Executive Resumes Don't Brand Themselves

Executive Resumes

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At least twice a week clients will ask me if their resumes have enough branding–specifically, executive branding. Does their resume accurately reflect their expertise and what they are recognized for? Can I tell what their brand might be? Usually, my answer to these questions is NO.
Your executive brand doesn’t always speak for itself, especially if your resume is basically a job description of what you’ve been doing. No, you have to sprinkle aspects of your brand throughout your resume and let your reader know who you are.

How Do You Make Your Brand Stand Out on Your Resume?

Your brand is something that makes you uniquely you. You’ve had a steady career progression and along the way have honed your skills, learned new things, and carved out a name for yourself. You have distinguished yourself from others this way. You’ve also used your qualities to guide you to the next level in your career.
A brand is an evolution of where you are today. It communicates your value to the reader. Have you Googled yourself lately? What comes up in the searches next to your name? That will help you realize your brand.
To represent your brand on your executive resume, make a list of 5-10 strengths and personal attributes that describe you. Are these strengths and attributes on your resume? If a reader were to glance at your resume, would they be able to tell within 10-20 seconds what your brand is, who you are, and what you bring to the table? Is the first half of your resume selling the reader on your brand?
I know sometimes this can feel like a difficult thing to do. Many of our clients tell us they have this information but are unsure of how to incorporate that into their resume. There is help for that. There are many talented executive resume writers who specialize in executive branding and can walk through it with you. Whether you hire someone to help you with that or do it yourself, the most important thing is that your resume is infused with your unique brand.

LinkedIn Profile
LinkedIn, as well as other forms of social networking and online branding, is a great tool for getting your name out there to employers. But in order for LinkedIn to work for you, then you need to make sure your profile is complete and written in a way that supports your career goals.
Here are a few things you need to ensure you include on your profile:
The first thing you can do is add a photo of yourself. It is very simple. Click on the square with a person in it on the left of your name and add a photo. Your profile photo should be clear and professional looking. Adding a photo will help potential employers see who you are as well as will help them to recognize you when you come in for an interview.
Next, upload the most relevant information from your resume. Include a brand statement, professional summary, specific jobs and achievements,and any significant career highlights. Don’t forget to add information to your “Skills” list. You can either use the LI format, or simply put your best areas of expertise with your professionaly summary. Finish up with your education credentials and any applicable certifications.
Finally, there is a button on the top right hand side of your profile that says, “Improve Profile.” Click on this button and you will be led step by step through sections that will make your profile look even more impressive. The sections range from courses you took in school to languages you speak.
These few steps will not only help you create a complete profile on LinkedIn, but it will also help you create a professional and impressive one.