Your Executive Resume: Hard Numbers and Visuals

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Your Executive Resume: Measuring Your Outcomes with Hard Numbers and Visuals

Using Numbers and Metrics in Your Resume to Prove You’re Really “That Good”

Normally, when we think about resumes, or historically what they looked like, we think of an HR job description—a colorless description, or “This is what I did.” It’s bland, it reads like HR-speak, and often includes the dreaded “responsible for.” Your executive resume needs more than this.

Wouldn’t it be better to prove in your executive resume that you’re good at what you do by showing results? There’s no guessing when you can prove to your future hiring executive that you have succeeded in exactly the kind of ambiguity that their company is facing.

Using Numbers in Your Resume Adds Color and Depth to Your Career History

The best way to prove that you can deliver results is by providing measurements of your success—literally quantifiable numbers, metrics, KPIs (key performance indicators), or measurements of ROI (return on investment). Additional fairly simple avenues to explore include:

  • The number the things that you wanted to and completed
  • The number of people you recruited and onboarded (and maybe promoted)
  • The number of new customers you drove to the business
  • The total dollar amount of revenues, or their percentage increase quarter over quarter or year over year.

So these kinds of counts or measurements of change show a couple of things in your resume. The first is that you’ve accomplished the goal that you set out to, and you can benchmark those numbers against company expectations or industry standards. The second is that it shows that what you are presenting is incontrovertible evidence of your success. This is really important, because a hiring manager might read your resume decide that your strategies are not what their company needs right now, but they can’t argue with the veracity of your claims to success. They can’t look at that number and believe that you’re not telling the truth.

Because you’re always telling the truth in your resume (cardinal rule of resume strategy—don’t eve lie), then you are leveling with your audience. You’re saying to your audience, “I did this thing, and here’s the proof. Right here is the number that says I did what I was supposed to do.” If you’re targeting your resume appropriately, your audience is going to love what you have demonstrated, and if they need someone like you, you’re the ideal candidate for them to reach out to.

So, in your resume now that you have these numbers, how do you present them effectively in your resume? These metrics become the “results” in your “challenge – action – results” bullet points. Furthermore, you can present them visually. The first way to do this is to present your data in a table of figures. A well-constructed table, with labels, grids, and colors, can help your audience interpret the data the way you need them to understand your message.

Another way to present a series of data is to visually represent those numbers in a graph. It’s so easy for someone to look at a chart and understand that the numbers “go up.” Of course, your chart is going to be detailed, so a savvy reader who wants to drill down into the data will be able to do that, but even a cursory look at the chart will give a great high-level message.

You might be thinking that these are unorthodox approaches–I promise you they are not. Visual representations of sales figures that started out low and then went high, or operation costs that started out higher and then wet low, are going to hit your audience right in the gut. These images are plugging into exactly what your audience expects to know about their ideal candidate. So give them what they want and show them what they want in multiple modalities, not just in the text but as a visual representation as well.

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9 Questions You Need to Ask Your Executive Resume Writer

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9 Questions You Need to Ask Your Executive Resume Writer

Hiring a professional to assist with your resume needs can be easier than writing a resume yourself, but you need to be informed. You shouldn’t hesitate to ask your executive resume writer questions about their prices, reviews, and all details of services. It is comparable to hiring someone to remodel your bathroom – you would ask numerous questions to ensure you will be satisfied with the service and result, such as price, method, and name(s) of the contractor(s) actually performing the labor. In this article, you’ll find nine of the most important questions you should take note of when searching for an executive resume writing service.

Are you certified?

Certification is an important piece in finding an executive resume writer. If you are going to pay for the service, you certainly want to hire someone who knows what they are doing. Committed resume professionals will be certified through a respected organization. The process to become certified is not always the same through each industry, however you can confirm the credentials with the agency after speaking with the writer.

What services do you offer, including prices? Do your services include job search strategy or interview preparation?

Resume writing companies have varying services. A serious firm will offer things outside of the resume and cover letter such as job search strategy, interview preparation, and career coaching. The price of each service should be readily available on the company website, but you should still be asking questions as to how much time will be invested for each service you wish to use. With the price and average amount of time known, you can easily calculate the hourly rate for each service and determine whether it reflects the rate of an accomplished, serious, and reputable company or an incompetent, low quality, run-of-the-mill operation. Reputable companies will charge more for their services, but remember that the price should be, on average, three times what an employee of the business should receive as income.

How many years of experience do you have?

Experience will vary from person to person. You need to decide what you want from your resume professional: a superb resume for a specific career field, a general resume you can send to anyone, or a resume for switching careers. Ask questions about their expertise. A devoted executive resume writer will assist you in finding the right professional for your project.

What is your writing experience?

Several resume professionals are also accomplished writers. Most will have that information in a profile for their company’s website, but don’t feel embarrassed to ask about the specifics of their other written work. Media like books, articles, and even professional blog posts, paid work or writing experiences, and bachelor or master degrees in English fields are all key examples of written accomplishments.

How long do you spend on a resume for someone in my career field?

If not clearly stated on the company website,  make sure you inquire about a time frame. Most professional resume businesses expect payment up front so, it is a good idea to have some kind of due date in mind. Dependent on the experience of the professional,  and on your own candidate level (entry-level, experienced, or executive), the resume writing process can take anywhere from six to twelve hours.

Who will handle my resume? How is that determined?

Not every firm will be what you expect.  Some have been outsourced to other countries where someone at the U.S. location will interview you, gather all the information they need to complete your resume, and send it to another person, possibly another country, to have the resume written and formatted.  It is important to talk about who will actually be carrying out your project from start to finish. What are their credentials,  experience, and fields of expertise?

Will all of the content be original?

Cost of service should be an indication of quality. Low-cost firms typically rely on software and pre-written templates to construct resumes. These templates have keywords and phrases that are common with specific professions. For example: for  engineering, they can paste your information into an existing template to create your resume. Good for them, and bad for you. This will make your resume blend in with dozens of other candidates. So, when inquiring about originality, know what you should be looking for.

Do you specialize in my career field? Is it necessary for my executive resume writer to be intimately familiar with my field?

Using a resume writer who specializes in your field nice, but not necessary. They will have a more in-depth understanding of which questions to ask you, what information to gather, and the specific language used in that industry. While it is nice to have, another expert writer is able to craft a great resume for professions they do not have much experience in.

What do other customers have to say about your services? Where can I view reviews?

When looking for reviews, be careful. Testimonials on public forums or company websites can be fabricated to increase sales. Reviews that are on social media, like LinkedIn profiles, can be more reliable because you can look at the profile of the person to verify their identity. LinkedIn can be useful in viewing the profile of the individual writer you have chosen to work with. What accomplishments have they included? What industry do they seem to work in most? Don’t be afraid to do research about the people working at the resume company as well as people who spent the time to review the service.

Your resume, especially if you are going to pay to have it written, should be the ultimate tool for your job search. Any reputable resume writer will recommend what is best for the client. Asking questions is the best way to ensure you will be getting the greatest quality of service and resulting products.

By Kaley Buck, Five Strengths Contributor
 

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Different Types of Cover Letters and How they Compare to E-Note

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5 Types of Cover Letters and When to Use Them vs. Using E-Note

Which of the styles of cover letters is right for your job search?

Different types of cover letters? Isn’t one enough? Providing a great cover letter can be tough, and now we also need to know which type to use? Yes, yes you do. The correct type of cover letter will show that you REALLY know your stuff. We will also discuss E-Note. Haven’t heard of it? Maybe you have just never tried it? Let’s get familiar with all things cover letter.

Types of Cover Letters

Different types of cover letters are available to serve different purposes. Instead of thinking of it as another obstacle in the path of your desired job, think of the different types as tools. What good is a toolbox with only one tool? We need a variety to get the job done. Don’t use your cover letter as another way to reiterate your resume. Use it to show your assets and what makes you unique.

Let’s look at these tools in more detail:

Application Cover Letter. This is the one that you are probably the most familiar with. You use this to apply for a job opening that you know exists and that is hiring. Be sure to use a proper introduction and closing in a true professional letter format.

Interest Cover Letter. If you are trying to determine if there is an opening at the company this is the one for you. It is also called a prospecting letter. By taking the initiative and sending a cover letter and your resume you open the door and show them that you’re available and interested in working for their company.

Referral Cover Letter. Name dropping can actually be a good thing, at least when applying for a position. If you know someone who can offer a referral that could make a difference in you getting that coveted interview, don’t be afraid to use it. Of course, always be sure that you have permission to do so. Ensuring they will give you a good reference is also very important.

Job Promotion Cover Letter. If you are well overdue for a raise or promotion, it may be time to submit a job promotion letter. Be sure to lay out your reasoning in a well-written cover letter. You may also include an updated resume. Discuss any skills, additional training, etc. that they may have overlooked.

Networking Cover Letter. This type of cover letter can serve as a letter of recommendation to a company that may or may not be hiring. This letter will introduce you to a company illustrating your past experience. The neat thing here is that these letters can be written by other individuals who may be in the position to recommend you for a job.

E-Note vs. Cover Letter

So now that you are up to speed on the most common types of cover letters, let’s throw in on more up and coming star, the E-Note. If you have been in the job market for very long, you have probably pondered the question of whether or not the e-note is replacing the traditional cover letter. Is seems to be more of a personal preference than a rule. What type of application you are submitting may play a large role in that decision also. The e-note is best when applying through email or through a social media contact. It also has many advantages, such as:

Attention grabbing subject lines – Something like “Jane Doe asked me to contact you.” The name drop will create a connection and help you stand out.

Short and Concise– In doing an e-note you are able to cut the length in half making it quick and easy to read. Odds of your note being read increase the more polished and direct the note is. Think about the usual length of an email.

Side note: Remember not to attach it to the e-mail; you will want the e-note to be the body of the e-mail.

Be Interactive- Be sure to include links to places online where the employer can find additional information about you. Using helps like a link to your LinkedIn profile will save them time and give them a direct path to your professional background. You could also guide them to your Twitter, Professional Blog, Online portfolio, etc.

With technology changing every day, so does the way we search for employment. We need to learn new skills and methods of making contact so that we are not left behind. When used correctly, the e-note certainly has an important place in applying for a position.

In Summary:

A traditional cover letter follows the format of the formal business letter. An E-note is a message typed in the body of an email sent with your resume attached and has no additional cover letter. E-notes differ also in that they are easier to skim—short and concise.

Keep in mind that E-notes are relatively new and follow emerging technology trends. They may not be most desirable format in every situation. Use your best judgement. The same Cover Letter will not work for every position applied for. You will need to be flexible and study up on the prospective job, advertisement, or reference before making a decision about which letter is most appropriate. Now that you have all the necessary information, you will be able to do just that!

Image courtesy of digitalart at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
By Brandy Higginson, Five Strengths Contributor

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Resume Writing Prepares you for your Next Interview

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Resume Writing Prepares You for Your Next Interview

Comprehensive resume development is great prep for your next interview.

If you have spent any time at all looking into the best interview strategies, then surely you have come across the all-too-familiar “four P’s of interviewing:”

  1. Preparation.
  2. Practice.
  3. Personal presentation.
  4. Pertinent questions.

These are all important for different reasons. However, I would like to plead a case for the one that I feel is the crucial piece of the puzzle, the “glue” so to speak, that will hold all the other components in a nice straight line, PREPARATION.

Preparation is the Key

The best way to prepare for an interview is through comprehensive resume preparation, something you need to do at the start of your job search, anyway! Using your resume to prepare for your interviews is an amazing way to accomplish two things at once and ultimately save time in the process. We all want to be as productive as possible, especially when dealing with finding new employment.

Your Career Inventory

Resume Writing Prepares you for your Next Interview

Resume Writing Prepares you for your Next Interview

Part of compiling or updating your resume is doing an extensive career inventory. First, compare what the employer is seeking to your qualifications, experience, and accomplishments. Through deeply exploring your past work experience and responsibilities you will actually be preparing for your interview. Think about these critical questions:

  • What was expected of you in each position?
  • What did you learn?
  • Did you find solutions to issues in the workplace that improved your situation?
  • How can the knowledge gained be used in a new position?
  • In what ways are you a better candidate because of your previous experience?

The answers to these questions could appear in any job interview. Studying them in the context of your ideal role will help you to build a detailed, informative resume as well as be prepared for the questions that will undoubtedly come in almost any interview. If this feels like a daunting task and you would prefer to have some guidance to tackle the most current trends in the job market you could go through an executive resume writing service. As experts in resume writing, we will develop the in-depth questions and information that will narrow the gap between your experience and your hiring executives’ requirements, thus putting you ahead of the competition!

Which Path Do You Want to Take?

Take an extensive look at the types of roles you have previously filled and compare them with where you would like to be in the future. Through doing this you are able to deeply analyze where you have been and where you are going. As the Cheshire cat told Alice, “if you don’t know where you are going, it doesn’t matter what path you take.” That is not the way that we want to approach the future. We want you to have a clear direction—a career search plan that succeeds. In short, we want to be prepared in every way possible.

Put Your Mind at Ease: Know How Your Resume Connects to Your Interview Strategy

Think about how at ease you would feel as the interview approaches if you have fresh in your mind a comprehensive view of your work history. Rather than having your resume be a vaguely familiar piece of paper that is printed off in a rush on your way out the door to the interview, use this tool as a preparatory strategy that supports your interview technique. Your resume is an important tool that is refined, accurate, and serves the right purpose in attaining the position you are interviewing for.

By Brandy Higginson, Five Strengths Contributor

Image courtesy of Ambro at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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2014 Federal Tax Deductions for Resume Writing and Job Search Expenses

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2014 Federal Tax Deductions for Resume Writing and Job Search Expenses

Although I’m not an accountant, I wanted to let you all know that there are good resources on the IRS web site that speak to the deductions you can take for your job search expenses. According to http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/Job-Hunting-Expenses, the following job search expenses count as deductions, if you are searching for a job in your current line of work:

  • Resume costs
  • Travel expenses
  • Placement agency fees.

Of course, check with your accountant or tax preparer to determine whether your specific job search expenses are deductible on your Schedule A on your 2014 Federal tax, as some job search expenses are not deductible.

 

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Checklist to Proofread Your Resume

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Checklist to Proofread Your Resume

If we all look deep inside ourselves, I think we will all agree . . . that we do not spell well / make grammatical errors / occasionally post something stupid in social media / wish we could retract that email. It happens. I know. However, in our busy lives, often we just want to get that message out there. If you are a job seeker, you need your message out there more than ever–just do not hit “send” before you check and recheck your resume and cover letter or email, or you will suffer the red-faced embarrassment of regret and self-recrimination.

Here is a checklist you can use to make sure that every element of your resume and cover letter / email is pixel-perfect:

Check your resume header for inaccuracies:

Don't hit "send" on that resume until you're 100% sure it's perfect.

Don’t hit “send” on that resume until you’re 100% sure it’s perfect.

1. Your first name
2. Your last name
3. Your phone number
4. Your address, city, state, and ZIP code
5. Your headline (does it match your specific job target?)
6. Your branding (does it reflect the needs of your audience?)

Check your resume overall for:

7. Indents and alignments
8. Font sizes and typefaces
9. Widows and orphans
10. Document format (.doc? .docx? .rtf? .pdf?)
11. Misspellings
12. Extra spaces where they do not belong (that is ONE space after a period!)

Check your cover letter email for:

13. Correct spelling of addressee name
14. Correct email of addressee
15. Right company name
16. Proper job title
17. Correct date
18. Proper document(s) attached

Once you have checked every element of your resume and cover letter, check them again with my super-secret weapon that helps you find your hidden errors, even when you have read your resume 18 times (once for each of the above tips) or more:

* Read the document backwards.
* Start with the last sentence.
* Read it aloud.
* Check for errors.
* Move on to the prior sentence.
* Repeat.

Best Editorial Tip of the Day:

If there is any doubt about the veracity or level of appropriateness of your email DO NOT SEND IT. You will regret it, particularly if what you intend to be funny becomes insulting or inappropriate to your audience.

What is your favorite tip for editing your work? How do you monitor your urge to hit “send” before the document is 100% ready to go? Five Strengths welcome your comments.

Image courtesy of Stock.xchng / blary54

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How Long Should My Resume Be?

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How Long Should My Resume Be?

Job seekers with long careers tend to have had . . . long careers. When they are ready to write their resumes, they want to include the best and the greatest experience. Instead, they choose to start with their very first job, making their resume span multiple decades. The result is a long, directionless document. Read on for tips to choose the optimal length for your resume.

Resume Length for Individual Contributors

Overall, the length of your resume should be based on the depth of your own experience. If you are an individual contributor, promoting in depth the last 10 years or so of your professional experience is sufficient. You can show growth and progression in your career in that amount of time. A good rule of thumb for page length stipulates that two pages should be sufficient. In rare cases, such as one in which your last 10 years of work was with the same organization, one page will support your entire career history.How long should my resume be?

Resume Length for Managers

As you grew from the level of an individual contributor to a leadership position, the flavor of your professional contribution changed. If you are seeking another management-level position, you might want to balance the 10-year rule of thumb with the titles you’ve recently held. To brand yourself effectively according to your most recent titles, you might choose to focus in depth only on the last 8 years–or perhaps the last 15. Generally speaking, you should avoid highlighting lower-level positions that don’t support your future goals, except to the extent that they provided you the platform and the technical experience to launch your management career.

Resume Length for Executives

If you are an executive, you might want to balance the 10-year rule of thumb with the types of titles you have had as well. If you’re a president now, and over the last 15 years, your titles were vice president, vice president, senior director, and director, you might choose to focus on your president and vice president roles in depth, relegating your earlier and lower-level experience to a smaller proportion of the available resume real estate. Generally, the optimal length of your resume should be 2 to 3 full pages.

These tips touch on some of my best strategies for identifying the right length for a job seeker’s resume. I say that the right length for your executive resume is as long as it takes to successfully describe your career accomplishments so that your future hiring executive completely understands why you’re the right candidate.

If you have questions on the subtleties of your own unique experiences, your executive resume writer can help.

“How do I know whether my executive resume is too long? Too short? What should I put in my executive resume, anyway?”

Ask Amy L. Adler, Executive Resume Writer and Career Coach.


Updated January 2017.

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5 People You Can Trust to Help Your Executive Career Change

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5 People You Can Trust to Help Your Executive Career Change

As you consider your executive career transition, you’re going to find that there are lots of resources available to move it forward. How do you know whom you can trust throughout this process? How do you know who has your best interests at heart? Read on to learn how to identify those who can help you most effectively.

1. Friends and Family

You may consider asking your spouse, your friend, or even your parent for advice about your executive career transition. Generally, these individuals in your close circle of trust will have your best interests at heart, but they tend to be among the least objective about what will work for you. Certainly they will know you well and have a good sense of what your strengths and salient characteristics are, but their own self-interest or personal interest in your well-being might interfere with your ability to seek out and obtain a position that satisfies all of your professional requirements.

2. Your Coworkers or Executive Manager

Among those who might offer you a solid career advice are your professional peers or executive leader. However, do know that as much as they have your best interests in mind, they also have agendas. They might be competitive with you or they might ask you to take on more than your fair share. Certainly, as you work your way up through the executive tier in a company, you need to pay attention to the needs and wishes and wants of your colleagues and superiors, but they might not provide the best advice for you if they do not understand your specific aspirations, particularly if they fall outside of your current company.

3. A Mentor

You are certainly among the privileged if you can find and secure a mentor who can stand apart from you and provide you with rock-solid career advice. Finding a mentor can be challenging, but it can be extraordinarily rewarding as well if the mentor truly has a vested interest in your success. The best way to find a mentor, according to leading career experts, is to identify the best-in-class for your industry or role, but not somebody in whose company you wish to work. That in and of itself presents a particular challenge, as you will need to do some serious research to identify that person and then pitch your wish to be his or her protégé. Nevertheless, a good mentor who fulfills the role successfully is an incomparable asset to your career advancement, as he or she can give you an insider’s view to an industry or role while remaining completely objective.

4. A Recruiter

If you know a recruiter from having worked with him or her to fill roles in your organization, you might find this person is a tremendous asset to your own executive career transition. The recruiter might be seeking someone just like you, or that person might know somebody who is. To that end, the ability to create a powerful recruiter network can help you advance your own career transition. The pitfalls of working with the recruiter however, are several. First, you have to trust that the recruiter will keep your aspirations and drive to leave a particular company under wraps. Also, know that the value of this relationship flows according to the money. The recruiter doesn’t work for you if you are a job seeker. In fact, the recruiter works for the individual or company who is paying him or her, leaving candidates such as you in the category of “talent” rather than “particular person I want to help.” Thus, you can trust the recruiter to recommend you for positions for which you are eminently qualified and write for, but apart from that, do not expect much in the way of hands-on treatment from a recruiter who has perhaps dozens of roles to fill and hundreds of candidates to review daily.

5. An Executive Career Coach and Executive Resume Writer

A career coach is a professional dedicated to the career transition success of others. This career coach works directly for the executive and delivers world-class advice, coaching, and sometimes explicit consultation to individuals requiring a partner in the executive career transition process. Often, the career coach and resume writer has credentials from national or international career management organizations that validate his or her training in the field, and he or she also might have won some major global awards in the field. Executive career coaches and executive resume writers report on the exponential success their clients achieve with the type of support they offer, but you need to decide if, as an executive on the cusp of career transition, you are ready to put in the work required to make your own career announcement a successful one. You are welcome to contact me if you would like to know more about the type of work required to make an executive career transition into a successful endeavor. Primarily, it involves a willingness to reach out to new people, except a great deal of direction, and a drive to be the best in your position and your field. Are you ready to make that choice?

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For Immediate Release: Easy Job Search Strategies for Resumes and Cover Letters e-Book

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For Immediate Release

Easy Job Search Strategies for Resumes and Cover Letters e-Book

Now Available on Kindle

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH (February 25, 2013). Five Strengths Career Transition Experts, Salt Lake City, UT, is proud to announce that Amy L. Adler, CEO, published Easy Job Search Strategies for Resumes and Cover Letters on Amazon.com in Kindle format.

Amy L. Adler, first-place winner of the Toast of the Resume Industry (TORI) Award for Best Executive Resume, announced today that she has published Easy Job Search Strategies for Resumes and Cover Letters. This concise, inexpensive, and accessible e-book contains Adler’s top-secret techniques for determining your next job and writing the resume that gets you there. This new e-book promotes the best career transition strategies and the most powerful resume writing techniques available.

Six interactive worksheets give every reader the chance to implement Adler’s strategy right away. Job seekers who need to identify the right job titles, the right resume formats, and the right cover letters to win interviews need to read this book. Says Adler, “The economy is tough. If job seekers are unemployed, or underemployed, they need access to the right techniques that will give them the same chance to achieve the interviews they need. This e-book levels the playing field.”

Easy Job Search Strategies for Resumes and Cover Letters
Only $0.99 at
http://bit.ly/easyjobsearchstrategiesforresumesandcoverletters

Bloggers: Ask for a free review copy.

About Amy L. Adler

Amy L. Adler, MBA, MA, CARW is the founder and CEO of Five Strengths Career Transition Experts, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. She won first place in the TORI Awards 2012 for Best Executive Resume. Amy is one of the most experienced career transitions experts in the nation and frequently writes and speaks on career advancement, executive résumé writing and interview strategies. Having written hundreds of job search documents, several examples of her work have been published in Gallery of Best Cover Letters, 4th Ed. (David F. Noble, JIST Publishing, 2012).

 

# # #
For interviews and media appearances, contact Amy L. Adler
2180 East 4500 South, Suite 150 | Holladay, UT 84117 | +1 (801) 810-JOBS | www.fivestrengths.com

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Show Pride and Humility in Your Executive Resume

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Show Pride and Humility in Your Executive Resume

Updated February 2017

I am constantly amazed at the level of success of the executive job seekers with whom I work on a daily basis. They run companies. They drive sales. They lead international teams. They are among the smartest I have met with respect to technology. They are rightfully proud of what they have done. Yet, down to a person, they are among the most humble people I have ever met. By infusing their executive resumes with this pride and humility, they prove they are true leaders in their industries without coming across as boastful and overblown.

Here are three statements I hear all the time from my executive resume clients. By elaborating on these into compelling accomplishment stories, you can demonstrate both your pride in your leadership and your knowledge that you are only as good as the amazing team you develop and lead into the fray:

  1. “It was my great team who really did it; we all worked together.” Executive leaders rarely deliver at the individual contributor level. They do understand, however,  that the team cannot succeed without their unifying leadership. Therefore, rather than going on about their individual tactical role, they rightfully focus on how they guided the team to larger goals.
  2. “I have an uncanny ability to hire the right people and place them throughout the company where they can do the most good.” By demonstrating your insight into which people are right for your organization, you achieve two goals. You show that you are wise to the larger industry, and you demonstrate that you can read people very well. Include details in your executive resume about your hiring strategy and the way you assess future team member.
  3. “I always hire people who are smarter than I am.”In truth, this is my favorite one. Nobody likes to work for a paranoid organization, and when an executive leader state outright that they are willing to hire team members who have particular expertise or savvy that they don’t, it demonstrates a healthy mix of fearlessness and pride.

In short, you should not afraid to recognize the fact that you are the team leader but not always the smartest guy in the room. It’s a big leap to embrace this mindset, especially when, in your early career, you were always hungry for the next win. Now, as a wiser, more tempered executive leader, if you’re smart, your executive resume will show that much of the credit also goes to a rock star team. In doing so, your ability to guide a group to a successful outcome shows you honor your company and each individual on the team. Effectively communicating your talents and value with humility and pride on your executive resume is bound to win the attention of like-minded hiring leaders in your target companies.

How do you struggle to communicate or market your executive value?

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