Pursuing your next step up the career ladder as CFO or Controller?
Your CFO resume must connect the dots from tactical details, such as financial reporting or systems, to strategic advisor and CEO partner.
By showing examples of strategic decision-making and forecasting, IT oversight, performance recommendations, and Board influence, your CFO resume will position you to compete against other contenders for a C-suite role.
Here’s how to present your value proposition on a powerful, effective CFO resume:(more…)
Poised for an executive job search? Updating your existing resume probably seems like a logical first step, but hold on!
Your previous resume was probably written 5 or 10 years ago, using a different tone, formatting, and keyword content designed for a lower-level role. At the executive level, the game changes – requiring a different type of storytelling and presentation to ensure your brand stands out.
To write an effective and powerfully targeted executive resume, you’ll need to do more than just add job titles and dates. Here’s how to rethink your executive resume content and take steps to reach that coveted corner office: (more…)
A funny thing happened during the job market of the past 10+ years… where resumes started to showcase strong personal brands instead of career obituaries.
Plenty has changed in job search over the past decade, and your executive resume needs to wake up to new trends.
All puns aside, a strong and uniquely crafted personal brand message must be present in your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn Profile to outwit the competition.
Here are the trends to observe:
Resume Trend #1: New Ways to Present Data.
Gathered metrics on your job performance, but not sure how to make them stand out? Now, executive resume trends include the use of graphics and charts (such as the illustrations in this sample Enterprise Technology Sales Resume).
Even if you’ve never added a graphic element to your resume, take heart: thanks to the Insert function in Microsoft Word, adding a chart is easier than ever. This function will display an Excel spreadsheet in which to add the requisite metrics, as well as prompt you to select the chart of your choice, such as a bar graph.
Remember that hiring managers are constantly looking for candidates who distinguish themselves at a leadership level. By highlighting the metrics you’ve worked hard to gather (and achieve), you’re making their job easier in 2015.
Resume Trend #2: A Fresh Design.
What used to work for executives or senior-level professionals is now outdated. Dashes of color, changes in font style, intensive keyword strategy, and graphics will help present your story, as shown in this award-wining CEO & COO Resume.
The trend toward using eye-catching design elements isn’t new; executive resume practices have evolved over the past few years, with a transition away from the one-page, all-white documents of the past.
If your resume isn’t employing these strategies, update it now! A refresh is always a good idea in order to stay competitive.
Resume Trend #3: A Powerful, Targeted Cover Letter.
Why would a cover letter be important now? While it’s true that employers will often read your resume and LinkedIn Profile first, they’ll also use your cover letter to gauge your communications skills.
Therefore, you’ll want to take some time writing an effective cover letter that appeals to hiring audiences – ensuring you’re both addressing their needs and mentioning your knowledge of the company.
Even if you target recruiters (who aren’t as interested in your cover letter), keep in mind that many executives (CEO, CFO, COO, or head of HR) are likely to review your letter to get a feel for your writing style – looking for a fit with the company culture and goals for employee engagement. Consider using the tactics in How to Write a High-ROI, Branded Cover Letter.
Resume Trend #4: Concise, Brand-Focused Wording.
Leadership resumes have now evolved into shorter, more precisely written documents, especially when it comes to the first page.
This means you no longer have to write a bloated qualifications profile, but can instead list pertinent details (as shown in this Regional VP Sales resume).
As noted in the points above, this document employs leading resume trends, including graphic elements, color, and a summary of the candidate’s career trajectory — all effective strategies in distinguishing executive qualifications.
Resume Trend #5: Alignment With Social Media.
Congratulations! From this point forward, you’ve become a hot search topic, as employers and recruiters are turning to Google and LinkedIn to learn more about you.
If your resume writing and LinkedIn styles aren’t in alignment, this trend can catch you off-guard – making it difficult for employers to understand who they’re reading about.
Therefore, as you’re writing your resume, keep in mind that your social media profiles must reference the same personal brand message(designed, of course, for a more engaging, personable tone), even if you’re referencing the same keywords and achievements.
In summary, an effective executive resume now requires evidence of your leadership achievement, standout design, social media alignment (or social proof), and a branded cover letter as backup.
Don’t go into your job search without observing these trends! Wake up your resume and job search materials to match the new reality.
Trying to catch a break in the competitive market for executive talent? Your resume MUST be on par with the branded, value-driven documents used by other leaders.
As an executive expecting to make your mark, you’ll need to avoid the typical (yet major-league) resume writing errors that can put you at a disadvantage.
Sharpen your approach and position yourself as a contender by checking your executive resume against these too-common resume writing mistakes: (more…)
Invariably, when executives try to figure out how to stand out in the job search, the subject of cover letters comes up – followed by confusion.Do you really need a cover letter for each executive job application? How can you be sure that employers are actually reading the letter you’re so carefully crafting?
Do you really need a cover letter for executive jobs?
Is it a myth that a cover letter can distinguish you in the executive job search?Here are 3 key points to consider when it comes to the cover letter question:
1 – Yes, cover letters are read by (some) employers.
However, this varies among different companies and their hiring practices. This informal survey from About.comshows some hiring managers are emphatic that a great cover letter will boost your chances of being selected for a choice interview.Studies in the careers industry also consistently nearly two-thirds of hiring authorities read cover letters, and of that group, nearly 50% consider them crucial. You’ll never know at the outset which third of hiring managers you’re dealing with, of course. Therefore, it’s better to be prepared with a strong personal brand message encapsulated in a cover letter, than to lose out on a great opportunity. (more…)
If you’ve reviewed executive resume samples lately, you might realize there’s something missing from your own document.
Does your executive resume fail to convey your value clearly – and in a matter of seconds? If so, you’ll find that a few, straightforward changes can transform you from overlooked to sought-after.
Increase your chances of being considered for the coveted corner office by reviewing this list of must-have components for a cutting-edge executive resume:
1 – Impressive Metrics.
Nothing – absolutely nothing – you can say about your leadership performance will resonate as much as dollar figures that represent revenue, cost savings, or margin improvement.
In today’s economy, employers are doing more with less, while expecting executives to deliver near-immediate results!
What does this mean for you? A strong brand message for your executive resume no longer translates into “25 years of experience,” but “50% rise in revenue within 6 months” or “rapid identification of $25K OPEX savings.” (more…)
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Pursuing your next step up the career ladder as CFO or Controller?
Why would a cover letter be important now? While it’s true that employers will often read your resume and LinkedIn Profile first, they’ll also use your cover letter to gauge your communications skills.
Congratulations! From this point forward, you’ve become a hot search topic, as employers and recruiters are turning to Google and LinkedIn to learn more about you.
Get ready for the results you want in your executive job search!
“As In-House Counsel for a Fortune 1000 Company, I retained Laura to revamp my resume. As a result of her attention to detail, Laura was able to grasp complex topics quickly… and highlight my broad skill set, with a product worthy of my past accomplishments.
“I hired Laura after an exhaustive search to find the best resume writer… I could not have been happier with Laura’s attention to detail and the quality of her work.
