The "How To Write A Perfect Executive Resume" Blog!

My #1 goal for your executive resume is that it gets read. I want an employer or recruiter to click and download the file, or (if anyone still does this) physically pick up that piece of paper and take a look.

Keywords. Keywords. Oh, how I love thee!

I know you don't realize this, but there are at least three key things you're doing to your executive resume, that, instead of making you appear brilliant, are actually making people fall asleep. I gear these comments towards executives earning $100K+ annually, because after 15 years in the professional resume business, I've found that you as a class have your own special set of issues when it comes to resume liveliness. Pay close attention if you're an executive director, CEO, CFO, VP of Sales, or other senior level professional.

There used to be a hard and fast rule about resume length: 1 page - that’s it. Say no more. But the problem with resume rules is that while they are usually correct, they don’t usually stand the test of time, nor do they usually apply to every candidate. The 1-page rule dictating resume length is straight out of 1982, and simply does not apply to CEO resumes, a CTO, a nonprofit CFO CV, or the presentations of other candidates who earn $100K+.

It sure would be nice to skyrocket to the executive level and earn a 6-figure salary in record time, but in most cases the process of career management takes several years, even several decades. Harnessing the totality of your professional background into an effective resume can seem like a daunting task. More daunting is the reality that your resume truly should not exceed two pages.

By the time you’ve ascended to the executive level, years have added up and achievements have accumulated. The task of harnessing a lengthy career trajectory into a two-page resume can seem daunting, particularly at the CEO, CFO, SVP, Director, or similarly senior level. Yet it must be done in a way that tells a story which is all at once logical, cohesive, and illuminating.

I want to go above and beyond today, because my professional opinion is that you need to go above and beyond when it comes to your executive resume. While key words, expertise, accomplishments, and achievements are all certainly necessary, particularly at the CEO, CFO, and CIO levels, they do not comprise the totality that's required to put forth a successful executive resume.

There was a time when all resumes started with objectives. And all objectives essentially said the same (boring) thing: “To take on a challenging role in which I can make a lasting contribution to a progressive organization.”

Strategy! This is the third crucial element you must have in your executive resume.