Executives in today’s hot job market need to make sure that
their resumes deliver enough career information to make them look
like pros without giving the impression that age or high salaries
could knock them out of the running. An executive resume needs to
present professional career experience in a strong, concise format
with the single objective of getting you called in for an interview.
While some corporations have been eliminating middle management
through mergers and acquisitions by similar companies, other firms
have been buying out/retiring older executives and replacing them
with college grad whiz kids for half the salary. Do not be discouraged
-- your experience is valuable and can definitely make you a marketable
commodity in today’s job market.
Same Old, Same Old
If you are still using the same resume style as when you first
started your career twenty to thirty years ago, get with the program.
Executive resumes should start with a Professional Summary, a 3-8
sentence overview of your career experience, and then proceed to
Areas of Strength, Professional Experience, and then Education.
Facts But No Pizzazz
Just listing your responsibilities and various job titles won’t
help you to stand out from the thousands of resumes received for
each available position. A great executive resume has got to include
accomplishments and achievements you can take credit for along the
career path. Did you open the company’s first franchise in
Asia? Were you instrumental in increasing worldwide sales by 75%
in six months? You need to show and tell.
Key Words
A section of key words, such as Areas of Strength, or key words
inserted throughout your resume will significantly increase the
chances that your resume will be noticed whether it is visually
or electronically scanned. Many large H.R. departments routinely
scan incoming resumes electronically to find immediate matches for
categories such as “Financial Administration”, “Market
Expansion”, “Cross-training”, “JIT Inventory
Management”, etc. Include relevant corporate buzz words in
your resume.Airbrushing the Facts
If your resume is missing dates, or you have lied about your job
titles and actual responsibilities, you will be the one to blame
if a background checks turns up any discrepancies. Many older executives
believe that if they list companies without dates of employment
or leave off the date of their college graduation, that no one will
know how old they are. While, short-term this may look like a good
plan, it isn’t.
Professional, Not Personal
Personal information does not belong on a resume. Even if you have
had the bad luck to have been downsized from your last three employers,
it still should not be listed on your resume. Just give the actual
dates of employment and you can discuss the reasons you changed
companies three times in a short period of time during the actual
interview, if appropriate. Never include marital status, religious
or political affiliations, or reluctance to relocate on your resume.
How Marketable Are You?
An executive with twenty to thirty years of experience is not automatically
considered a dinosaur in today’s job market. But the way you
present your experience can make all of the difference. Don’t
list every job you have held for the last 25 years, nor list every
title if you have been with the same corporation for a significant
number of years. Most employers want to know what you have done
in the past 10-15 years that might make you a valuable addition
to their company. Summarize jobs and work experience prior to that.
Keep in mind that technology has changed and the way that companies
do business has also greatly changed in the past 5 years, let alone
the past 25 years. While you may not be an internet whiz, you do
have business experience that many younger competitors do not possess.
If you traveled extensively through your job, don’t forget
to list the countries you have experience in working with, list
the languages you speak, or the international conferences you have
attended. Global experience and communication skills are still very
much in demand.
Do You Speak Geek?
If you have significant knowledge and/or training in the current
high tech hardware, software, and applications, try to include this
on your resume. A Computer Skills section under Education is appropriate
for someone with extensive computer skills. For example, if you
have a working knowledge of building Websites or networking with
your customer base, you can include this under the appropriate job
responsibilities section where these skills apply.
The Two-Page Rule
While your career experience may be extensive, time and interest
constraints really require that you keep your resume to a strong
one or two pages. Brochure-style resumes and resumes with multiple
attachments are not beneficial. Do not include letters of recommendation,
newspaper clippings, or photocopies of awards.
Contact Information
Listing home and work telephone numbers, as well as your home address
is a resume must. But it is also appropriate to include your cell
phone, fax number, and email address on the top of your resume as
additional ways to contact you. The way business is transacted theses
days, you will more than likely be contacted by email than by receiving
a letter in the mail in response to your resume. Be aware that if
your cell phone is usually turned off, the kids forget to write
down messages on your answering machine, or you never check your
email, then you may be missing important calls.
Diversify Your Targets
If the last time you looked for a job was more than ten years ago,
you’ll be pleased to know that there are infinitely more avenues
to pursue a job search these days. In addition to Classified Ads
in daily newspapers and trade journals, you can send your resume
to Professional Search Firms, Human Resource Directors, as well
as online networking and employment sites. The internet has opened
up a huge employment search and find opportunity for executives
worldwide. Consider using all of these various approaches to finding
your next career opportunity.
For a free critique/price quote, email Career Resumes® at Peter@career-resumes.com.
Peter Newfield is President of Career-Resumes.com®,
one of the premier resume writing services in the United States.
He is The Resume Expert for BlueSteps.com, ExecutiveRegistry.com,
NETSHARE.com, DirectEmployer.com and the former Resume Expert for
Monster.com, Spencer Stuart Talent Network and the Career Center on AOL. View samples at: www.career-resumes.com
Printer-friendly version