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What do most executives miss adding to their resumes?
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So, you've worked your way to the top... or you're planning to set the world on fire very soon.
Yet, when you seek that next executive role, something seems to fall flat in the message on your resume, and you're not getting the results you want.
What are you missing?
Chances are, you've added achievements and job descriptions that reflect your stature on the resume, but there's still one major piece yet to emerge: your impact on the COMPANY itself.
Think of it this way: your work carries significance in a way that can't merely be summed up in a bullet point or two, and issuing a brief one-liner on the company's growth trajectory won't cut it for an executive resume.
Assuming that you've had a hand in the firm's strategic direction, profit, or decisions, your effect on the company must take center stage for others to see your executive competencies.
Describing these results can be difficult, as doing so requires that you take a step back and look at your company's progression in addition to your own.
Compounding the problem is the tendency for many executives to self-write resumes that don't touch on this key component. Most books on the subject fail to cover this aspect as well.
The result? A missed opportunity to think in terms of the classic C-A-R formula at the company level, in addition to an individual perspective.
Unfortunately, if your executive resume focuses on individual achievement, you may experience these results:
* You're positioned for a lower-level job than the one you desire
* Hiring authorities are confused as to where you'll fit in their organization
* Recruiters are unable to promote you at a strategic level
* Your personal brand is either not conveyed, or fails to resonate with employers
To counteract this problem, I suggest analyzing your contributions in terms of what your leadership brand means to those around you--even beyond your direct reports, suppliers and vendors, and key alliances.
If you've set the stage for success in ways that are only beginning to emerge, or created environments at your employer's operation that laid a foundation for productivity, revenue, or growth--despite the challenges that came your way--then you're on to something.
Now, it's time to add these aspects of your background to that executive resume, and get ready for better results.
Award-winning executive resume writer Laura Smith-Proulx, CCMC, CPRW, CIC is a global executive resume expert and former recruiter whose resumes have opened doors to prime opportunities at Fortune-ranked corporations. The Executive Director of An Expert Resume, her work has been published in numerous career bestsellers and recognized with top industry accolades.
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