|
Resume
Tips for Executives and Managers
Source:
Professional
Resumes for Executives, Managers and Other Administrators, by David
F. Noble, Ph.D
Business
leaders have special resume needs.
One
challenge in writing a resume for a manager or company officer is
selectingfrom an abundance of experiencethe right information
to display in a resume for that person's career goals, especially
as seeming overqualified can be a handicap in a competitive job
market.
Another
legitimate concern in resume writing for executives is finding ways
to play down a person's age while still calling attention to the
individual's experience and achievements.
Company
leaders not only have more experience but also tend to have multiple
skills they have put to work in a range of roles. A person who is
currently an entrepreneur as the owner and president of a new company,
for example, might have been a regional-sales manager who was also
a vice president and who started out in another field like engineering
or accounting.
The key is to
determine which experiences to emphasize and which to downplayand
what to exclude. Present only the most important information on
one or two pages.
Fifteen
resume tips for executives and managers:
1.
If your resume has an objective statement, make it focused, interesting
and unique so that it grabs the reader's attention.
2.
If you can sell yourself better with some other kind of section,
consider replacing the objective statement with a summary of qualifications,
a profile or areas of expertise below the contact information.
3.
A profile can replace an objective statement, but be sure to mention
the job-search target in a subheading of the profile.
4.
Writing a long qualification summary helps to position important
information at the top of the first page.
5.
Listing qualifications (or areas of expertise, or skills) in columns
makes them easy to adjust when targeting a different job or industry.
6.
Spend plenty of time determining how to present skills. You might
present them under one or more of the following headlines: Areas
of Expertise, Certifications, Computer Skills, Demonstrated Strengths,
Key Skills, Leadership Abilities, Professional Capabilities, Specialties,
Technical Proficiency/Certification or Technical Skills.
7.
In the experience section, state achievements, not just duties or
responsibilities.
8.
In the experience section and for each position held, consider
explaining responsibilities in a brief paragraph and using bullets
to point for achievements.
9.
When you indicate achievements, try boldfacing them, quantifying
them or providing a separate heading for them.
10.
When skills, abilities and qualifications are varied, group them
according to categories for easier comprehension.
11.
To tell something about a company where you have worked, try
explaining the company name.
12.
Group positions to avoid repetition in a description of duties.
13.
Play up experience and on-the-job training to offset a lack
of higher education.
14.
If age is a problem and you want to show you are in good health,
consider providing a personal section at the end of the resume with
your outside activities and interests.
15.
Providing contact information again at the end of a resume makes
it easier for the reader to phone the applicant.
|