Executive Resume Examples: How-To-Guide & Samples
An executive resume is often the first thing a potential employer or recruiter will see when considering you for a job. It is your chance to make a strong and lasting first impression, and to demonstrate your professional brand and value proposition. Executive resumes are often some of the most complex resumes to write because there are more things that you need to consider.
Every industry has different requirements for executive-level resumes. C-level executives need to list specific goals and accomplishments from their past jobs that directly relate to the skills needed for the position.
We’ve included for you below:
- Real Executive Resume Samples (which actually helped our clients land their dream job)
- How to write an Executive Resume
- Executive Resume Summary
- Expert Tips for Executive Resume
Quick Links:
- Administration & Operations Executive Resume Examples
- IT Executive Resume Examples
- Finance Executive Resume Examples
- Sales Executive Resume Examples
- Marketing Executive Resume Examples
- Human Resource (HR) Executive Resume Samples
- Legal/ Compliance Executive Resume Examples
- Business Development Executive Resume Examples
Table of Contents
- Administration & Operations Executive Resume Examples
- IT Executive Resume Examples
- Finance Executive Resume Examples
- Sales Executive Resume Examples
- Marketing Executive Resume Examples
- Human Resources (HR) Executive Resume Examples
- Legal/ Compliance Executive Resume Examples
- Business Development Executive Resume Examples
- How to write an Executive Resume
- Executive Resume Summary
Administration & Operations Executive Resume Examples
Expert Tip: Your resume should showcase not only what you’ve done, but also the kind of executive you are – your leadership style, your strategic thinking, and your ability to drive result.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Resume
Chief Operations Officer (COO) Resume
Chief of Staff (COS) Resume
Vice President (VP) of Operations Resume
Director of Operations Resume
Executive Director Resume
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IT Executive Resume Examples
Expert Tip: Your resume should showcase not only your technical skills and leadership abilities but also your understanding of how IT can drive business success.
Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Resume
Chief Information Officer (CIO) Resume
Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Resume
VP of IT Resume
IT Director Resume
Director of Software Development Resume
Gaming Software Executive Resume
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Finance Executive Resume Examples
Expert Tip: Remember, your resume needs to tell a compelling story of your career, highlighting your finance and leadership achievements. It should make it clear why you are an excellent candidate for the specific finance executive role you are applying for.
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Resume
Finance Executive Resume
Finance Director Resume
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Let us help you land your next position by crafting the best ATS optimized resume or by managing your entire job search. Here’s more information about our Resume Writing Services and Reverse Recruitment Service. Book a call today to speak directly with our CEO and Founder, Arno Markus!
Sales Executive Resume Examples
Expert Tip: Your resume should not just list your past roles and responsibilities. Instead, it should tell a story about your sales achievements, your leadership abilities, and your strategic approach to sales. Make it clear how you can bring value to the company you’re applying to.
Senior Sales Executive Resume
VP of Sales Resume
Sales Director Resume
Sales Leader Resume
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Let us help you land your next position by crafting the best ATS optimized resume or by managing your entire job search. Here’s more information about our Resume Writing Services and Reverse Recruitment Service. Book a call today to speak directly with our CEO and Founder, Arno Markus!
Marketing Executive Resume Examples
Expert Tip: Your resume should tell a compelling story about your marketing career. Make sure it clearly conveys your ability to create and execute successful marketing strategies, and how these have driven business growth.
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Resume
Marketing Executive Resume
VP of Marketing Resume
Marketing Director Resume
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Let us help you land your next position by crafting the best ATS optimized resume or by managing your entire job search. Here’s more information about our Resume Writing Services and Reverse Recruitment Service. Book a call today to speak directly with our CEO and Founder, Arno Markus!
Human Resource (HR) Executive Resume Samples
Expert Tip: Remember, your resume should tell a compelling story about your career in HR, showcasing your ability to lead HR initiatives and drive organizational success.
Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) Resume
Human Resources Executive Resume
HR Business Partner Resume
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Let us help you land your next position by crafting the best ATS optimized resume or by managing your entire job search. Here’s more information about our Resume Writing Services and Reverse Recruitment Service. Book a call today to speak directly with our CEO and Founder, Arno Markus!
Legal/ Compliance Executive Resume Examples
Expert Tip: Your resume should tell a compelling story about your career in law and compliance, demonstrating your ability to ensure regulatory adherence and manage legal risks.
Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) Resume Examples
General Counsel Resume
Attorney Resume
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Let us help you land your next position by crafting the best ATS optimized resume or by managing your entire job search. Here’s more information about our Resume Writing Services and Reverse Recruitment Service. Book a call today to speak directly with our CEO and Founder, Arno Markus!
Business Development Executive Resume Examples
Expert Tip: Your resume should showcase your career in business development, showing your ability to drive growth and form strategic business relationships.
VP of Business Development Resume
Director of Global Business Development Resume
Business Consultant Resume
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iCareerSolutions is one of the Top Professional Resume & LinkedIn Profile Writing Services and Career Counseling Services in the US. The iCS team possesses Industry Certifications and Awards, including the Certified Professional Resume Writer Certification and the 2019 Best Project Manager Resume Writing Award from Career Directors International and the 2018 Best Analyst Resume from the National Resume Writing Association.
How to write an Executive Resume
1. Resume Header: Make sure Recruiters Keep Reading
It seems obvious: there are a lot of executive roles for companies. Chief Technology Officer, Chief Technology Officer, CTO, CSO, etc., and the list continues. There are also lots of other duties which overlap between them. In many cases, a CIO in a company will become CEO/CTO in another firm. Although it is very important to use the same title as the job you applied for in the Header as both CTO and CIO are very similar.
You should not use multiple titles at the same point in your career. It gives the recruiter a mixed signal. You will lose credibility.
Evaluating the impact of a resume header:
The Header is your first impression on hiring managers and recruiters, so make it count. Make sure you use the same title as the job you applied for in your resume header and executive cover letter.
- You want to show that this role is an important part of your career path.
- Make sure you include keywords that highlight the main duties of the job role.
- Be aware that it is becoming increasingly common for recruiters to search on LinkedIn, Google, and social media instead of reading through CVs. So make sure you use keywords on your Linkedin profile, as well as add them to your resume.
- The Header should be concise, yet informative. It should highlight your main skills and highlight the impact you have had on previous roles.
- Use bullet points, as this will show all of your qualifications quickly.
Expert Tip: Executive-level resume requires showcasing your leadership abilities, strategic thinking, and significant achievements in your industry.
Creating a winning executive resume depends upon the level of experience you have, your industry, and what type of position you are applying for. Each resume section is customizable to fit your specific requirements. A good place to start with any executive resume is by focusing in on your Branding Title.
This is not necessarily the same as the exact position you currently hold, but rather the position you are targeting. This branding title should be the top header of your resume.
The fact that you have been in the industry as a Chief Executive Officer X years is not going to impress employers at all. Use your experience to show why you are a good fit for the role.
See also 20 Resume Outline Examples
How do I add contact information to my resume?
If you have a LinkedIn account, 87% of employers check LinkedIn before an interview. If you don’t have a matching online profile you could come across as Willy Wonka rather than Tim Cook. Finally, make your LinkedIn Profile linkable in your executive resume.
Recruiters also consider geographical location when vetting chief executive officer resumes. While including addresses is uncommon now, it is advisable to list your geographic location. This could be a city, state, or area depending upon how it can help you stand out.
2. Resume Summary: Instantly Stand Out At Every Stage
The second section of an executive resume header is usually a Career Profile or Summary which outlines your key qualifications, skills, and achievements that are most relevant to the job you are applying for. This section should always be customized to reflect what type of position you are seeking by using keywords from the job description to drive your content.
Executive resumes should use quantifiable statements, such as “increased sales by 25% over the previous year” but should also provide enough context in order to be justifiable.
The main idea is to use your executive summary as the first impression that employers have of you. It’s not about what you’ve done; instead, focus on what you are trying to achieve in your next position and match your achievements and results to what is in the organizations’ job description.
Executive Resume Summary Example I
Technology and business executive with a track record of fueling next-level company growth, breaking intonewmarketsglobally, and delivering multiple business turnarounds across B2B and B2C markets. Versatile, able to strategize the bigpictureandmanage the fine details. Drove unprecedented growth at Oracle and Amazon. Took a start-up to $10Min revenue in 2years. Hands-on leader who builds hard-hitting management teams, wins board buy-in, and infuses a culture of innovation and sharedsuccess.
Executive Resume Summary Example II
50 years of victory in driving brand awareness, lead generation, and explosive business growth across North America, Europe, and Asia with Fortune 50 customers. Savvy, data-driven strategist in B2B and B2C marketing, including new market entry, product management, product launches, and multi-channel development. Analytical, working cross-functionally, leading teams of 70+ through training, coaching, and mentoring.
Executive Resume Summary Example III
20+ years of expertise in driving profitability, business growth, and operational excellence. Transformational change catalyst who continually challenges the status quo and pioneers “future-proof” strategies. History of creating synergies between stakeholders, departments, and teams while building consensus on priorities.
3. Work Experience
Executive resume experience section is a place to list and present your top-level professional experience. You will highlight all the key positions you held, highlight what you got from each job and highlight your areas of expertise. The focus here is on leadership roles and responsibilities, with an emphasis on soft skills such as team building or mentoring.
The objective is to instantly draw the reader in and capture their attention. The executive resume experience section should be eye-catching, interesting and unique. In order to create this vivid description, focus on you’re the most impressive aspects of your professional life, how you’ve helped businesses succeed, what your roles were and examples of the results you achieved.
4. Skills section: What recruiters really like to see here
All executive roles require many abilities. All executive candidates need skills that will be needed to perform the job and they should then group them into a larger category.
Assign each skill to an appropriate category, such as customer service skills or project management skills. Then group these categories by the overlying goals so that the resume is easier to read. For example, as a Chief Financial Officer, your job is showing leadership in a positive way. You will ensure company administration functions are efficiently managed which requires strong leadership, communication, and analytical skills. Your resume needs a strong list of hard Chief Financial Officer work skills such as accounting and financial knowledge, change management skills, business development, marketing strategies, and entrepreneurship.
5. Education and Certification Section
Your should highlight the degree you received and many certifications. We’ve included example of Education and Certification Section below:
6. Include Executive Cover Letter
Make sure that you include an executive cover letter that highlights your professional experience and biggest achievements.
Land your dream job!
Get your Job-Winning Resume Today!
iCareerSolutions is one of the Top Professional Resume & LinkedIn Profile Writing Services and Career Counseling Services in the US. The iCS team possesses Industry Certifications and Awards, including the Certified Professional Resume Writer Certification and the 2019 Best Project Manager Resume Writing Award from Career Directors International and the 2018 Best Analyst Resume from the National Resume Writing Association.
Is it necessary to hire an executive resume writer?
Executive resume writing service under $1000 usually doesn’t guarantee a successful rate of interviews. You will need to be careful as many executive resume writers you find online outsource their work. This means that your resume will not be of the highest quality. The cost of the service depends on how professional they are.
You would also need to consider what industry awards have been achieved, and their background in HR and Recruitment, when choosing a resume writer for executive positions.
Here are the main considerations for hiring resume writers:
- How will I work with them?
- Do they offer one-on-one consultations and revisions?
- What guarantee do they offer on their work?
- Do they have executive resume templates and executive resume samples and awards?
Key Takeaway:
Even if you are given free templates for executive job resumes, it is difficult to write content. Can anyone explain their abilities to someone in their own words? It’s a simple fact that people cannot truly explain what they do to their friends, family, and children. It is only possible through a good resume writer. A resume is not an autobiography of your career, it is really a snapshot of your career that is targeted towards a particular executive-level position.
What do recruiters want to see in your resume?
Recruiters only have a few seconds to scan an executive resume. They are not interested in reading long-winded descriptions of your work history. Their job is to find the right candidate for the available position, so they need all the information they can get within this short amount of time.
Key Takeaway:
If you want to impress a recruiter, try an executive resume template that has the information they are looking for. Arrange your resume into sections that will help them find what they need to know quickly.
Tips for Executive resume: Stand out from the crowd
There are a few key things that you can do to make your executive resume stand out from the rest:
- Tailor your resume to match the requirements of the role
- Use Correct Resume Format
- Write ATS Friendly Resume
- Use Reverse Chronological Format
- Highlight your leadership and management experience
- Make sure your resume doesn't have any spelling or grammar mistakes. Avoid Resume Mistakes
- Create a Targeted Cover Letter
- Unlock Success with Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Friendly Resume!
Let us help you land your next position by crafting the best ATS optimized resume or by managing your entire job search. Here’s more information about our Resume Writing Services and Reverse Recruitment Service. Book a call today to speak directly with our CEO and Founder, Arno Markus!
About the author
Arno Markus BA, MSc., CPRW
iCareerSolutions CEO and Founder
About the author
Arno Markus is a 20X Award-winning Certified Professional Resume Writer and founder of iCareerSolutions. Arno has worked with Fortune 500 Executives, North American Professionals, and Strategic-Thinking Leaders across all industries to assist them in landing Top Positions at Billion-Dollar Companies, Start-Ups, and everything in between.
Active Members of The National Resume Writers’ Association (NRWA) │ The Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches (PARW&CC) │ Career Directors International (CDI) │ Career Professionals (CPC) │ Forbes Coaches Council
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