Executive Resume: What Employers look for
Executive Resume: What Employers look for

Executive Resume: What Employers look for

What is the most important thing in your resume or what it should demonstrate? “VALUE”.

Having written more than 100 resumes for job seekers, I am aware that they have only a short time & space to showcase their value to the reader/prospective employer.

While writing a resume for a job seeker, my goal is to ascertain & distinguish value proposition & pencil it in file/resume document. While doing so, I ask some earmarked questions from my clients & conduct brainstorming sessions. This helps me in evaluating & recognising value, supporting it with credentials/claims & showcasing the same in the resume.

Defining value

Although everyone knows their job & work well, when it comes to skill sets & unique strengths, a lot of them are not aware of the same and/or not able to articulate/communicate it properly. This becomes more important when you are looking to make a shift in Industry/role. My initial discussion with my clients revolve around the following basic questions:

  1. How are you different from other applicants having similar experience?
  2. What are the key characteristics that best describes you when you are at work?
  3. What measurable benefits will employer derive from you?
  4. What are you best known for?
  5. What are your transferable skills & how they can help prospective employer generate value for the organisation as a whole?

From these questions, I can have a clear idea of unique strengths & key skills of my clients which forms the basis of value which my client can carry along. It becomes easy to ascertain how these set of competencies can be a potential fit for employer. Based on these questions, I can form a branding statement for my client.

Supporting the value proposition with claims/credentials

Saying that you are good at something & proving proof to substantiate your claim are two different things. To help open up pandora box of achievements, I ask my clients to dive into their past achievements & answer the following questions:

  1. How did you helped your company increase revenue, profitability, or return on investment?
  2. Did you generated new business, signed up in new clients, improved operating efficiency/productivity &/or or forged profitable partnerships?
  3. Did you save your company money or increase your company’s competitive edge?
  4. How do you coach, motivate and develop a winning team and develop loyalty in your staff?

Besides these questions, I also ask my clients questions like  how often or how much ( in %, $ figures etc) which showcases the depth of achievements.

Job seekers can also include additional list of skills & competencies that may not be directly related to the potential role they are applying for but surely gives an indication on the diverse expertise, passion & interests.

For instance, if a jobseeker, who is a fitness enthusiast & have helped people achieve their fitness goals, is wanting to transit to health & wellness sector, his fitness initiative can certainly create a strategic value.

Value of resume increase if it specifically addresses the pain points of role & organisation. Align your value with the organisation requirements & demonstrate your achievement through measurable benefits & claims.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

0Shares