8 Executive Resume Tips to Win Interviews
Are you wondering, "How can I improve my executive resume?" or "What makes a CV stand out for senior roles?" These are the questions we hear every day at Underwood Executive. Your resume is a sales tool and its only job is to secure you an interview.
Forget the long narratives or irrelevant details like your date of birth or weekend hobbies. A great executive CV offers a snapshot of your capabilities, achievements and potential.
Here are our top 8 tips to make sure you resume gets noticed:
1. Keep it Short & Sharp
Aim for 3 pages. Use clear, easy-to-read formatting with dot points, white space and a modern font. Avoid third person writing and personal opinions. This document is about facts, not fluff.
2. Start with Personal Details
Include your name, mobile number, email and a customised LinkedIn URL in the header so it appears on every page. Use page numbers to keep things tidy when printed.
3. Give Yourself a Title
Let the reader know who you are: "Chief Financial Officer" or "Executive Director | Strategy & Growth". This helps position you instantly and aligns with the roles you're targeting.
4. Highlight Your Key Competencies
List your standout skills on the front page. These act as SEO keywords and give hiring managers an instant view of your strengths. Think skills like stakeholder engagement, operational leadership, transformation delivery.
5. Add a Career Summary
Include a table on the first page that summarises your career at a glance – company, job title and dates. This makes it easy to follow your trajectory.
6. Describe Each Company Briefly
Assume the reader doesn’t know the businesses you’ve worked for. Include 2–3 sentences describing the industry, turnover, scale and size of the company. Add a hyperlink and logo if relevant.
7. Be Clear on Dates
Always include months and years for each role and qualification. Ambiguity around timelines raises questions and undermines trust.
8. Detail Responsibilities and Achievements
List key responsibilities and focus on measurable achievements. Report structure, budget size, team size and outcomes are crucial. Use facts and figures wherever possible including revenue growth, cost savings, culture uplift, major initiatives.
Your executive resume should position you as the obvious candidate. Make your accomplishments and leadership journey clear, concise and impactful.
Ask yourself:
What are my most remarkable achievements?
What do I want to be known for as an executive?
Why should someone hire me over another candidate?
A standout executive resume is keyword-rich, results-focused and built to engage.