• Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
An Expert Resume
  • Home
  • Meet Laura Smith-Proulx
  • Services & Pricing
  • Samples
    • CEO (TORI Winner)
    • CIO, Healthcare
    • LinkedIn Profile
    • CEO, President, & COO (TORI Winner)
    • CEO & M&A Executive
    • Global / International CEO (TORI Winner)
    • Enterprise Technology Sales (TORI Winner)
    • Private Equity CFO
    • Chief Medical Officer (TORI Winner)
    • VP of IT
    • Sample CEO Biography
    • Board Resume
    • Cover Letter, EVP Distribution (TORI Nominee)
    • Regional Vice President Sales
    • COO, Construction (TORI Winner)
    • CFO (TORI Winner)
    • Multinational CFO
    • VP of Sales
    • Chief Marketing Officer (TORI Winner)
  • Awards & Media
  • Blog
  • Contact
Select Page

Need a Leadership Resume Fast? Don’t Panic

by Laura Smith-Proulx | executive job search, executive resume writer, leadership resumes

Need a Leadership Resume Fast? Don’t Panic

On the receiving end of a recruiter’s call? Found a great job online, but it closes soon?

Your elation can quickly turn to panic, especially if you haven’t updated your resume in some time.

You’ll want to maximize every minute, of course, while creating a document that makes it look as if you’ve spent weeks crafting each word.

Here are 3 shortcuts to reviewing and refreshing your leadership resume – all in short order – to meet the demands of a choice job:

1 – Gather your thoughts.

Before your fingers hit the keyboard to start the resume writing process, take a step back.

Resumes are much more effective if they directly tie your experience to the job, so you’ll need to build your value proposition around this particular role. You can always create a newer version to fit a different job.

Use what you know about the potential opportunity to list the matching facts of your career, such as core competencies needed for success (aim for at least 10), or projects that align with the duties in the new role.

If possible, approach former co-workers or bosses to review your list for any omissions, as they might recall important initiatives that demonstrate your leadership strengths for the new job.

If you’re stumped for examples of skills that fit your experience, use job board aggregator www.indeed.com to pull up similar postings. Reviewing several job descriptions can jog your memory and reinforce your belief that you have the right qualifications.

2 – Frame your success stories.

Now, make a list of your strongest career achievements – the ones that easily connect your work history to the role (representing career high points to be featured on the first page of your leadership resume).

You’ll also need 3-5 major contributions for each of your past jobs, which will help fill out your professional experience section with valuable detail.

To add context for each achievement, think of the ways your employers have benefited from your work (usually cost savings, operations improvements, or revenue), and use these details to create a brief “story.”

Try to fit each accomplishment story into just 1-3 sentences, with brief details of the teams you’ve supervised, budgets managed, and projects that you’ve led.

Repeating this process for every contribution or success story will be the most intensive and challenging part of writing your resume. However, the effort will pay off with accurate, full-fledged descriptions of your ROI as a winning leadership candidate.

3 – Tie it all together.

First, top off your new leadership resume with a clear title or heading that represents the goal (Senior Sales Executive, CTO, Program Manager, etc.).

To save time, consider adding your top 4-5 skill competencies, plus a brand headline that describes how you use them – eliminating the need to write a full summary paragraph (similar to this sample resume for a Vice President of IT).

Next, add the remaining skills or competences from your original list into a table or grouping at the top of your resume.

Put the most prominent of your success stories into a short, first-page list, as shown in the “Technology Leadership Results” section of the same resume example, or the “Sales Performance Highlights” of this sample Sales resume.

Write your work history with a basic job description that introduces each role, including facts such as teams you’ve supervised, budgets managed, and other details. Add the remaining success stories in bullet-point sentence form for each position.

Don’t forget to sprinkle metrics throughout the resume that represent ROI to potential employers, focusing on results that you’ve facilitated. The more percentages or dollar amounts shown, the better your resume will illustrate the impact of your work.

Tie up all loose ends with sections such as Education, Certifications, Professional Memberships, and other facts – then turn your new leadership resume over to someone else for a quick proofing.

Now, you’re ready to send it off for that coveted job posting, or to an interested recruiter.

However, you’ll want to review it from time to time, ensuring that key information is added.

This way, you can continually enhance the already-compelling story of your executive credentials – and avoid the rush during your next job search!

Related


 

Need a competitive edge in your job search?

I work personally with you to win the interviews you deserve, using compelling personal branding to convey your value to employers. I've earned a 98% success rate, leveraging my background as a recruiter and award-winning resume writer.


Your new Resume and Linked In Profile will gain attention from Fortune-ranked corporations, niche firms, and start-ups - even in a competitive job market.

Contact me for a no-obligation assessment of your needs.

Let me know what you think! Cancel reply

Laura Smith-ProulxDistinctive Resumes & LinkedIn Profiles for 6 & 7-Figure Jobs

Position yourself as the #1 candidate with a powerful story of ROI in your Resume and LinkedIn Profile.

My executive clients enjoy seeing their career stories transformed into attention-getting documents generating exceptional results.

Contact me to leverage my global reputation for excellence and award-winning quality in your own search.

- Laura Smith-Proulx, CCMC, CPRW, CPBA, TCCS, COPNS, CIC, CTTCC
“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 highly recommend Laura to all others who want to get on the fast track to success!”

— Kirk D., General Counsel

 

Quoted in 60+ Media Outlets, Including:

Latest Executive Job Search Advice

  • How to Find the Best Resume Writing Services for CIOs
  • No Calls Back From Your Executive Resume? Google Yourself
  • 7 Tips to Take Your Executive Resume From Old-School to Outstanding
  • What Your Resume Should Look Like in 2019
  • What’s Wrong With Your CXO Resume?
“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.

She took the time to understand who I am, my accomplishments and what I contribute to an organization before beginning to write my resume.

Anyone can write down your work history, but Laura identifies who you are and your accomplishments in a unique way that truly gets attention.“

– Rob H., VP Global Business Services

Read Rob’s review on my LinkedIn Profile

 

Top Industry Credentials

Laura Smith Proulx Credentials
Laura Smith-Proulx Executive Resume Writer
“Laura’s work is exceptional… providing a highly valuable service that gets results! She is a master at professionally capturing career experience with both speed and precision into a product that makes a difference. PLUS, she knows exactly the techniques to fully leverage LinkedIn and keyword SEO.

I highly recommend Laura’s professional services.”

-Jon C., Engineering Leader

Read Jon’s endorsement on my LinkedIn Profile

 

Award-Winning, Interview-Winning Executive Resumes

EO & Board Advisor Resume
CEO & Board Advisor

Nonprofit CEO Resume Sample
Nonprofit CEO

Chief Revenue Officer
Chief Revenue Officer (Award-Winning Resume)

About Me

Laura Smith-Proulx is a multiple award-winning, 10-time Certified Executive Resume Writer, Job Search Columnist, Author, LinkedIn expert, and former recruiter.

Recent Articles

  • How to Find the Best Resume Writing Services for CIOs
  • No Calls Back From Your Executive Resume? Google Yourself
  • 7 Tips to Take Your Executive Resume From Old-School to Outstanding

Contact

An Expert Resume
Arvada, Colorado
303.364.4411
Laura@AnExpertResume.com

Menu

Home
Meet Laura
Resume Samples
Services & Pricing
Awards & Media
FAQs
Resume & LinkedIn Advice
Contact Laura

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
© 2002 - 2019 An Expert Resume | All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
×