How to Feel Confident About Writing Your Executive Resume

The process of writing an executive resume can feel downright intimidating for someone who has been out of the job-seeking loop. But if you’ve been successful as an executive for the past few years, then it’s understandable that you’d have little experience—you’ve been busy working!

Now that the time has come for you to begin the process of applying for jobs, it’s important that you feel good about every step in the process since your attitude makes a huge difference, especially as you write your resume. So how can you gain some confidence? Here are some ideas to consider …

Get to Know Yourself and Showcase It

One important way to begin feeling confident about what you’re writing in your executive resume is to take time to get to know yourself again. When you’re in the middle of working at a job, you often don’t conduct self-analysis, which is a critical step in sharing with others why you’re right for a new position.

So take time to round up all of your amazing accomplishments, and even ask friends, family, and colleagues who know you well what your greatest assets are. Once you’ve pulled those assets together, begin branding yourself as the person you know yourself to be in your field to help you showcase in your resume your true value.

Research Your Prospective Employers

Another way you can build confidence in your ability to write an executive resume is to research the prospective employers, really taking time to get to know who you want to work for. Sit down and envision yourself completing the job every day. What steps would you take to drive the company in the right direction? Think about these steps as you share your greatest accomplishments with each past employer. This is the best way to confidently sell them that you are the right person for their role.

Breathe! It’s Just Your First Draft

Just as any professor will tell their worried student who is writing their first research paper, the first draft doesn’t have to be perfect—so just start writing! The same goes for you as you begin the process of drafting your first executive resume. You may feel pressure to get it right the first time, but remember, you’re going to go back and edit your work.

Edit, Edit, Edit

After you’ve written several drafts of your resume, it’s crucial that you ruthlessly edit your work. If you don’t trust your own editing skills, ship your resume off to a few friends you trust who can read through your document and make corrections you may not see. Submitting an unedited resume can be worse than not having the proper skills for a position, so be sure you edit until you’re sure it’s perfect.

After this work is done, you should feel confident that you have written a quality executive resume. Afterward, your only job is to ship it off with supporting paperwork and wait for your interview callback.