When you are ready to step into your next C-suite or Senior Leadership role, you need to make these 5 shifts to transform your executive resume into a marketing piece that builds your credibility and maximizes opportunities.
Shift #1: Get Specific.
Reverse engineer your job search by defining the specific industry you want to work within and go through the process of writing out what you are seeking in your next role. Use these prompts:
® What is your target role?
® What size company?
® Who will you report to –C-Suite? Senior leadership? Board member?
® What market/industry are you interested in most?
® International, National, Regional?
Use this information to determine what skills and qualifications you have to fulfill the role you are currently pursuing. There are different requirements for the CEO of a small company vs. the CEO of a billion-dollar corporation.
Shift #2: Identify Where Your Skills & The Employers Keywords Intersect.
To close the gap between where you are now and your target role, you need to position yourself as a viable candidate for the position you are seeking. To find keywords, review industry-specific job descriptions and/or open job posts. Integrate those keywords throughout your document to create alignment between your skills and the employer’s needs.
Shift #3: Master Your Brand Story.
Generate interest by conveying how you are uniquely qualified to help them overcome the challenges they are facing.
Who are you professionally?
What do you specialize in?
What are 3 to 5 things that you are good at?
What impact have you made throughout your career (what are you known for)?
The goal is to be able to clearly convey why you are ‘the candidate’ for the position. What makes you better than your competitors? Create your brand story by focusing on what makes you different (your unique promise of value) and how your expertise will be of service to your target company’s needs.
Shift #4: Highlight Achievements.
For your resume to make an impact, you need to effectively communicate your accomplishments –that is, the impact you’ve made throughout your career.
Be sure to use highlights of your performance that will resonate with the employer. This is the time to let your light shine bright by introducing quantifiable statistics that highlight your skills and back up your value proposition. Many times, individuals want to tell the reader about their responsibilities. “Responsible for customer service and growing the business through process and performance improvements.”
Transform that boring piece of information into an impact statement by switching the focus to the value you brought to the position.
- Propelled company from small-business phase to profitable sales producer steering transformation of revenue management, optimizing sales processes, and building a world-class team of top performers.
Shift #5: Provide Context.
Help the employer understand the scope of your experience by providing context. Include a brief summary of the organization (what are they known for? size? annual corporate revenue?), the number of employees you managed, P&L size, global or national scale? Including this type of information helps frame your role.
When writing for a senior leadership or c-suite role (EVP, SVP, CEO, COO, CFO), the goal is to provide brand-supporting data that conveys your ability to lead, strategize, steer change, and produce results.
Here are 5 more strategies you can use to capture your dream job in 2019.
