5 Worst CISO Resume Blunders

Not mentioning achievements

A good CISO resume will demonstrate the candidate’s achievements and not just their skills. See also The Best Cybersecurity Resumes. Providing a recruiter with specific examples of how the candidate has succeeded in the past is what generates an interview. Failing to mention what they have achieved in their previous work experiences regarding management and leadership skills is a mistake that could mean your CISO resume could be overlooked. It is not about stating how great you are as a candidate but demonstrating how great you are for their organization by matching your accomplishments with their needs and requirements. It is a common resume mistake to present your experience as duties and responsibilities instead of marketing your achievements. Do not just tell them that you managed the team but how you did and the results.

Not demonstrating your executive skills

The candidate should be able to initiate conversations regarding the evolution of security practices while keeping the executive team updated on current and future risks. They should be able to create an action plan for the future which is realistic, presentable, and executable. They also need to be able to effectively communicate the risk-taking ability of the organization with other leaders of the organization. Most importantly, having the mindset of adopting any new technologies that are available.  Not presenting your ability to strategize, your executive-level skills, and your experience is a huge mistake on your CISO Resume. Show potential employers that you can lead a Cybersecurity Team as well as collaborate with the Board of Directors or Corporate Executives. You need to think about the skills required for the job, not just what skills you have. The best CISO resumes clearly demonstrate the candidate’s ability to lead and their executive experience.

Getting too much into the technicalities

While it is important that a CISO candidate’s technical information of security are up to date, but that does not mean to fill up their CISO resume and cover letter with extra information so that it becomes impossible to understand. The people who are reviewing a candidate’s career documents may not be experts in Cybersecurity Security. Candidates forget that they are not giving their resume to an IT security expert but to the CEO or the Board of Directors, who are looking for leadership skills and expertise.

Not using the right Keywords

In the current era of LinkedIn and advanced social media tools, recruiters use ATS (applicant tracking tool) systems to shortlist the candidates they are considering hiring, so it is crucial to make sure your cybersecurity resume has the right keywords. It is also important to “tweak” your CISO resume for each position you apply to, as each recruiter will use different keywords. Each hiring manager or recruiter will decide which keywords are the most relevant for their business. You may have the right skills but if they are not presented properly it could be a huge mistake. Not having the right keywords could mean your resume ends up on the rejected pile without ever being seen by a human, let alone be interviewed for the position.

Appropriate formatting and avoiding mistakes  

And the final and fatal resume mistakes that CISOs can make on their resumes and cover letters is to have errors. An organization is not going to trust their security to someone who is not attentive and meticulous. Obvious spelling mistakes and poor grammar do not present the candidate in the best light. It is also vital to ensure the resumes are well represented and formatted. Bulleted achievement statements with bolded results draw a recruiter’s eye and allow them to determine they want more information about the candidate quickly. The best CISO Resumes are either one or two pages. They should be well organized, with executive qualities and recent positions at the top of the resume. It is also imperative that the information on a candidate’s CISO Resumes matches their CISO LinkedIn and other online profiles. Your job dates and job titles must match. Inconsistencies between your CISO Resume, Cover Letter, and your LinkedIn Profile are red flags for recruiters and other HR professionals.

To summarize

If you are on the search for a new CISO position, please avoid these five resume mistakes! The worse mistakes CISOs make on their resumes are not presenting their achievement or leadership qualities. The other three resume mistakes are using too much technical jargon or having the wrong keywords, typos, or formatting errors.  If you are making these resume mistakes, maybe it is time to look at your resume. Remember, having a great resume is the first step to presenting yourself as the right fit for your next job. Do you need professional assistance to update your resume? We can help. We are a multi-award-winning professional resume service that offers the Chief Information Security Officer Resume Writing Service. We won the Best IT Resume for 2020. If you are a CISO Candidate, we can assist you with your job search by using our recruiting experience to create a winning resume for you! Book a free CISO resume review using this calendar link.