CEO
Your resume has never been more important than when applying for a CEO position. Use our list of executive skills to build a CEO resume that shows off your talents and elevates you above the competition.
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Home Resume Examples Executive Resume
| By Ida Pettersson | Reviewed by Conrad Benz
As an executive, you need an authoritative application. Download and customize one of our 5+ executive resume samples, and make sure to check out our professional writing tips and executive cover letter example before you create your resume.
Your resume has never been more important than when applying for a CEO position. Use our list of executive skills to build a CEO resume that shows off your talents and elevates you above the competition.
Find out how to maximize space on your resume to show off your professional achievements with our CFO resume example and writing tips.
If you’re seeking a chief information officer position (CIO), learn how to write a CIO resume that will impress hiring managers and get you an interview with our expert writing tips and downloadable CIO resume example.
Prove to the Board of Directors that you have what it takes to bring the company success by downloading and customizing our free CTO resume example.
Are you a chief operating officer seeking a new position? Our COO resume example and expert writing tips will help you impress the board of directors and land a job.
Not sure how to format your resume? Copy and customize this executive resume template:
Executive Resume Example
FIRST AND LAST NAME
Email: professional-email@gmail.com
Phone: (123) 456-7891
Address: Street, City, State
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yourprofile
Professional Profile
Entrepreneurial and driven Chief Executive, with 20 years of leading industry expertise in founding numerous companies in domestic and international marketplaces. Facilitator and builder of world-class technology management and product development teams, with specialty in both start-up and scaled growth stages. Proven fundraising and networking skills, building fruitful partnerships with hundreds of clients and delivering multimillion-dollar bottom-line growth.
Core Competencies
Executive Experience
Provide visionary leadership for $10.5 million technology company offering cloud-based Platform as a Service (PaaS) for natural gas industry in the Midwest.
Key Achievements
Brought on to deliver and manage market growth for cloud and logistics consultancy firm for warehouse industry companies.
Key Achievements
Education
Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, 1998
Purdue University, 1993
As a C-suite executive, you’ll be directly responsible for the future of the business. Whether you’re the CEO, CIO, or CTO, the direction the company takes and whether it succeeds or not will largely depend on your decisions.
As an applicant for an executive-level role, you’ll be up against extremely tough competition. Your competitors will possess deep expertise in their field, and they’ll have had plenty of time to hone their skills throughout their career.
To bring attention to the skills and qualities that make you the best candidate for the job, use our professional executive resume examples and writing tips for inspiration when you create your own resume.
As an applicant with years of relevant experience in your field, you should choose a resume format that shows off your professional qualifications.
A chronological resume is a solid choice because it emphasizes your work experience by listing your job titles from most recent to least recent. However, the best executive resume format that truly makes your resume stand out is the combination resume.
A combination resume places your core competencies front and center, immediately commanding the attention of search committee members. It also includes a large work experience section, giving you plenty of space to expand upon your most impressive accomplishments as an executive.
The education section on a combination resume takes up the least space, which is ideal if you’re applying for C-suite positions because a college degree is likely the least relevant part of your background.
A resume profile is a type of resume introduction that’s used to catch the reader’s attention and convince them to read the rest of your resume.
Your executive resume profile should provide a compelling, informative, and concise snapshot of your career, as well as give HR directors, majority shareholders, and the Board of Directors insight into why you’re the best candidate to take on a leadership position within the company.
Here’s a good example of a convincing resume profile for an executive:
Entrepreneurial and driven Chief Executive with 20+ years of leading industry expertise in founding companies in domestic and international marketplaces. Facilitator and builder of world-class technology management and product development teams, with specialty in both start-up and scaled growth stages. Proven fundraising and networking skills, building fruitful partnerships with hundreds of clients and delivering multimillion-dollar bottom-line growth.
This resume profile is effective because it demonstrates the candidate’s ability to build successful companies over a 20-year career while showcasing their expertise in the tech industry and business acumen.
All job seekers should quantify their resumes, but it’s especially crucial for executives. There are a few reasons for this:
Prove that you’re capable of delivering tangible results by providing quantified examples of your previous successes in your bullet points. Optionally, highlight your greatest accomplishments in a separate “Key Achievements” section on your resume.
To quantify your resume, follow the simple formula below:
Here are two good examples of what quantified resume bullet points on an executive resume should look like:
- Expanded market share for Intraserve, Inc. data access service from 30% to 47% over two years, increasing profit margins by 40%
- Created enterprise software suite to assist business flows, event flows, and GUI frames with over $110 million in revenue
When it comes to resume writing, it’s always better to show than tell. Using numbers and percentages to back up your claims proves that you’re able to drive results, a key quality that the most successful business executives possess.
Executive resumes are often longer than regular resumes, making it even more important to ensure the first half is compelling and emphasizes your most relevant information. This way, board members are more likely to read it to the end.
Listing core competencies on your resume is key to making a good first impression and complements your resume profile by emphasizing your most marketable skills. Place your core competencies section at the top of your resume for maximum impact, like this candidate does:
The candidate in the example above also uses strategic resume keywords that spotlight the abilities that’ll help them succeed in a leadership role at their target company.
Given the amount of experience required to land an executive role, you’ll probably struggle to fit all your accomplishments on one page. Luckily, this isn’t necessary. Submitting a two-page resume or even three-page resume is considered acceptable for an executive.
However, this doesn’t mean you should include all of your work experience just to try to fill all three pages. Keeping your resume brief will help you cut out redundant information and make it more impactful. So how do you decide what achievements should be included and what you can cut?
The first step is to find out as much as you can about the company and its goals. Speak with any connections you have, study the company’s mission and vision, and make sure you’re up-to-date on relevant industry news. This information will help you craft a resume that demonstrates why your background makes you the ideal person to lead the company going forward.
Now that you understand the goals of your target company and the current challenges that are preventing it from reaching them, add bullet points to your resume that show how you’ve helped businesses overcome similar issues in the past.
Beyond the sections you normally see on a resume (introduction, professional experience, skills, education), there are other sections you should consider adding when applying for an executive role. These include:
Including additional sections is a great way to make particularly impressive achievements stand out and to highlight relevant information that might not fit in elsewhere on your resume.
Skills like communication and teamwork are important in most jobs, including for executives. However, these are likely not the skills that will set you apart from other candidates. Instead, highlight the following skills when writing your executive resume to show you’re prepared to tackle the unique challenges of a high-level position:
As an executive, you’re responsible for guiding and inspiring the team. This requires well-developed leadership skills. Competent leaders help create a positive work environment, improve employee morale, and ensure company success. Employees who feel valued and supported will be more motivated to do their job well, thereby contributing to reaching company goals.
If you’re good at strategic planning, you’ll be better equipped to anticipate future challenges and opportunities. It’s a skill that is essential to setting clear goals and objectives, allocating resources, and prioritizing projects. This, in turn, helps ensure the company is well-positioned to continue to grow and remain competitive.
Executives make high-stakes decisions on a daily basis, meaning search committees will be looking for candidates who are able to make sound decisions that propel the organization forward. Effective decision making involves analyzing data, evaluating potential risks and benefits, considering multiple perspectives, and then making informed decisions based on the information available.
It can be difficult to find quality job listings for executive positions. Use our list of the best job boards for executives for curated job listings that match your experience.
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Ida Pettersson
Committed to empowering job seekers of all experience levels to take the next step in their careers, Ida helps professionals navigate the job hunt from start to finish....
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