Executive Resume Tips

"I'm not in the market for a new role, so I don't have a current resume. My LinkedIn is up to date; does that work?"

Does that sound like you? A LinkedIn profile, even a good one, is no replacement for a great resume (template below). From the perspective of CHROs, CEOs, and investors alike, efficiency is key; nothing frays their patience like sifting through resumes that miss the mark. If you're vetting an exciting new opportunity, it's crucial to make a strong first impression with a well-crafted resume. Even if you're happy in your current role, when that potentially career changing opportunity comes along, you better be ready to put your best foot forward.

As an executive recruiter in the cybersecurity industry, I'm lucky to recruit for some very exciting opportunities. Often, recruited candidates that comprise my pipeline assume that there won't be stiff competition for the role, so why bother writing the resume, right? My clients quickly zero in on the candidates that provide a detailed, but easy to read resume. That goes for every interviewer in the process, not just the ones on my search review calls.

Benefits of keeping a current resume:

• A good resume will save you time and make you look better to hiring managers. For VP & C-Level roles, it's simply good etiquette to provide a resume. CEOs and BoDs are extremely busy and when reviewing multiple candidate backgrounds, a good resume can set a candidate apart from the rest, while the lack of a resume can hurt their chances of securing an interview.
• It's not uncommon for interviewers at fast growing companies to be misaligned in their line of questioning and priorities. The resume can help bring consistency to this process, laying a foundation for each successive interview, and (hopefully) getting all interviewers on the same page when it comes to you.

Helpful Tips:

• Think of your resume as a product and the reader as a user. An effective resume should be user friendly by providing complete and relevant information in an 'easy-to-digest' way. Provide context & metrics throughout, never assume the reader knows your company, industry, or even what your role entails.
• 2-3 pages is fine as long as you don't waste space and annoy the reader with flowery language; instead include useful metrics and context - don't tell me, show me.
• Company descriptions for each employer. If it's a well-known company like McAfee, what iteration of that company did you work for?
• Save your personality for the interview, but do include links to speaking engagements, or other content that highlights your communication skills.
• Treat your resume like a career diary, check in to update it every few months.

Example & Template:

You're pursuing a Chief Revenue Officer role at a VC backed enterprise SaaS vendor. Depending on the company setup, you will almost certainly need 1) recent global sales leadership experience 2) at a growthy SaaS vendor and 3) experience scaling from x to y ARR.

This is obvious, so don't make the reader search for this info! Check these boxes for them up front and do so in easily digestible chunks (see 'career highlights' in the sample resume below - this section is your chance to control the reader's first impression of you, and your chance to quickly build a multidimensional representation of yourself).

The 'Career Highlights' or Summary section will answer many of the interviewers' questions before you even get on the zoom call, which allows for deeper and more productive interviews... time is money!

Below I've included a sample resume template to help get you started; you can download an editable word doc version here.

Thanks for reading! Until next time.

Kyle McIntyre

Sample Resume