Last updated: February 23rd, 2026
You haven’t used your executive resume in a long time. You’ve been shoulder-tapped for your past few roles. But this time you’re actively looking – and realising that your current resume is dangerously out of shape.
Not to worry.
Let me show you how to write one that will blow the socks off hiring committees and executive recruiters in 2026.
Expert Tip.
If you’d like us to elevate your executive resume, check out our executive resume writing service.
Above: Front page of an excellent executive-level resume. Notice how inviting and uncomplicated the layout is.
Key Takeaways.
- You will probably NOT land your next executive role through a job board. A warm introduction via your network or a cold approach from a search firm is more likely.
- But you are expected to have an up-to-date, strong resume nonetheless. Decision-makers will request it throughout the hiring process.
- Your executive resume is NOT a list of your past responsibilities and skills. It’s a marketing document that positions you as a clear answer to a specific commercial pressure (e.g., revenue stagnation, margin compression, supply chain volatility, etc).
Write For The Role You Want – Not The Job You Have.
Don’t start writing your executive resume just yet.
Before you pen a single word, you must get clear on your unique value.
Your resume must speak directly to the commercial problems hiring leaders are trying to solve – not simply recap your entire career history.
The last thing you want to do in the U.S.’s tight labor market of 2026 is to present yourself as a generic executive with “broad leadership capability”.
Here are some ideas to help you:
- Revenue stagnation in mature SaaS markets.
- Margin compression due to pricing pressure.
- Failed or underperforming M&A integrations.
- Operational silos blocking scale.
You must connect the dots between what you’ve done and the commercial pressures your future employer faces.
Recruiters won’t do this for you.
Above: Page 2 of an executive’s resume. Notice how it presents experience in reverse-chronological order.
What Are The 7 Sections Of A Knockout Executive Resume?
Resist the temptation to fill your executive resume with unnecessary clutter. Garish graphics, quotes, multi-column designs and callout boxes are for resumes of hairdressers.
Stick to the following 7 sections, in this order:
- Header
- Profile / summary
- Employment history snapshot
- Key Assets
- Professional Experience
- Additional Roles (if any)
- Education
Below, I will show you the best practices for crafting each section.
Above: Page 3 of an executive’s resume. This is where you wrap things up – with details of your education and earlier career history.
1. Use An Executive-Level Resume Template.
Executives are hired to tame chaos. To be a safe pair of hands. To offer a steady presence that calms anxious employees.
Make sure you use a resume template that hints to the reader that you possess these traits.
When the human brain sees a minimalist, clean, inviting resume, it assumes that the person it belongs to is competent and trustworthy.
The reverse is also true – a busy, intimidating resume will make you appear less competent.
Don’t fall into the trap of using a dated resume template that looks like it belongs in the 1990s.
Above: In case you’re wondering, this is what your executive resume must NOT look like. This design makes you look like a dinosaur.
3. Create An Attention-Grabbing Header.
You’ve probably noticed a lot of debate about which details belong on your resume.
After writing thousands of executive resumes, and speaking with dozens of executive recruiters, I can confidently recommend the following:
- Your name.
- Your mobile phone number (with a professional voicemail message).
- Your email address (make sure it’s appropriate – not partygirl222@hotmail.com).
- The URL of your LinkedIn Profile (customise it).
It’s NOT necessary to include:
- Your references (these don’t get checked until much later in the process – after an offer is made).
- Your gender.
- Your date of birth (or age).
- Your address.
But you absolutely must provide a title. This is a short blurb underneath your name that immediately separates you from “me-too” generic executives.
- Title (GM/VP/CRO/Head Of Commercial/etc – make sure it’s the role you want, not the one you’re currently in).
- Specialisation (see #1 above).
- (Optional) Industry / sector (e.g., oil and gas, SaaS).
Above: See how this headline provides excellent context for the recruiter? It’s clear that Alex isn’t a generic, jack-of-all-trades CRO.
4. Craft A Bold Resume Profile.
Here’s the wrong way to write a resume profile:
“Passionate, driven executive with extensive experience in a variety of industries and over 10 years experience managing multiple projects simultaneously in a high-volume environment. Responsible for building high-performance teams and driving revenue.”
This could be anyone, from Bernie Sanders to your local bakery owner.
Well, maybe not Bernie. The “high-performance teams” part is a stretch.
I’m joking, my socialist friends! Please don’t send me to the GULAG when you finally rise to power.
(Related: Finance Director Resume Examples & Writing Guide).
On a serious note, your resume profile (people used to call it the “objective”) offers a deep dive into your value, differentiators and career story.
Sadly, most people pack it with meaningless corporate fluff. And recruiters, fully expecting this, often skip past it.
Important!
Ditch the “objective” from your resume. In the past, it was used to provide a high-level overview of your ambitions. Today, it will be promptly ignored by executive recruiters and hiring managers. It’s a relic of the 1990s and will not contribute to your job application in any meaningful way.
I recommend you do the exact opposite. This is one of the hardest resume sections to write, so budget 3-4 hours for it alone.
Tell the story of where you came from, where you’re going, and what commercial pressures you specialise in solving.
Expert Tip.
It’s best to write the resume summary last, after you finish the experience and Key Assets sections.
Above: The profile of this executive tells his story while spotlighting his biggest achievements.
5. Flaunt Your Professional Experience.
This is the most vital part of your resume. List 3-4 of your previous roles (or about 15 years of your work history) in reverse-chronological order. For each role, outline your:
- Job title
- Mandate (why were you hired?)
- Company name (providing location is also a common practice in the US).
- Dates you worked there.
- Your key responsibilities and accomplishments.
I recommend you provide four to seven responsibilities and achievements per role.
Achievements are particularly important.
Think about it – you didn’t become an executive just by being “responsible for stuff” or by doing tasks. You saved millions, built teams, spearheaded initiatives, and turned around business units.
Lead each achievement with an action verb and use measurable data to explain:
- Impact you had on the business (i.e., what value did you create?)
- Challenges you overcame (e.g., regulatory headwinds).
Important!
Executive-level resumes in the United States are usually three pages long, and are presented on U.S. Letter size.
Above: This CEO’s mandate, responsibilities and achievements are unambiguously clear.
6. Double-Check The Education Section.
There’s not much for you to do here.
Just make sure that none of your university degrees is missing. Especially if they’re from a business school. Also include any short courses you completed that relate to business, finance or leadership.
Expert Tip.
No need to include your high school education. Recruiters don’t view it as a competitive advantage at this stage in your career.
Each entry must include the following:
- The degree.
- The institution.
- Your course dates (no need to include months – just years will do).
7. Flaunt Your Key Assets.
This is the most underrated section on an executive-level resume.
Living at the bottom of page one, it spotlights your most relevant, commercial achievements.
Yet most people botch it by simply listing a bunch of generic skills, like:
- Stakeholder management.
- P&L ownership.
- Culture building.
Please don’t do it.
The more elegant – and vastly more effective – approach involves creating a list of 3-4 “Key Assets”. Think of them as your greatest commercial hits, embellished as much as possible (without lying).
Expert Tip.
Many executives sell themselves short by emphasising management-level responsibilities on their resumes. Remember – you’re no longer a manager. You must speak the language of business – not technical detail.
Above: This section alone can make or break your application. Make sure it’s on point.
5 More Executive Resume Examples.
Did you know I’ve written resume writing guides for every executive C-suite role?
How To Write A Chief Marketing Officer Resume
How To Write A Chief Financial Officer Resume
How To Write A Chief Information Officer Resume
How To Write A Chief Operating Officer Resume
How To Write An Executive Director Resume
Your resume – apart from your passport, driver’s license, birth certificate and marriage certificate – is one of the important documents you’ll own during your life.
Before applying for any executive-level role, ensure your resume looks and feels like a professional marketing document.
Remember – executive resumes aren’t listicles of your job history.
I hope this guide will help you secure your next executive role faster.
Irene
