Should Executive Resumes Focus on More Than Just Accomplishments?

Posted: Dec 04, 2009 |Comments: 0 |

Most of the time, when you write a resume, you spend most of your time listing out accomplishments. There is certainly nothing wrong with this because it helps employers understand just what they can look forward to in you as an employee.

However, at the executive level, there is more to consider than your accomplishments. Employers will expect to see more from your resume, including indications of your ethics and integrity, your ability to control yourself, and your vision for their company. There are ways to add these elements to your resume effectively. Let's take a look at a few ways to make an executive resume a bit more well rounded.

Sell the Idea that You're a Visionary

When writing your executive-level resume, you want to make sure to show employers that you're able to create and follow through on a vision that matches the goals of the company. You want to show that you're an "idea person" that challenges ways of conducting business.

Companies love the thought of shifting their business in new and innovative directions. You'll have a big leg up on the competition by focusing your resume around ways that you've adapted your previous companies and changed them in ways that made them more innovative and current, especially if you can emphasize how you were able to motivate employees and adress challenges in unique ways.


Let Employers Know You Trust Yourself and Have Self Control

At the executive level, you are relied upon to make some pretty heavy decisions, many of which offer no blueprint for guidance. Many of these decisions require quick, gut decisions. Illustrating this idea in your resume, as well as the ability to contain your self control when you've reached a seemingly unbeatable challenge is ideal.

One way to get this done is by listing one or more instances where you were faced with a major challenge and overcame it. Whether you had to locate additional resources (money, workers) where there seemed to be none, or had to corral other execs to sit down and do some grunt work to accomplish a goal, if you succeeded in the end, you should definitely make mention of it in your resume. It's still considered an accomplishment, you're just explaining what you had to go through for that accomplishment.

Showcase Personal Integrity

When employers are looking for new prospects at the executive level, they want to make sure that the choice candidate is a person of personal integrity. In other words, you need to be honest, accountable, and trustworthy in the business environment. Hiring committees do not want to have to worry about side actions and unethical activities from their executives. Show your integrity by listing any awards or recommendations that might indicate a strong sense of ethics, even if you think of them as minor accomplishments--your prospective employer will see them as a major plus.

Executive resumes can be a bit tricky to write at times because you have to showcase so much more than with a standard entry-level or mid-career resume. At the executive levels, though, you've likely got a lot of experience to draw on, so keep a wider focus when writing your executive resume and you'll have a much better chance at snagging any position that you apply for.

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