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by Catherine Kaputa
Your resume is the often first impression you make on a potential employer or business associate. And first impressions are important. That first minute read of your resume decides whether your resume gets pitched in the circular file, or whether you're perceived as a six-figure candidate who can add value to the organization and called in for a meeting. Your resume also helps people position you and compare you to other candidates -- and a great resume can pre-sell you before you get the interview. That's why it's important that your resume is a marketing document for an senior executive. And the higher you go in your career, the harder your resume needs to work in marketing you and your accomplishments so that you stand apart from other competitors. Here are guidelines for creating a winning executive resume: 1. View your resume as an ad for the brand, You. Most resumes are a laundry list of skills and jobs written in "corporate speak" with no focus or message. Develop a single minded positioning for yourself that differentiates you from others and is relevant to your target market. The resume should tell the story of that positioning and link the various aspects of your career in a coherent whole. Keeping the ad analogy, make sure the resume looks graphically appealing. Not only is the content dramatically different in a resume that is an effective branding document, the layout makes the resume exciting and eye-catching. You're half way there when you have a message and appearance that breaks through the clutter. 2. Use the Profile statement to position yourself and grab attention. Your profile at the top of your resume is like he headline in an ad or the hook in a magazine article.. The profile should identify who you are, what sets you apart from others, and the value added your bring to a job. A profile should not only differentiate you, it should convey a compelling reason to choose you and not the other people you are competing against. Here's an example: Before Profile for a Sales Executive Summary
There are two key problems with this Profile: One, it uses generalities and clichés we've seen before in hundreds of resumes. Secondly, it does not differentiate this senior sales executive from other people with similar experience.
3. Use a Celebrity Endorsement. As the saying goes, the best advertising is word of mouth - endorsements from satisfied customers. And the ultimate endorsement is the celebrity endorsement. For your resume, we're not talking about getting a testimonial from an actual celebrity. But, rather, asking a former boss, senior executive, client or colleague if they would provide a quote about you and your abilities, or about a project your worked on. You can place the senior executive's endorsement statement right after the Profile at the beginning of your resume or as part of an Achievement Addendum at the end. Here's an example.
4. Use action words and specifics to tell a "story" about your job accomplishments. Here are some examples:
5. Include a compelling Achievements Page. An Achievements page as an addendum is a relatively new device used by senior executives to set their accomplishments apart and serve as the "clincher" in the sale. A resume can do a lot in selling you, but an Achievement Addendum is the something more than often makes the critical difference is choosing you, and not the other guy. Putting together an Achievement Addendum demands some intense work on your part, in identifying career defining achievements, things you have done that meant a lot to you, help define your brand, and are compelling to your target audience. Headline the top of the page with something like: "Resume Addendum * Critical Leadership Initiatives " or other title that best suits your situation, such as "Key Campaigns" or "Major Engagements" or "Important Design Projects" Tell the story about three or four major initiatives you were involved with in a case study format. Formats that work well are a small story set up, followed by a "Results" paragraph and a "Strengths" paragraph, or a "Challenge", followed by "Action" and "Results." Here is an example:
Because the Achievement Addendum doesn't have the usual resume trappings and set's up key projects in an involving way, it can generate a lot of interest and discussion during the job interview process. It will put you and your accomplishments on the radar screen of the people you need to impress.
Catherine Kaputa is a brand strategist and author of U R a BRAND! How Smart People Brand Themselves for Business Success (www.urabrand.com). She is founder of SelfBrand, a brand consultancy that works with companies, products, and individuals (www.selfbrand.com).
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