Get your reader interested in you with an impactful, unique career summary.
The days of your resume starting out with “Objective: Experienced Executive Sales Manager seeking to ….” are long gone! If you are still using a line like that to open up your executive resume, you may as well realize that your chance of getting selected for an interview is probably long gone as well. Lose the “Objective” and replace that one-liner with a dynamic career summary that pulls the reader in and shows that you have the experience, skills, and credentials to get the job.
A career summary is a brief statement/paragraph at the top of your summary that immediately communicates your qualifications for the job. In just a few sentences, you need to be able to articulate the value you can offer, what you have that makes you more uniquely qualified than others, and why the hiring manager should call you, and only you, in for the interview. A few tips to get you on your way…
The hook…
Clearly define your goals: think about this- if you were already in the interview, what would be the top 3-4 things you would tell the hiring manager about yourself to show you are the one to hire? Now, put those 3-4 things in writing on your career summary.
The line…
Highlight your applicable experience, strengths and skills: incorporate keywords and keyword phrases that are relevant to the position you’re applying for/industry throughout your summary. If the resume is being screened by an ATS program, using the appropriate keywords will help to ensure that your resume will get selected from the pile. If you have space, you can even share an achievement that shows how you’ve increased sales or revenue, improved productivity, implemented a new program―how you’ve created value for others during your career. You can also include the job title or a little bit about your personal brand in your summary to make an even stronger connection.
Reel em’ in…
Build them up and leave them wanting to know more: you’ve made your point, now conclude your summary with a catchy phrase that shows the impact you have made in your career for your past employers.
Here are examples of what we found at the top of two resumes submitted by candidates applying for the same position with an association:
Objective: Experienced candidate seeking to work as an executive for a large company where I can grow my skills and expertise in the field.
Executive Summary: Entrepreneurial leader accomplished in designing game-changing strategies to propel growth and membership within sales associations. Valued for providing insight, evaluating current practices, identifying market trends, and achieving unprecedented results. Expertise in developing strong and sustainable solutions to maximize partner retention and affinity relations, facilitate expansion, and generate revenue growth. Capable of building strong relationships with business partners and influencing at all levels to generate results.
Which candidate would you call in for an interview?
There is nothing more satisfying than watching someone progress in their career, and a strategically-written resume is a great place to start. Recruiters and hiring managers want to be sold on you as a candidate in the first few seconds they spend on your resume―you have to be able to show your ROI with high-value information to keep the reader interested in learning more about you.
Go a step further and use your summary on your resume as the basis for your summary on your LinkedIn profile. Nobody wants to see “I am seeking a job as a Sales Executive” in the “About” section on your profile. You have 2,000 characters to sell yourself in the “About” section. Include a brief summary, some bulleted achievements, and your most relevant strengths and expertise to show all you offer in just a few quick seconds. Make it personal and creative―let the reader see who you are, how you operate, and how you can impact their organization if they hire you.
So, to answer the question in the title of this article, you need to lose the “Objective” you’re still showing on your resume and replace it with a dynamic career summary that markets you as the best fit for the employer’s needs. When written and presented the right way, a strong career summary statement at the beginning of your resume will not just introduce you to the reader, but more importantly will effectively convey that YOU are the ideal candidate for the job, right from the get-go.
Five Goal Suggestions That Will Advance Your Executive Job Search
Any executive knows you can’t reach a goal you don’t set. This is why most of the successful executives have clear goals and paths to reach those goals. You can spend hours trying to write resumes that get you hired, but if your goals don’t align with your experience, then it’s time to re-evaluate your circumstances. An executive job search can take a toll on you after a while, but when you take these five goal suggestions to heart, you may find you’re able to expedite the process a little more.
1. Become More Diversified
Companies today want to hire executives who can wear many hats and wear them all well. You may have extensive experience in one particular area, but consider diversifying your knowledge and experiences to get recognized more easily. The best resume writing service always suggests diversifying your skills as much as possible to help you land the job you desire.
2. Increase Your Networking Efforts
There’s never a bad time to expand your network. You can network with people online or in person at different events, so there’s no excuse not to grow your network this year. Networking is also one of the best ways to improve your c-level personal branding, since potential employers can put a face to a name on a resume.
3. Provide Mentorship
If you have many years of experience as an executive, you should consider mentoring an up-and-coming executive. Not only will this looking impressive when writing resumes that get you hired, but you also may learn a thing or two by teaching someone else. Helping others is one of the best ways to advance in a career, and it’s also one of the best ways to land an executive position.
4. Enroll in a Continuing Education Program
Some executives think they know everything about their industry, but there are always new things you can learn. The best resume writing service sometimes suggests continuing your education to fill in gaps between employment. Not only will you learn some new things, but you’ll also show your ambition when submitting your resume to potential employers.
5. Re-evaluate Your Goals
One of your goals should also be to re-evaluate your existing goals. Circumstances may change, or you may have set goals too aggressively or conservatively. Whatever the situation is, it’s always a positive to re-evaluate your goals to ensure you stay on the right path in your executive job search. Professional Resume Services wants to help you find the executive job you desire as quickly as possible. Writing resumes that get you hired is only one part of the equation. Feel free to contact us to inquire about other goals you could set for yourself.
One of the biggest questions for many executives is whether it’s worth bothering with referrals when searching for a new job. Some people feel it’s unnecessary, especially if you have a lot of work experience. However, with the importance of networking in today’s business world, referrals ultimately go hand-in-hand. Even executive resume services will tell you to find the best referrals you can and combine them with networking to accelerate your job hunt. Here are answers to the common question of whether referrals are worth it.
The Right Referrals Can Help
You can’t just ask anyone for a referral and expect them to help you get the job. The best cover letter writing service will suggest to reach out to someone you know and trust, like a former boss, co-worker or simply a professional contact who knows you well. The secret is to not only find referrals you know well, but also find people who have a mutual connection within the industry or company you want to work in. Companies want to hire people who they know or think they know well. Having a mutual connection is the best way to create that spark.
Don’t Focus Solely on the Job With Referrals
If you don’t have any mutual connections off the top of your head, you can use a service like LinkedIn to find them. The best resume writing service can help you locate different leads to get started with the process. You just have to remember these potential connections are people, too, and you won’t seem very approachable if you start talking about yourself right off the bat. Instead, take a personable approach and give the person compliments on their profile, accomplishments and anything else you see. You’ll likely get a better response as a result and can talk more about achievements and how they got there before talking about yourself.
Talking to a Hiring Manager About a Referral
When you have a solid referral or two, you’ll have to talk to the hiring manager about them. A cover letter writing service can help you say all the right things about your mutual connection in the cover letter, but it’s up to you once you get an interview. Figure out what common traits you share with your mutual connection. If the hiring manager feels like they are hiring someone they know, you’ll be more likely to get the job. Professional Resume Services has helped executives get the best referrals to expedite their job search. If you’re unsure whether you have the right referrals, or if you need the assistance of executive resume services, feel free to reach out to us at any time.
Should You Use a Resume Builder for Your Executive Resume?
Resume builders can be helpful for people who need a starting point for crafting their executive resume. However, since most resume builders are limited in what they can do, they can’t be relied on completely most of the time. Many executives use executive resume writing services in addition to an online resume builder to help give the resume a professional appearance. Here are a few points you should remember when using a resume builder for your executive resume.
Resume Builders Can Be Good Starting Points
These programs are great for giving your executive resume a clean and professional look. They can even make your executive bio stand out if you are having a hard time doing it yourself. A lot of executives have the hardest time getting started with the format and appearance of their resumes, so a resume builder is a great resource to use to get started.
Don’t Rely on Online Resume Builders
While resume builders are great starting points, they shouldn’t be totally relied on. The people who have the most success landing a job interview by using a resume builder are involved in customer service, retail, sales and similar industries. It doesn’t mean those professions aren’t important; it just means those are the most in-demand positions at any given time, so the resume builders are programmed to meet those needs. From an executive standpoint, online resume builders may not give you everything you need to properly highlight your skills and accomplishments.
Professional Resume Writers Are Better Options for Executives
If you’re building your resume for an executive position, your time and energy would be better spent using the best resume writing service. You can actually talk to people in order to highlight your achievements, and those people are specialized in helping people land executive jobs. Many executives will bypass the online resume builder completely, but it’s generally encouraged to do some work upfront before you talk to a service. At the very least, you should write your executive bio in your own words, so a professional can critique it and learn exactly what you’re looking for in your executive position. There’s never anything wrong with using an online resume builder, but there’s nothing like using the best resume writing service. We are always open to helping you with your resume or locating an online resume builder, so feel free to reach out to us.
Could a Temporary Position Really Lead to Full-Time Work?
Holding a temporary job is nothing to be ashamed of, whether it’s an entry level or executive level position. Many people who have trouble finding work turn to staffing agencies to help place them in temporary positions. However, if you play your cards right, a temp job could be permanent before you know it. The reality is some companies may not be in a good position financially to hire a permanent employee, but they might be in a better position several months or a year down the road. Here are some of the benefits of a temporary job and how they might lead to full-time work.
You Gain Valuable Experience
When you are a temporary employee, you not only gain experience, but also the specific experience for the company you’re working for. Once you have a few months of experience under your belt, you can consider hiring the best resume writing service to brush up your resume. It’s possible you’ll be interviewed for a full-time position at your temp job. At the least, you’ll have valuable experience to add to your resume.
Don’t Act Like a Temporary Employee
The biggest mistake temps make is acting like they are only going to be at the job for a few months. Instead, show interest in the company and the work you’re doing and get involved as much as you can. If you act like you’re a full-time employee, it will make more sense for the company to bring you on full-time when they’re able to. Once you’re ready, acover letter writing service can help you make sure you look as good on paper as you do in person from a professional standpoint.
Network as Much as Possible
Networking is especially beneficial if you want your temporary executive job to become permanent. With the help of anexecutive resume writer, you can craft the perfect resume to hand out to the right people once you get acquainted with the company you’re working for. Depending on the size of the organization, you can talk to people from different departments to get your name out there. You may not be interested in the work other departments do, but you never know who you will meet in the process.
Do More Than What’s Asked
Being a temporary employee is tough because you don’t want to overstep your boundaries. However, there’s nothing wrong with going above and beyond the work you’re supposed to do. Being engaged with your work and asking questions about systems and processes will show you care about the job and will likely give you consideration when the company is looking for a full-time employee. The best resume writing service can only help you if you have the experience to back it up.
If you’re going to spend a lot of time writing an effective resume, you might as well know the secrets to making it pop. You only have a few seconds to impress a recruiter before they move on to the next resume. Resume writing is an art not many people have mastered, but the ones who understand it will have a higher likelihood of landing the job they desire. Here are four ways you may not have known could help your resume stand out! Targeting Is Key Thebest resume writing service will advise you to target every aspect of your resume. Mention the specific job you’re applying for and your exact accomplishments. Avoid putting in accomplishments not relevant to the job you want, no matter how good it looks. The hiring manager is only interested in what you can do for them so they won’t care about a certain accomplishment if it doesn’t translate to their job. Repeat Keywords Keywords are tricky because you don’t always know which ones recruiters are looking for. Instead of being general about skills and accomplishments, be specific. A professional resume writing service can help you identify keywords based on the job you’re applying for. The more you use keywords throughout your resume, the more likely your resume will be noticed. Just be careful not to saturate your resume to the point where it reads unnaturally. Try checking out the job description you are looking at for more keywords. Tailor Your Resume to the Job You’re Searching For Anyprofessional resume writing service will tell you there’s nothing worse than using the same resume for different jobs. Recruiters can easily identify when someone just blindly sends their resume to them. Put in a few statements about how you will help their company based on your research about them. Showing you’ve researched the company and understand their needs will go a long way in making your resume stand out. Use a Performance Profile Your performance profile should show how your skills match the objectives of the company and the ability to do the job you’re applying for. A good tip is to look at the job and skill requirements on the job posting and incorporate those points in your performance profile. Many companies will use the keywords they’re looking for in their job description so that’s a great way to target your resume to the job and match your performance capabilities with their job opening. In today’s busy world, getting your resume to stand out among the rest can seem like an impossible task. By using these four tips, you should see more success.
How to Create a Software Engineering Resume That Will Get You Hired
As you probably already know, software engineering jobs are in demand, but there is also a pretty saturated talent pool. The competition is so strong, you may think you have the best resume, but one minor mistake could get yours thrown out of the pool and you’ll never know it. There isn’t one specific key to writing an effective resume to get you hired in the software engineering industry, but there are some steps you can take to give yourself the best chance at landing the job you want. Here are some things to consider when constructing your resume.
1. Highlight Your Website or Blog
We aren’t just talking about social media accounts here. If you want to be a software engineer, but don’t have your own personal website, it’s time to get one immediately. Even the best resume writing service won’t be able to highlight your attributes if they don’t have something tangible to point to. This is one of the best ways to showcase your talents and abilities and let your work speak for itself.
2. Don’t Be Generic
You don’t have to create an entirely new resume for every job you apply for, but you do need to at least tailor it to the specific position. When writing an effective resume, you need to make the employer see that you know what the position entails. If the job description asks for qualifications with documentation, systems analysis, data usage, product specifications, work processes, etc., detail clearly in your resume how you have done that. If it asks for special skills like liaising with, or training users, show how you’ve worked with users in previous roles. Follow the job description for clues as to what needs to be a priority on your resume.
3. Craft a Good Cover Letter
Some of the best cover letters are short, sweet and to the point. No recruiter is going to spend time reading a cover letter extending any longer than a few short paragraphs. A cover letter writing service can help you pinpoint what needs to be written in the letter to ensure you catch the reader’s attention. If you don’t have a good cover letter, there’s a chance your resume won’t even be seen.
4. Use Proper Keywords
Many recruiters will scan your resume and cover letter for keywords related to the open position. If you don’t have any present in your resume, it will likely get pushed to the side or trashed. Keywords can be difficult to identify, but they are critical to include. Again, use the job description to help you find the keywords. Consider hiring one of the best resume writing services if you struggle with the keywords. You definitely don’t want missing keywords to be the reason why you don’t get a shot at the job you want.
We know creating the perfect resume can be difficult, so if you have any questions along the way, feel free to get in touch with us at any point in the process!
Five Lesser Known Facts to Potentially Include on Your Resume
Resumes are hard work. As one of the leading teams of executive resume writers, we’ve witnessed this fact up close several times over and we understand. It’s tricky to know just how to market yourself and appeal to potential employers, regardless of what industry you’re in. To help make it easier, we’ve put together this list of potentially great additions to your resume that could be of interest to a recruiter!
1. Qualifications
This could be a great piece of information to list about yourself as an alternative to the “objective” section of your resume. This is a surefire way to appeal to employers because it gives them an idea of what you’re capable of right away and reveals the most important aspects of what makes you hire-able.
Depending on what the job posting says, you may want to go into more detail with this section. Consider including how long you’ve utilized this particular skill in the workforce, as well as anything else that will help you look especially qualified, such as any related professional skills.
2. Titles
When you’re listing out your prior work experience on your executive resume bio, don’t skirt around your position there! Titles are an extremely important indicator of your status within the company and could generate further interest from a recruiter. They also give potential employers a better idea of what your responsibilities were at your previous jobs and what they can expect from you should they hire you to work for them.
3. Details and Numbers
Specificity can catch an employer’s eye, not just in the realm of job titles, but also in terms of your responsibilities and accomplishments while there. Don’t be afraid to brag a little, but be sure to stay truthful! Include precise numbers when talking about how you’ve made a difference in your previous positions. This includes percentages and other quantifiers. Recruiters will latch on to this and keep it in mind.
4. Languages
While bilingualism wasn’t necessarily as desired in the past, it is becoming increasingly important to today’s recruiters, especially as industries across the board become increasingly international. If you speak any additional languages, it may be a good idea to include them on your resume, depending on what your field is. Though it’s a small detail, it could create an important tipping point as far as whether you’re called in for an interview or not.
5. Education
Again, adding in your education depends largely on the type of job you’re applying for and, potentially, how long you’ve been out of school. Your educational history will be more important if you’re a recent graduate as opposed to a seasoned professional who earned their last degree 15 years ago. However, if the job you’re applying for wants a degree of a certain type, it may be a good idea to include your degree information if it matches, regardless of how long it’s been since you received it.
While these suggestions aren’t guaranteed to get you hired, they could serve as an eye-catching factor for an employer. Of course, to make your resume a true standout, you’ll want to turn to the best resume writing service available. Never hesitate to get in touch and learn the newest tips and tricks for fine-tuning your resume!
