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3 Phrases That Kill The Effectiveness of Your Executive Resume

by Laura Smith-Proulx | executive resume writing

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Want to distinguish your leadership brand?

Ditch the boring language you’ve seen on other executive resumes.

Just because other resumes (professionally created or self-written) employ a blend of monotonous, overused words doesn’t mean you have to follow suit.

Shake things up and inject some power into your personal brand message by refusing to add these mundane descriptors to your executive resume:

1 – “Accomplished leader.”

Did you copy this opening line from another resume? If so, you’re in good company.

Why you should reconsider this phrase:  it’s a no-brainer and does you a disservice.

You’re better off telling companies what’s different about your accomplishments so you can have a conversation about your unique brand value.

What could you say instead?

Market-Aware CEO & COO Behind Millions in Profits (shown on this sample CEO resume)

CEO and new-market proponent launching XYZ Company’s first scalable growth strategy, with 26% year-over-year revenue results

Generated #1 Revenue & Customer Churn Metrics for 16 Straight Quarters (from a Chief Revenue & Sales Officer resume)

2. “Over XXX years of experience…”

Continually updated your resume over the years – and can’t think of what else to say?

Why you should reconsider:  years of experience are NOT always an asset in the job search, especially as you advance into prime territory for age bias. Earlier in your career, those first 8-10 years under your belt make you a mid-career asset (experienced, but not quite expensive).

Don’t let employers see your 20+ years of history as a reason they can’t afford you!

Longevity doesn’t always mean effectiveness. We’ve all known colleagues who just put in their time, merely surviving during decades of experience. Therefore, you’ll need to focus on ROI, rather than the length of your tenure.

What could you say instead?

Global experience leading business development to an all-time high of 35% annual growth (in spite of economic downturn).=

Rapid promotions to VP of IT (exceeding colleague career paths) based on new robotics and AI solutions

Senior sales operations executive behind competitive benchmarking and an industry-leading 43% rise in revenue

3 – “Seasoned.”

Trying to make your case as the top senior executive with this descriptor?

Why you should reconsider: no matter how you put it, this description is going to sound as if you’ve got one foot into retirement. See point #2 regarding age bias in the job search.

There’s many other ways to note your lengthy experience and results, without making references to your age or seniority.

What could you say instead?

Energetic executive regarded as innovator and performance driver for teams across Americas, APAC, & Middle East

Technology Sales Rainmaker & Champion for Top Oracle Products (shown on this Senior Sales Director Resume for a candidate in his early 50’s)

VP Operations credited with shaping manufacturing strategy for expansion into 5 new, profitable international markets

 

Break away from those all too well-used phrases – and add some energetic language to your executive resume.

Describing yourself in terms of ROI and leadership scope helps employers see your authentic value and influence – and makes your resume more engaging to read.


 
executive resume writer

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.


My clients win Board, leadership, and executive 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 I can bring to your transition.

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“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

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Laura Smith-Proulx is a multiple award-winning, 11-time Certified Executive Resume Writer, Job Search Columnist, Author, LinkedIn expert, and former recruiter.

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