The Executive Resume: A Slightly Different Set of Rules

Rosalinda works for a US-based world company. A number of years ago, she took over the Canadian division, which had been beforehand underperforming, and turned things around for the better. About six months ago, she seized an opportunity to share some of her strategic ideas and options with upper management. They liked what she had to say and recently opened up a new VP position that’s ideally suited to her, especially since it would involve implementing the initiatives she suggested. She desires to try for the promotion, so we worked together to overhaul her old resume. We took it from the mid-stage manager resume she used when she first got hired to 1 that displays the executive she’s turn out to be throughout her time with the company.

Rosalinda (not her real name, of course) is transitioning her career upward as a «new» executive, so it’s no surprise that she had lots to find out about learn how to present herself in a new way by means of her resume. But, I’ve additionally worked with many seasoned executives who do not seem to know that in case you’re an executive, it is best to comply with a slightly totally different set of rules when growing your resume.

Beneath you will find three specific reasons why the executive resume is so completely different from a daily resume.

By the way, I’m defining «executive» as executive directors, senior directors, vice presidents, c-degree officers, board members, and anybody focusing on a strategic leadership position of their career.

Size

For the person contributor or the mid-stage manager, we count on to see a -web page summarized resume that shows about 10-15 years of work history. Expertise previous to 10-15 years ago could be displayed or not — it’s totally optional. However, for an executive, we want to see the career progression in full. Besides, in fact, for the minor jobs you had early on — there is no need to show the job you had as a pizza delivery driver if you were in school.

There’s also loads more data to be included on the first web page within the first section, which is the profile or abstract section. On a regular resume for a non-executive position, this section may be as brief as one or sentences, or it could be as much as a half-page long. On the other hand, for some executive resumes, especially for c-stage and vice president candidates, the profile or summary section fills your entire first page.

Because of those two factors — more years of experience and more data within the profile — the executive resume is usually three, typically even four, pages in length.

Executive Profile

As I just mentioned, the profile or abstract part will, in most cases, take up your entire first page of the resume, and the content material of that web page is the second main reason why the executive resume is so different from an everyday resume.

It doesn’t matter what degree your role — whether or not you are an executive or not — the summary or profile part needs to tell about and show proof of your worth proposition. Should you’re an executive, you also should add in something about your leadership model, as well as incorporate more language regarding your strategic business acumen.

The executive’s profile will include the same old: a succinct positioning assertion, trade-specific key words, and something about your distinctive value proposition. However it may also embrace key words that mirror strategic-stage thinking and responsibilities — terms like «P&L,» «investor relations,» and «industry forecasting.»

The mainity of resumes that I develop for clients embody a career highlights section. On the standard resume, it’s a separate part that’s sandwiched between the profile and the expertise sections. Sometimes it might be included as part of the profile section quite than be inserted as a stand-alone section. Nonetheless, with the executive resume, I always include it as a part of the profile.

If you want to learn more information about executive resume writing services take a look at our own internet site.