no, it’s important to rework the document to ensure the most relevant and impressive information takes priority.
Still not sure how to go about crafting your executive resume? Check out our blog to learn what sells an executive resume. Or, contact Capstone Resume Services today to schedule a personal resume consultation with one of our Certified Professional Resume Writers!
