Executive Resume Know How!

(By, Kim Little, JCTC)

Talk to any recruiter in today’s market, and they’ll tell you that it’s getting much more difficult to find good executive candidates. Unfortunately, this is not quite true. The candidates are out there, but the resumes used just aren't telling the whole - and necessary - story.

Frequently, executives feel that their status, title and background should speak for itself. With all that's happened recently, this is certainly not enough. They submit resumes that contain only a brief list of accountabilities or worse, documents that merely list 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.

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 doesn’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. One might think that the title of CEO should be enough for anyone to presume that the candidate possesses the leadership skills necessary to run a profitable organization. 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 "fluff" without tangible results, the candidate can come across as arrogant and impressed with their own title!

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 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.

• 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). These statements should translate into tangible records of profitability or revenue while demonstrating a flexible, proactive leadership style.

• 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.

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 information. Additionally, when selecting a top executive for an interview, the committee needs to be sure that the candidate is even worthy of a high salary – if the resume comes across as something put together quickly, it cheapens the overall professional impression. Any executive with a very strong commitment to a successful career should realize the importance of making a powerful executive impact 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