6 Great Executive Resume Writing Tips

It’s easier said than done to create a great resume when you’re under pressure to get it done. This is especially true when you don’t know what to focus your energy on because you have accomplished so much from working your way to the top. But, of course, ultimately there’s no excuse for having a subpar executive resume. So if you’re hitting writer’s block, take a few moments to breathe while reading these six great tips for writing executive resumes. Define a Clear Target One of the first things you want to do when organizing your executive resume is to define a clear target. You should know the mission of the company you’re applying with, as well as what would be expected of you in the position you want. This way, you can very clearly speak to what it is about you that makes you perfect for the job. Make Sure to Brand Yourself At this point, you should be known for contributing something to your field. Whether you’re an expert in the world of communications, or can’t be stopped in the medical field, people should know you for your work. In branding yourself in your resume, you’re differentiating yourself from others and defining what makes you special. You want to zoom in on those attributes that showcase your leadership skills, while illuminating your “it” factor; what makes that employer need you and only you. Include a Success Story or Two Again, at your level, you should be known for having accomplished a lot. You want your successes to shine through in your resume. Of course, each success comes with a challenge, so it never hurts to focus on how you overcame an obstacle only to find success in the end. Leave Room for White Space When writing an executive resume, it’s often difficult to find a balance between including the right amount of information and leaving enough white space so that BlackBerry email cruisers won’t be overwhelmed with information. A great way to find that balance is to write short on-brand statements that are also value-driven. This makes each one easy to read, but still filled with valuable information. Edit and Re-edit There is absolutely no excuse for having misspelled words or grammatical errors in your resume at the executive level. If you’re not the best speller or grammar buff, you most definitely should have everyone you can think of edit your resume to avoid the embarrassment of being overlooked for something so elementary. Avoid Too Many Pages You may have a lot of information you’d like to include in your resume due to your extensive experience; however, as you know, managers are busy people with little time to read pages of accomplishments. So instead of writing five pages of details about yourself, try cutting it down to two pages and only including essential personal branding and marketing information. Hopefully these tips (and your short breather) have helped to give you some focus as you write your executive resume. Now it’s time to write the best resume you’ve ever laid eyes on.