Executive Resume Example, Tips, & Tricks
If you have your sights set on an executive role, you’ll need a top-notch resume that showcases your high-level skills and expertise. Constructing one can be time-consuming and challenging, but that’s where we come in. TopResume has not only prepared a strong executive resume example for you, but we’ve also put together some top resume tips and tricks to make the whole process a walk in the park.
Read on to turbocharge your executive career!
How to write a resume
Every career is different, but we have some executive resume examples, in terms of both wording and format, that you can use to inspire your own resume. Follow these top five tips:
1. Create key sections
Executive Profile or Summary
Key Skills or Core Competencies
Professional Experience
Qualifications
Professional Development
Depending on your personal situation, you may also find you need additional sections, such as IT Skills, Volunteering, Languages, and so on.
2. Start with the quick wins
It’s likely, if you’re targeting an executive role, that your professional experience will comprise the majority of your resume. Before you tackle that section, get some quick wins in so that you can see some progress as the document starts to come together. For example:
Create your header. Just dive straight in with your name, headline, cell phone number, email address, LinkedIn URL, and location.
Your Qualifications section won’t need to be very long, as an executive resume should instead focus on career successes. List only university-level qualifications, including level, subject, institution, and year. MBAs, in particular, are very sought-after on C-level resumes.
If you don’t have university-level qualifications, combine the Qualifications section with the Professional Development section and add any courses and certificates you’ve taken to upskill or develop your knowledge.
Add your optional sections. Again, as professional experience needs to be the focus, you should aim to keep these as short as possible. If they don’t add value to the resume or show off skills relevant to the jobs you’re applying for, ask yourself if they should be included at all.
3. Add your experience
As an executive, your career is the shining star of your resume. You most likely have an extensive career history spanning many years and involving numerous skills and diverse companies.
Expert tip: There’s no obligation to list everything on your resume! In fact, it’s much better to be selective about the information you include so that you can present a concise and focused summary.
Resume best practice dictates that your career history should be presented in reverse-chronological format. We recommend that you go back no further than 10-15 years in detail and simply summarize your earlier career. That way, you can zoom in on your most recent, relevant, and high-level executive experience to impress your reader.
Briefly outline the remit and scope of each role. Quantify whatever you can – as an executive, you can probably quantify the number of direct reports you have, your budget, the number of sites or countries you manage, and so on.
The next part is your killer move. Below your short paragraph outlining the role, add a bulleted list of quantifiable achievements. This shows a hiring manager that you can deliver results for the company and have an impact - and that’s what every business is looking for in its executives. Try to align these outcomes with the requirements of the specific job you’re targeting and weave in keywords from the job advert.
Related reading: How to Use a Reverse Chronological Resume Format
4. Write your elevator pitch
The profile is possibly the trickiest part of the resume to write. How can you convince a recruiter to schedule an interview in just a few lines?
Having written the rest of your resume and analyzed the job advert, you should have a good idea of how your skills align with the requirements of your target role. Use this knowledge to inform your elevator pitch. You’ll want to cover:
Exactly what you do and what you specialize in
Your unique selling point
How you add value to a business
Here we have a resume executive summary example:
An innovative Operations Executive, with an extensive background in the FMCG industry and sound commercial acumen. Combines strategic thinking with logistics expertise and a commitment to operational excellence. Confident spearheading complex change and transformation projects that deliver revenue growth, enhance financial stability, and improve standards.
5. Check
Now you’ve done the hard work, it’s time to edit, revise, and proofread to perfection. We advise against using a graphic format, as they don’t perform well and errors can be introduced when they’re scanned into applicant tracking systems. Instead, make your resume stand out with a clean, professional layout like the executive resume example below.
Expert tip: While two pages is usually the recommended limit for most resumes, an executive resume may be as long as three pages – but should still be snappy and concise!
Let’s take a look at one of our best executive resume examples to see how this advice works in real life.
Key hard & soft skills for an Executive
As you may have noticed, we didn’t discuss Key Skills above. As an executive, it will be assumed that you have the basic soft skills needed to do the job, so there’s no need to go into great depth on your resume.
The real focus should be on your hard skills. They’re the executive skills that will really sell you into the roles you’re aiming for. As well as highlighting your top hard skills in the Key Skills section, you should also evidence them within your achievements. For example, if you list “Change Management” as a key skill, you should add a specific example of a time you’ve managed change and, critically, achieved a positive outcome as a result.
The skills you include will vary depending on your area of expertise and the industry you work in, but executive-level resume examples could include:
Leadership
Strategic thinking
Innovation
Change management
Project management
Cost reduction
Revenue growth
Mergers, acquisitions, and integrations
Financial acumen
Vision
Soft skills for Business Analyst:
Teamwork
Critical thinking
Problem-solving
Analytical thinking
Communication
Big picture thinking
Adaptability
Relationship building
Leadership
Negotiation
Summary & Last words
With a long and strong career behind you, it’s crucial that you’re selective with the information you include on your executive resume. Concentrate on including only information that will really sell you into the role, and write for your reader, not yourself.
Introduction to TopResume: Professional resume writers
TopResume is your career partner. We’re here to support you as you climb the career ladder – or even take a new direction entirely! Our team of resume writers can help you to land your next interview sooner.
We’ve helped thousands of senior executives to achieve their career goals and keep moving forward. With a range of packages, you’re certain to find one that meets your needs and your budget. Whether you just need a resume, or you need help with a LinkedIn profile and cover letter too, we have the expertise to make sure you’re putting your best foot forward.
Resume writing service for executives: Let us write your resume
With a team of expert writers, years of resume writing experience, and insight into businesses across the US, TopResume is the obvious partner to help you progress your career. We’ve written resumes for executives in every sector and even offer a bespoke service for executives.
We know that writing your resume is difficult - it can be hard to see the wood from the trees when you have your entire career to summarize in just a few pages. That’s why it can help to work with a professional. We’ll identify your key selling points and advise on what to remove, so that you’re presenting a high-impact document that lands interviews.
Who are the TopResume writers?
Billie J.
Senior Resume Writer
4+ years of experience
Bachelor of Arts in Humanities and Classical Studies
Billie is a passionate writer whose mission is to write impactful resumes to support career growth, evolution, and transition targets. Billie’s love of the written word spans her entire life, and she enjoys utilizing that passion to empower successful career transitions.
Traci K.
Senior Resume Writer
10+ years of experience
Master of Arts in English
Traci has a Master of Arts in English and has been writing since middle school. After spending several years in marketing, she used her writing skills and corporate knowledge to help job seekers put their best foot forward and achieve their career goals.
Jeremy Z.
Senior Resume Writer
15+ Years of Experience
Bachelor of Arts in English and Business Writing
Jeremy has helped 6K+ clients gain the confidence to apply for and get their dream jobs. His educational background in English and business writing and dedication to supporting clients’ needs inspire him to deliver top-tier career support.