How to Write a Compelling COO Resume

Transitioning into a COO role – or taking the next step from GM or VP of Operations?

To be competitive, your COO resume must deliver a quick, yet potent snapshot of strategic leadership and tactical qualifications.

In today’s job market, most COOs direct broad functions such as marketing, production, sales, and technology, while presenting strategic ideas to the Board and playing a large part in company growth.

Management and team direction, profit growth, process improvement, quality standards, cost savings, and promotional acumen can be equally paramount to a strategic vision that drives bottom-line results.

Therefore, your COO resume will need to demonstrate both detailed success stories and an overarching message of leadership.

If you’re struggling to combine these elements into your COO resume, use these tips and examples as guides to a strong picture of success at the executive level:

1 – Add Success Stories (in Context!).

Your career story is often more engaging when told from the standpoint of problems solved, challenges overcome, or roadblocks removed.

Therefore, you’ll want to include descriptions of the situations behind each result for greater impact. As an example, the second page of this COO sample resume contains details of Crisis & Change Leadership that show $1.2 million additional claims revenue produced when the COO stepped in to take over a management job. Stories like these demonstrate a whatever-it-takes approach to solving problems, plus decisive leadership that benefits the company as a whole – important qualities for an executive officer.

2 – Incorporate Testimonials.

As shown in this COO resume for a construction development executive, accolades from others in your network can add credence to the executive competencies and qualities that you’ve listed.

Here, these references were strategically placed to show that the candidate (who had taken a consulting role) was qualified to move up into a real estate industry COO position, based on his reputation among peers and a consistent history of multimillion-dollar projects.

3 – Employ Graphs & Charts.

As it’s been said, a picture is worth 1,000 words; this is even more true of the COO resume, which must quickly tend to operational details – while remaining as concise as possible.

In this example of a COO resume, a chart was added in place of “Led KPI program used to lower gas meter exchange costs 17%, with simultaneous 21% rise in 10,000-annual volume of meter exchanges and 19% increase in gas leak repair production” – displaying immediate value to the reader, while conserving words.

Since metrics are critical to the effectiveness of an executive resume, a chart quickly conveys key data, but in a more eye-catching manner.

In summary, COO resumes have come a long way from lists of manufacturing management duties, Board-level meetings, and sales team oversight.

Ensure your resume is on the cutting edge of today’s hiring trends (and stands a good chance of eclipsing your competition!) with graphic and storytelling elements that convey your brand powerfully and succinctly.

Need a competitive edge in your job search? As an award-winning executive resume writer, I create branded, powerful resumes and LinkedIn Profiles that position you as the #1 candidate – PLUS teach you the job hunting strategies that will get you hired faster. My clients win interviews at Fortune 500 firms including Citibank, Google, Disney, and Pfizer, plus niche companies, start-ups, and emerging industry leaders. Get in touch with me to experience the outstanding results my expertise can bring to your transition. – Laura Smith-Proulx, CCMC, CPRW, CPBA, TCCS, COPNS, CIC