Why Writing Your Own Executive Resume Might Not Be the Best Idea

Nancy Anderson
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It is essentials for professionals to have an executive resume on hand, but producing a document that thoroughly explores your skills and experience is a challenge. In fact, it may be necessary to enlist the help of a recruiter within your industry to avoid the following common resume mistakes.

Producing a Generic Resume

As an executive, your skills are specialized and should be highlighted. Your executive resume should also target a specific audience within your industry versus including generic information from a template that can be used for any position or field. Make sure your application materials target professionals within your industry. Only include information that relates to the position and your management experience. Research the job description and the company to include keywords that are relevant and trackable within online applicant tracking systems.

A Lack of Branding

When you have ample experience, and have established a name for yourself, you must then establish and create a personal brand that you will use to sell your skills and experience to prospective employers. This entails not only creating an executive resume during your job search that showcases your professionalism, but also establishing an online presence. Make sure that you have a professional website on display that illustrates your skills and represents your brand. Evaluate your bios on social media platforms such as LinkedIn to make sure you are professionally illustrating your brand.

Making Application Materials Engaging

The last thing you want to do is bore hiring managers, causing them to lose interest in your executive resume and your abilities. Make your cover letter and resume engaging so your application materials end up at the top of the pile. Avoid using vague information in a summary, and instead, tell a story or narrative that defines your brand. You don't have to stick with the standard template for a resume when you have skills and experience that is impressive.

Adjusting the Length

Many resumes are only one to two pages long. However, when you have years of experience as a professional, it can be hard trying to jam all of this information into a small amount of space. An executive resume is commonly longer than most resumes, so feel free to extend the length of your document to fully articulate your background. Break up long paragraphs into shorter ones so you are focusing on just one idea per paragraph to enhance the readability of your application materials.

While you may attempt to compile application materials that are professional, the reality is that you may need the assistance of a mentor or professional coach or recruiter to polish your executive resume before starting your job search. Seek advice and feedback to ensure your cover letter and resume fully illustrate your skills, experience and professionalism to capture the attention of prospective employers.


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