6 Point Executive Resume Checklist

You may have heard of Marshall Goldsmith’s bestselling book What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful.

The truth is, it’s the same with resumes. The resume that generated interviews early in your career, won’t get you noticed once you reach the executive level.

The resume that listed your duties and responsibilities won’t impress recruiters and employers who are filling executive roles. Here is a 6 Point Checklist for developing an interview-generating, executive resume.

#1 Contact Information

Make sure you include: name, phone number, email address, physical address, and LinkedIn profile link. Always use personal contact information, not your office email. While I’ve heard rumors that you don’t need a physical address any longer, some recruiters and employers won’t look at resumes without an address.

#2 Strongest Skills

Your strongest skills should be easy to locate on your resume. While you should not “stuff” your resume with keywords, recruiters and hiring managers will be scanning your resume so make sure important skills are easy to find. Also, make sure to focus on skills you want to use in your target position.

#3 Achievements

Neither recruiters nor employers want to read long lists of duties and responsibilities. They want to know how you can solve their problems. Make sure you demonstrate the positive impact you’ve had on your employers. Quantify your results with numbers ($$, %, etc.) whenever possible.

#4 Leadership

Once you’ve reached the executive level, or are pursuing those roles, you need to convey leadership as well as achievements. This goes beyond saying that you’ve managed a team. You need to demonstrate this in terms of guidance and direction.

#5 Education

Most recruiters will review your education the first time they scan your resume. Unless you have a recent degree, which might be a new MBA, education should appear at the bottom of your resume. If you’re a recent grad or pursuing a degree you may want to include information on relevant courses.

#6 Modern Format

While strong content is essential, you’ll need to package it in a fresh, modern document if you want to stand out from your competition. Make sure you’re not sending out a resume that looks like your secretary, or mom, typed it for you. If you don’t want to hire a professional at least pick up a resume writing book like Resumes For Dummies.

When you’re first starting out you may get away with a boring resume that focuses on your duties and responsibilities. However, once you’ve reached the executive level, or are pursuing those roles, you need to step it up. To edge out your competition you need a compelling resume that demonstrates your value in an engaging, easy-to-read format.