Last updated: May 31st, 2024
Best leadership opportunities attract a lot of executive candidates. This means, to have a fighting chance, you need a great executive resume.
Those resources will help ensure that your resume’s content clearly communicates how good you really are.
However, you may also be tempted to do a web search for some executive resume templates and examples – and paste the contents of those templates straight into your resume. Imagine the time you could save, right?
Well, maybe.
While using online resume templates to “inspire” your resume is not necessarily a bad idea, you must know that most resume templates you’ll find on the Internet are quite substandard – and do not have the power to impress potential employers.
They may look fancy, and their wording may seem slick, but they tend to lack in a few important areas.
Thankfully, the Internet is a great resource that can provide clear rules for writing a highly effective resume and guidelines for impressing employers with standout achievements.
Which is what this article is all about.
I will walk you through a few executive resume examples and explain why each one doesn’t work.
My aim here is to educate you in aspects of resume writing so that you can make smart decisions about what information to include on your resume.
First, remember that an executive resume is much more than just a listicle of your job history.
(Related: How To Write A CEO Resume).
To knock employers’ socks off, your executive resume must show how you’re uniquely positioned to solve a specific employer’s commercial challenges.
By the way, if you’re serious about getting a senior leadership role in 2022, you’ll need a top-notch resume.
Hire one of our executive resume writers to elevate your executive brand and convey your value in the best possible light.
Executive Resume Template #1.
Keeping this in mind, let’s take a closer look at the following resume:
Now, an Account Executive’s resume must focus on his/her commercial achievements.
An Account Executive is a key driver of revenue for a company; as an employer, you’d want to be reassured of his/her ability to work independently while consistently producing results.
The above resume example certainly makes a decent attempt to position the candidate as a standout performer through his achievements.
The big problem, however, is the resume’s profile, which immediately positions the candidate as a generic, me-too, unremarkable being.
It’s important to remember that kicking off the resume with “a personable and trustworthy Account Executive…” is far from optimal.
The reality of the modern job market is that being personable and trustworthy is a minimum requirement for any job, including an Account Executive.
This means that the statement in itself is redundant and a waste of resume space, as well as the reader’s time. It offers the employer no insight into why they should consider Calvin Harris above any other candidate.
A resume like this would be effective in only one instance – when the total number of applicants for this position is extremely low.
Unfortunately, this is unlikely to occur in the job market of 2020; most positions attract at least 100 candidates. Some employers report well over 500 applicants per role.
By the way, have you considered hiring one of our resume writers to upgrade your resume? Our resume writing service can supply you with a brand new resume within 7-10 business days.
(Related: How To Become A COO).
Executive Resume Template #2.
Now, let’s critique another resume example:
Delia Martin is a General Manager whose resume describes her as “Experienced and self-motivated…”
Now that you know what to look for, it’s likely that you realise that the criticisms which applied to the first resume example apply here, as well.
There’s no such thing as an inexperienced and unmotivated General Manager, so pointing out that she is “experienced and self-motivated is simply an exercise in stating the obvious, while wasting space that could be used to sell Delia’s unique value).
Also, it must be mentioned that this executive resume template does an extremely poor job of communicating Delia’s achievements.
It lists her duties (and it does so in a rather generic manner), rather than blowing the socks off employers with razor-sharp achievements.
As a result, this resume pitches Delia at a lower level than a true General Manager; it diminishes her experience sells her short of her true potential.
(Related: How To Write An Executive Director Resume).
Final Words About Executive Resume Templates.
Your executive resume has the power to set your career on an upward trajectory or to keep you stuck in a job you loathe.
It’s one of the most important documents you’ll ever own, so make sure you invest the appropriate amount of time and resources to ensure it’s as effective as possible.
Using resume templates and examples for inspiration can certainly help you with this, but be aware that most examples you’ll find online are quite substandard, generic and well, boring.
Use my critiques above to filter the wheat from the chaff and get yourself a resume that does justice to your career.
Irene
