Peer Point-of-View

HOW TO MAKE YOUR EXECUTIVE RSUM RECRUITER-READY

Your rsum may be complete, but is it optimized for the right opportunities? This topic evoked an active discussion on ExecuNets member blog, and weve collected some of your senior-level executive peers best suggestions, advice and tips here for you.

PEER POINT-OF-VIEW
n today's job market, where recruiters are inundated with rsums, a traditional rsum just isn't sufficient to bring candidates and hiring companies together. Candidates need to provide more than just a brief description of their job responsibilities to garner the attention they want and need from the recruiting community. Instead, they need to create a true personal marketing document, showcasing the details surrounding their past successes as well as their potential future value to a new employer. Today's rsum must include not only what you have done, but how well you did it. Your accomplishments are what separate you from the competition, and it's crucial that both search firm recruiters and corporate recruiters quickly see evidence of those achievements in a clean, clear, error-free document. So how do you make a rsum recruiter-ready?
Dont rush! A rsum is your number one marketing vehicle. It requires, and deserves, a ton of attention and should be crafted with care. If you havent spent a lot of time working on it, and reworking it, you havent done justice to the process or the document. And its likely that will be reflected. So take time with it. The more you put into your rsum, the more youll get out of it.
DIRECTOR, TECHNOLOGY

In addition to a rsum, it is helpful to develop a networking brief to send and share with your circle of influence. A networking brief is a one-page summary of your core accomplishments over the past 10 years along with a list of the industries you are interested in marketing your brand to.
EXECUTIVE COACH

Most rsums contain a statement to the effect of, I want a challenging, rewarding job with advancement possibilities that compliment my education and experience. NEVER put your objective! Instead replace what YOU want with what THEY are looking for in the position you are applying. If you turn this around, you will now be addressing their needs versus your own. Start with more of a thesis statement: Through (x) years of executive experience and advanced education, I bring expertise that will compliment your company in the areas of... (specify specific to the job description). Never embellish your rsum beyond your the true scope of your abilities. ALWAYS include a cover letter.
DIRECTOR OF STUDENT SERVICES, EDUCATION

Highlight RESULTS. The bottom line is simply answering what in your history shows that you are the one who will make that recruiter look like a hero by finding the one person who will make the decision-maker's life easier. Show them how you are the answer to their dream, whether it be how much revenue you generated, how much money you saved your previous company or how much money you saved by completing things ahead of schedule.
SENIOR MANAGEMENT ANALYST, GOVERNMENT SERVICES

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PEER POINT-OF-VIEW
After several weeks of personally updating my rsum, I was very comfortable with the content, the formatting and how I was represented capturing my personal brand. I received a lot of response from various companies for different positions. However, something was missing. After working with a professional rsum writer, the couple of things that I felt were missing were cleared up. Additions that made all the difference: Up-to-date professional font and formatting An outlay of accomplishments that were direct and stood out more to readers based on how they were aligned in the rsum Several different opinions to get the best product I would recommend looking into getting a professionally written rsum whether you are getting the response you feel comfortable from hiring personnel or not.
REGIONAL SALES MANAGER, CONSUMER SERVICES

I strongly think that recruiters want to see what we have done during the past 10 to 12 years, in detail, along with our accomplishments. Challenging targets met, processes implemented, will make the difference vs. the competition. The rest of our professional career can be mentioned, but the last 10 to 12 years are critical. Finally, and if we go to an interview with a recruiter, it is critical that we can give them a serious approach on our skills and what we can do for a company from our role. It's not necessary to talk about our rsum, which in fact, they have. Its more important to talk about all the things that we can do, based on our professional experience, as a business partner.
DIRECTOR, PACKAGED GOODS

Always get detailed information about the employer you are applying to (from the Internet or any employee), then analyze how will you fit in this type of organization. Update your rsum accordingly. Emphasizing your skills regarding to that specific job which you are applying for. Maybe you have to eliminate some data in your rsum which is not related to this job.
PRODUCTION ENGINEER, CONSUMER PRODUCTS

EXECUTIVE JOB MARKET INTELLIGENCE REPORTS

PERCENT

59

Fifty-nine percent of surveyed executive recruiters said the executive rsums they receive need improvement before they can be submitted to the recruiters client (the hiring company).

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PEER POINT-OF-VIEW

Rsums are, when well done, very simple and elegant documents. It should be easy for the reader to quickly understand the value you might bring to them. A few tips: Lose the objective, overviews, etc. that typically litters the top of rsums nobody reads that stuff! No more than five bullet points on recent roles, three or four on older ones. Numbers everywhere you can put them, and as accurate as you can get them. Dates on anything you can. A rsum is not your autobiography or a list of what you do/did it's highlights of the coolest stuff you caused to happen. Go VERY EASY on the corporate speak. If you can play buzzword bingo on your rsum, you wont get an interview. People are hired for three reasons in this order: 1. Make or save money 2. Solve problems 3. Don't cause problems Streamlined simple every word intentional and high impact. No filler.
PRINCIPAL, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

When advising clients on rsum writing, I explain that my three Cs rule is highly effective. Following these steps will make for a great personal marketing campaign and speaks the language of most experienced hiring managers. My three Cs rule: Consistent Format: Display organization and show attention to detail. Concise Statements: Know what you're after and get to the point; dont make the reader guess whether or not you have the skills to do the job for which you are applying. Convincing Appeal: Make your rsum believable without over-embellishing; don't paint a picture that's too good to be true. Save your charm for the interview and even then dont go overboard.
CAREER OFFICE SUPERVISOR, STAFFING AND RECRUITMENT

In addition to accomplishments (preferably qualified with metrics), it helps to include a one-line description of the companies you worked for (industry, size, etc.). That will save the recruiter time and perhaps avoid going into the B pile. Next to your title, include a statement about your scope of responsibilities (directed others, individual contributor, supported multiple locations, etc.). Your opening statement should directly imply or state what opportunity you are looking for. If you are a jack-of-all-trades don't expect a recruiter to figure out your career objective. Say it! Finally, I like to see statements that demonstrate professional growth. You can simply include a brief statement entitled Professional Development and list a few key things you learned and added to your skill set. Do this for each position listed on your rsum.
SENIOR HR MANAGER, MANUFACTURING

Make it simple and precise with all relevant information to attract the interest of recruiters.
GEOLOGICAL DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR

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Todays effective rsums are different than five or even 10 years ago. Theyre personal marketing documents that brand, package and pre-sell you. At the same time, they are telling a compelling story, are reader-friendly, skimable (written in bullets not paragraphs), focused on accomplishments with metrics and use keywords so youre easily found by recruiters.
DON WEINTRAUB, EXECUNETS MANAGING DIRECTOR OF PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT & CAREER SERVICES

PEER POINT-OF-VIEW

Dont hype any claim which is incorrect or not appropriate, to avoid any sort of embarrassment in the future when you shall be asked to do something which you have claimed, and it shall be a showdown for you and image tarnished. Be short and simple and prepare for the interview. Be honest in your rsum and in the interview, since one shall be exposed either in the interview or after successfully getting the job if unable to deliver and thereafter shall either be unable to sustain or live with shame. Dont commit for anything which cannot be delivered. Dont ask for more money than what you deserve; an appropriate raise of 15 percent on change of jobs is good enough, rather than asking for more and later proving ineffectiverather ask for more after one has proved himself.
COUNTRY MANAGER, PHARMACEUTICALS

Of course, one needs to state what they've done, not just what they were responsible for. However, in order for the rsum to stand out, the candidate needs to present this data in a neat, succinct fashion. Use bullets for key concepts and accomplishments. Avoid large paragraphs that read like a novel. Bold each employer to provide separation between jobs. Provide a good chronology of employment. Trying to hide gaps in employment only brings attention to them. Instead, accept reality and have a good explanation. Your honesty and forthrightness will be appreciated. Avoid the use of I in the rsum; it doesn't indicate a strong team player.
VICE PRESIDENT, BIOTECH

When it comes to your rsum, get real. Real simple and real easy to read. You have about 30 seconds to tell me why I should read further. I dont care for the all the fluff. All I want and need to know should be easy to find and directly to the point. And is simple what makes you the best choice ... period.
DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES, SOFTWARE

You have less than five minutes to catch a recruiter's attention. Quantify your experience wherever possible. Cite numerical figures, such as monetary budgets/funds saved, time periods/efficiency improved, lines of code written/debugged, numbers of machines administered/fixed, etc. which demonstrate progress or accomplishments due directly to your work. Tweak your rsum so that it addresses the specific skills the manager is looking for. Use titles or headings that match the job you want. Analyze job descriptions and identify the keywords. Use these keywords in your rsum. List your technical knowledge first. Be clear and concise dont be wordy. Remember that you don't have to present your entire work history! The last five years will do. Rsum mistakes to avoid: Not having a clear focus Dutifully dull you are marketing yourself Organized poorly Too much emphasis on old jobs Burying important skills Drab looking Using a nonstandard format Too personal Typos no excuse for poor grammar and/or spelling Stretching the truth Listing responsibilities not accomplishments
DIRECTOR, TELECOMMUNICATIONS

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PEER POINT-OF-VIEW

Just about everyone knows to provide their experience and accomplishments clearly. Most provide their objectives and how it will help the hiring employer. I believe you have to add why it will help the employer. Provide your insight into the trajectory of the industry you are in and why what you can provide is unique and can help them be better than the competition.
SENIOR ACTUARY, BUSINESS CONSULTING

Although many people are totally capable of writing their own rsum, I would definitely recommend talking to a professional rsum writer to find out what companies are looking for today in your rsum.
DIRECTOR, CONSUMER PRODUCTS

I agree that most everybody knows what they need to do. I disagree, however, on how successful their efforts are. They fail because they are unable to CLEARLY state HOW they are different from others who have held the same-sounding position or have done similar work. Asking a recruiter to identify what makes you special is asking to be quickly rejected. In my judgment, 99 percent of applicants do a poor job of explaining clarity on: Who you are Why you are best for the work that needs doing How you have done this work or similar work before What you are seeking and why Why you are interested Jargon, consulting vocabulary, good-sounding-words (visionary, people-focused, executive, leader) make the author feel significant but tell the reader absolutely nothing about the person the author is. And only a person gets hired!
CEO, BUSINESS CONSULTING

One word = Performance. Job and position history with responsibilities are okay, but what have you actually produced from your hard work? Specific ROI, dollar amounts, efficiency improvements, etc. that is what will set you apart from someone who has simply shown up for work.
DIRECTOR, CONSTRUCTION

Aspects to consider: Make it concise. Talk about actual accomplishments, not the nature of the role. Proofread ... do not have spelling, grammatical, formatting or other errors. Make it relevant or specific toward the position being applied for, but do not make things up or otherwise embellish.
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CONSUMER PRODUCTS

Lots of great comments here. The bottom line: focus on results not responsibilities; two pages; last 10; years or less; keywords.
REGIONAL MARKETING MANAGER, PACKAGED GOODS

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PEER POINT-OF-VIEW

The key to getting from the bottom to the top of the pile of rsums is really a byproduct of todays technology. It is no longer the appearance and layout of a rsum that catches a recruiters eye. Keywords that are searchable and relevant to the position are what brings your rsum to the forefront. Once there, content and organized flow of information is important, as it reflects your work style. In the content, be sure to be brief and identify KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and CSFs (Critical Success Factors). Do not write a job description; instead identify pertinent relative successes. Sometimes I like to compare it to television channel surfing, or scanning a new menu. Now does your rsum catch your eye?
PLANT MANAGER, FABRICATED METALS

What is key: Highlight significant results you have accomplished and the benefits created for the company. It is also important how you motivate people internally and externally. Languages and multicultural skills are important. If you are in a key position, explain how well you communicate to the press, manage crisis, etc. creating value to the reputation of the company, revenue growth, cost reduction, innovation, etc.
PRESIDENT AND REGIONAL IT DIRECTOR, CONSUMER PRODUCTS

Dont send your rsum! When an executive is looking for another job, a huge mistake is to send his or her rsum to prospective employers. Why? Because prospective employers are not interested in your past responsibilities, education and experience. You will only turn their heads by being clear as to what you are looking for in a position with their company, what you have accomplished in your life and past work experiences, what your signature talents are and what other firms you may be considering in your job search. My coaching clients include those four elements on a one-page document that they get into the hands of prospective employers.
EXECUTIVE COACH

More clarity as to what you want in your next position is critical. Experience should be presented with the challenges you faced in your previous positions and the results you delivered. Anything that can be quantified should be in numbers. If you are not working, offer one or two references up front. Important to remember, the purpose of the rsum is to get an interview first not the job.
MANAGING MEMBER, MARKETING/RESEARCH SERVICES

Well-written rsums should be an easy read. At a bare minimum, make sure that it is grammatically accurate and free of typos and spelling errors. Then, be sure that it can be easily understood and interpreted. Make sure that your rsum isn't filled with acronyms or terminology that is specific to one company. Finally, your rsum is like your highlight reel, not a job description. Make sure that you are focusing on your results and impact on the business, not just covering what you were hired to do.
IT PROJECT MANAGER, MANUFACTURING

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PEER POINT-OF-VIEW

EXECUTIVE JOB MARKET INTELLIGENCE REPORTS

55
PERCENT

Fifty-five percent of executives believe their rsum is ready to send to a recruiter right now.

You have 60 seconds only to catch the eye of your rsum reader; if you dont catch his or her eye your rsum will go to the bin. These are the requirements to be recruiter ready: Introduction must be flashy. Size of your rsum should be compact. Your rsum should be customized around the job description in order to be relevant and go to the short list.
SAP GROUP DIRECTOR, TRANSPORTATION

Todays rsum must also relate how you can translate your experience into increasing productivity and or revenue for the new/potential employer!
DIRECTOR, TECHNOLOGY SERVICES

Read your own rsum in a hurry do the most important points jump out? Is it easy to see the numbers? We all have one or two friends who are in HR or marketing. Ask them to read and advise. Ask a few recruiters for advice. Some will take the time. Make small refinements on a regular basis. Dont wait too long and try a hurried overhaul."
GENERAL MANAGER, NORTH AMERICAN DISTRIBUTED SALES, ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCTS/SERVICE

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