New Year, New You. And a Resume Revision!

2024 is off to a fast start! I've already connected with several executives who have fine-tuned their resumes and are pondering their next career moves.

Nearly a year ago, I wrote a Jobseeker Tip on resumes that might be worth revisiting (https://bit.ly/GBJobseekerTip1), but today, let's drill down into the nuances, because resume revision can be a daunting task, and truly, the devil is in the details. Navigating the challenges of revising an executive resume demands a strategic and thoughtful approach.

It's not just about quickly adding your most recent position to an existing resume. Ask yourself a few key questions. How has your latest position enhanced your previous achievements? Does your resume indicate career progression - perhaps an increased team size, larger P&L, or expanded growth mandate?

Your executive resume is more than a document; it's a strategic tool used to tell a compelling story of your leadership journey and the value you bring to the table. ??

For the most part, my executive-level candidates are familiar with these tips, but just anyone needs a refresher course.

1. Define Your Value Proposition: What are the unique qualities that you bring to an organization? How does your career journey make you a well-rounded executive? Identify core strengths, key achievements, and the impact you've made throughout your career, laying the foundation for a compelling story.
2. Showcase Leadership Impact: Focus on impact. This is of utmost importance! Quantify achievements, emphasizing contributions to revenue growth, cost savings, operational efficiency, or other key performance indicators.
3. Balance Conciseness and Detail: Many executives often ask if their resumes should be limited to two pages. In short, no. Most of my candidates have over 15 years of experience, which is difficult to encapsulate in two pages - especially if you're resorting to a 6-point font and a quarter-inch margin to save space. Strive for a balance between conciseness and detail. Employ brevity while providing enough detail to showcase the depth and breadth of your experience by focusing on what's important, yet leaving us with enough questions to want to schedule an interview and learn more. Regarding formatting, don't make us squint! Use bullet points for readability, and opt for a clean font that's no smaller than 10 points.
4. Incorporate Metrics and Achievements: Numbers speak volumes and tell the most compelling stories. Use metrics to quantify accomplishments, whether it's revenue growth, market share increase, or successful project outcomes. Metrics add credibility.
5. Address Employment Gaps Strategically: If you have employment gaps, address them strategically, and prepare to talk through them. Provide context without dwelling on specifics. Emphasize valuable skills or experiences gained during these periods. And PLEASE don't attempt to cover those gaps by "strategically altering" your tenure in surrounding roles. You'll thank me later!
6. Craft a Compelling Executive Summary: The executive summary teaches recruiters how to think of you before we dive into the meat of the resume. A powerful exec summary encapsulates your career narrative, focuses on the big picture, highlights key achievements, and tells the story of your career to date, with a clear indication of your goals.
7. Maintain Online Consistency: Ensure congruence between your executive resume and your online presence, especially on platforms like LinkedIn. A cohesive professional brand reinforces credibility.
8. Pay Attention to Details: This seems nitpicky, but take the extra time to keep your punctuation consistent throughout the resume. I once had a client refuse to meet an otherwise qualified C-suite candidate after reviewing his resume. Why? Because there were missing periods at the ends of sentences, which, according to my client, signaled a lack of attention to detail. Don't be this candidate. Details matter.

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