Many executives share similar career paths. One of these paths involves entering a company at a job relevant to your degree or experience, and climbing your way up the corporate ladder until you’re eventually running the place. Another path involves working for many different companies for a few years at a time, while regularly being courted away with a higher salary or greater responsibilities. Both of these career paths show that you’ve got what it takes to be an executive. Whichever path your career has followed, there’s a way to write your resume to show it off.
Ladder Climbers
Let’s say you started with your company 15-20 years ago, using your engineering degree to manage a few projects. Two decades later, you find yourself in charge of half the company’s personnel and a huge departmental budget. If this sounds like the path of your career, don’t be afraid to write your resume in a way that clearly shows you’ve been with the same company for 20 years. Just be sure each job description makes it obvious that you were given greater responsibilities due to excellent past performance. An easy way to do this is to offer metrics like your direct P&L responsibilities or how many employees reported to you.
In many industries, executives advance in their careers by earning an outstanding reputation and being wooed away by competitors. While this is personally flattering and professionally challenging, it can make you appear on your resume to be a restless job hopper. The key to overcoming this perception is to include some facts about your transitions—for instance, did you follow a manager to his new start-up company? Did a client recruit you after you managed their accounts? Was your position included in a merger or acquisition? By using specific numbers to show when your transitions involved an offer you couldn’t logically refuse, it will position you as a valuable commodity rather than as an employee who doesn’t know how to stay put.
Regardless of the path your career has taken, you probably made it to the top by proving yourself in a series of progressively more challenging opportunities. Whoever is reading your resume should be able to clearly see that progression as they look over your experience. It’s an important part of your story, so don’t be afraid to tell it!
Executive resumes are held to a higher standard. Know the strategies and keys to creating a successful executive resume by visiting our blog or speak to one of our executive resume writers today about catapulting your executive job search. Call 1.800.991.5187 for a complimentary executive resume consultation.
Author:
Jessica Holbrook Hernandez is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, speaker and President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast. She creates high-impact, best-in-class, resumes and cover letters that transform job searches into interviews and ultimately job offers. For more information about professional resume writing or to read more career and job search related articles visit http://www.greatresumesfast.com/ or call 1.800.991.5187.
