How to write a resume
As a CEO, you likely have a rather impressive backstory. That’s great — but how can you condense a life to fit a one-page resume? If you’re ready to get started and work on your CEO resume, we have some advice to help you out. Here are four quick tips.
Research the company first
You will only be applying for high-level, C-suite jobs. That means you will be taking a quality over quantity approach. For that reason, you can afford to research each company in-depth. If you want to be the top dog, the hiring manager will expect you to have knowledge of the business, its values, and its long-term vision. Make sure that your resume reflects this expertise and highlights how your talents align with the business.
Optimize your CEO resume
The majority of Fortune 500 companies now use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). The software filters incoming resumes and determines whether they match the job spec. To do this, the ATS will search for various keywords in each document. If you want to give yourself the best chance of success, it’s worth including some keywords in your resume.
Quantify your achievements
We won’t beat around the bush — you likely have tons of remarkable achievements. You wouldn’t have gotten to the position of CEO without making some serious waves. When you’re listing these on your resume, be sure to quantify them. Rather than saying that you “increased the Q3 sales for the business,” say that you “increased sales by 200% in Q3”.
Be selective in what you share
Your career history is sure to be long and impressive. However, you may not be able to include everything you have ever done in your CEO resume. Think of this document as your highlights reel — what are your most impressive accolades to date? Whittle things down so that you’re not presenting the hiring manager with a 40-page dossier.
CEO resume examples
Do you have a case of writers’ block? If it’s been a while since you wrote a resume, you may be looking for some inspiration. Two of the most important parts of your CEO resume are the summary and the employment history sections. The summary gives you the opportunity to speak directly to the hiring manager while the employment history shows off your recent feats. Let’s take a look at a quick resume example of each of these sections:
Summary example
Seasoned executive and board member, leveraging strong business and financial acumen backed by proven success in conceptualizing and leading execution of transformational, growth-focused strategies. Expertise in turning around negative financial trends, rejuvenating operations, and opening new revenue streams through product enhancements, market expansions, and mergers & acquisitions. Adept at building executive leadership teams and recruiting cross-functional team members across all levels, fostering a culture of collaboration with a focus on achieving shared goals.
Employment history example
ABC Holdings LLC – Las Vegas, NV, CEO, 2020 to 2022
Drove operational and financial turnaround for company providing linen and laundry services to hotels, casinos, and other clients in the Las Vegas area. Oversaw 350-400-member team in a 24x7 environment, ensuring adherence to company policies, quality and service standards, and OSHA requirements. Developed and led execution of strategies to enable revenue growth in challenging market. Served as member of the board of directors.
- Steered company through Chapter 11 and 363 sales process, led search for new investors, and ultimately persuaded existing lenders to rebid and take control as new equity holders; currently preparing for sale.
- Returned company to profitability and generated $35M+ in revenue by effectively overcoming significant challenges posed by 60-80% reduction in client capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions.
- Leveraged strong customer relations to implement 21% price increase while maintaining 100% retention.
- Orchestrated complete restructuring, hired new VP of Operations and CFO offering extensive private equity firm experience, and enabled company to operate on cash flow immediately after exiting Chapter 11.
- Launched new uniform and dry cleaning services division, securing $6.5M contract within first six months that delivered 20% EBITA and 50% margins.
- Headed major undertaking to decertify engineering union, saving $250K per year ($4 per hour per person) by eliminating union pension and restrictions.
Key hard & soft skills for CEOs
To elevate your CEO resume to the next level, you need a sturdy mixture of both hard and soft skills. Hard skills tend to relate directly to your job role or, indeed, the industry you’re in. Soft skills are usually the traits that allow you to collaborate with other professionals. If you’re not certain which resume skills to include, take a look at the following ideas:
- Leadership
- Communication
- Emotional intelligence
- Decision making
- Problem-solving
- Project management
- Strategizing
- Finances / budget management
- Collaboration
- Team building
- Motivation
Of course, there may be hard skills that are only important in your chosen industry. You should also include these in your CEO resume. Be sure to showcase your talents.
Summary & last words
When you’re at the top of your game, you deserve a well-written resume that reflects your talents. Choosing a resume writing service means that your application will be in safe hands. Having a resume that accurately conveys the journey you’ve been on could help you to land more interviews and get hired faster than ever. What are you waiting for?
Introduction to TopResume: Professional resume writers
TopResume can support you all the way up the career ladder. Our team has worked with over a million job-seekers to help them reach their professional goals. Collaborating with an expert resume writer will help the application process run smoothly from start to finish.
As a CEO, you already know the power of investing in yourself. You have to speculate to accumulate, as the time-old saying goes. That’s why we recommend the ultimate package for your needs. The service gives you access to an executive writer who understands your industry and will take the time to learn about your career story. The professional will craft all of the materials you need including a resume, expert cover letter, and LinkedIn profile.
