Your Executive Resume Is Boring - Let Me Count The Ways
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.
The #1 Way Your Executive Resume is Boring:
It begins with an objective. No, no, 1,000 times: no. Executives, there is no surer-fire way to indicate that you don't even know what you bring to the table than to begin your presentation with, "Objective: to contribute to your organization in a way that will improve your operation while expanding my skills and expertise."
Instead: The best executive resume services evaluate the uniqueness you have to offer. What is it that you know for a fact you can come into an organization and actually do that other people probably can't do? Frame that at the top of your resume, and more employers and recruiters will take notice.
To see live examples of what's right and wrong when it comes to executive resumes, make sure to come to our webinar, "How To Write A Perfect Resume." We go over before and after examples, and the experts at our CV company may even talk about your specific resume in the live critique portion of the program.
The #2 Way Your Executive Resume is Boring:
It came from an MS Word template. Let's think about what "template" actually means - something that everybody copies. And, if everybody's doing it, that automatically means yours isn't special.
Instead: Start from a blank piece of paper and formulate a basic visual design. Resume samples abound in books and online. Select the visual elements you like. No one's saying you have to be over-the-top creative if that's not a particular talent of yours - just be original.
The #3 Way Your Executive Resume is Boring:
25 bullets run down the left margin. Visually, this is an absolute snoozer. What this communicates to the employer or recruiter is, "Here's a very long list of accomplishments, things that are not really accomplishments, regular duties, plain old responsibilities, and a mish-mosh of whatever else I thought would look good on the list."
Instead: Limit your use of bullets to only those items which are genuine accomplishments and achievements. You can tell the difference between these and regular duties quite easily by asking yourself these questions: what was my result? Does that result come with a dollar figure or percentage number attached?
To make sure your resume is not boring, and to learn the most current executive resume strategies, attend, "How To Write A Perfect Resume." Submit your resume ahead of time and we may evaluate it live during the webinar. You'll likely learn some solid job search advice as well!