(By, Kim Little, JCTC)
Talk to
any recruiter or hiring manager in today’s market, and they’ll tell
you that it’s getting much more difficult to find good candidates.
Unfortunately, this is not quite true. There are plenty of
candidates, but not enough quality executive resumes that do the
best job of selling one’s employment value. And that’s they key –
selling your value and putting a stamp on your unique brand.
Frequently, executives believe that their status, title and
background should speak for itself. Years ago, that was true in many
respects. These executives were found by word of mouth or discovered
through a brief, one-page bio. This information contained only brief
list of responsibilities or worse, documents that merely listed the
company name and their position title. Without providing clear and
remarkable information that outlines bottom-line achievements, these
executives are missing out on important opportunities.
An
executive resume rarely goes through the normal Human Resource
Channels. Rather, the submitted resumes move directly to another top
executive or an executive search committee. These corporate hiring
phases are time-consuming and costly; in order to maximize their
selection investment, they won’t waste time interviewing the
executives about which they know very little. Sadly, qualified
executives wonder why their phone isn’t ringing or their blackberry
not buzzing.
For
example, a resume that states only that a particular CEO has P&L
authority, management over 200 staff members and accountability for
all primary company decisions, won’t do much to tell the reader how
they’ve been able to "make things happen." Recruiters and employers
are not mind-readers, nor will they take the time to assume that a
primary executive is an effective leader; that resume has to TELL
them.
One
might think that the title of CEO (or any other C-level title)
should be enough for anyone to presume that the candidate possesses
the leadership skills necessary to run a profitable organization.
However, there is a major difference between the CEO of a successful
startup or a CEO of a fledging Fortune company…today, we see CEO’s
sitting in front committees trying to justify a multi-billion dollar
loss or asking for a bailout. (My, how things have changed!).
When
particular accountability is not quantified within the resume,
however, it can send up a red flag that suggests that maybe things
aren’t as they appear. Conversely, when a resume is full of "fluffy"
words without tangible results, the candidate can come across as
arrogant and impressed with their own title vs. being viewed as a
true executive leader with the vision, problem solving and strategic
planning necessary to move through both growth as well as loss or
stagnancy! No matter what your industry/function is, the best
executive presentation will work based on the following combination
of information.
• A
strong profile or summary statement that encapsulates the areas of
expertise offered, the ability to make profitable contributions to
the targeted company and the potential to continue to do so in a new
position. This profile statement is frequently the "hook" that is
needed in order to encourage a thorough review of the resume. This
is where you state your case and garner further reading!
•
Powerful verbiage that makes the most out of concise actions, in
effect, marketing the candidate just as a product advertisement
would. The best strategy is to include a number of
challenge/action/result statements while keeping the writing style
on an impressive yet executive level.
• An
overview of visionary leadership strengths including the capacity to
anticipate needs, manage through change and identify new
opportunities (or whatever is relevant to the candidate’s own
strengths and position sought). These statements should translate
into tangible records of profitability or revenue while
demonstrating a flexible, proactive leadership style. Even when
companies are experiencing loss, it’s good to talk about how you
tried to/are preventing that loss. Turnaround, change management,
strategic visioning, etc. are all great key words, but only if you
have the proof to back those situations up.
• A
strong base of achievements and transferable skills; tell the reader
about your experience in negotiating, merger activities, downsizing,
restructuring, market expansion skills – anything that proves you
can run a major corporation or division as it relates to your
specific functional job target.
No
matter what the industry, executive resumes are much more complex
than a resume for a mid-manager or entry-level professional, merely
because the resume must contain a lot of valuable information.
Additionally, when selecting a top executive for an interview, the
committee needs to be sure that the candidate is even worthy of that
top-level salary – if the resume comes across as something put
together quickly, it cheapens the overall professional impression
and doesn’t say much about the candidate other than no time was put
forth in marketing their history and potential to make history with
a new organization. Any executive with a very strong commitment to a
successful career should realize the importance of making that same
powerful executive impression the first time – on paper.
Kim Little is Career Director of www.executiveresumepro.com, a leading
executive resume provider on the Web since 1997.
© Kim Little, Executive Resume Pro |
