Why Executives Should Look Beyond Their Accomplishments When Preparing a Resume

When writing your resume, you are probably accustomed to spending a great majority of your energy focusing on your accomplishments. Accomplishments are certainly a very important part of a resume, and they’re often the first focus of potential employers, so it’s important to spend some time figuring out how to represent them.

However, at the executive level, there is more to consider than your accomplishments. You also need to explore your vision, personal integrity, and even your level of self control. You can add these types of elements to your resume in very effective ways. Here’s a look at a few ideas to incorporate.

Sell the Idea that You’re a Visionary

When writing your executive-level resume, you want to make sure to show employers that you’re able to create and follow through on a vision that matches the goals of the company. You want to show that you’re an “idea person” that challenges ways of conducting business.

Companies love the thought of shifting their business in new and innovative directions. You’ll have a big leg up on the competition by focusing your resume around ways that you’ve adapted your previous companies and changed them in ways that made them more innovative and current, especially if you can emphasize how you were able to motivate employees and adress challenges in unique ways.

Let Employers Know You Trust Yourself and Have Self Control

At the executive level, you are relied upon to make some pretty heavy decisions, many of which offer no blueprint for guidance. This means, you have to rely on your gut instincts to determine which path to take when you’ve reached that fork in the road. Your executive resume should show a good basic sense, and they should especially imply that you have superior self control when approaching difficult challenges.

One way to get this done is by listing one or more instances where you were faced with a major challenge and overcame it. Whether you had to locate additional resources (money, workers) where there seemed to be none, or had to corral other execs to sit down and do some grunt work to accomplish a goal, if you succeeded in the end, you should definitely make mention of it in your resume. You’re still listing an accomplishment, but you’re adding more detail that shows a good level of self control.

Showcase Personal Integrity

When employers are looking for new prospects at the executive level, they want to make sure that the choice candidate is a person of personal integrity. Companies want an ethical businessperson that can be trusted, and who will be accountable for everything that happens under their leadership. They don’t want to worry about whether you will make side deals to stuff your own pockets, or work out business deals that benefit you more than the company. Show your integrity by listing any awards or recommendations that might indicate a strong sense of ethics, even if you think of them as minor accomplishments–your prospective employer will see them as a major plus.

Executive resumes can be a bit tricky to write at times because you have to showcase so much more than with a standard entry-level or mid-career resume. The good news is that you undoubtedly have plenty of stories to tell, so as long as you focus on more than your accomplishments, you’ll be able to create a great executive resume.