Executive Resume Example With a Profile

Business people sitting in a circle, each holding a copy of a resume for a potential new executive.
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The following is an example of a resume for a C-level executive. This resume also contains a resume profile, which is a brief, introductory summary of an applicant’s skills, experiences, and goals as they relate to a job opening. By using a resume profile (also known as a “Qualifications Profile”), the candidate is able to strongly present the keyword skills that will ensure the resume scores highly when scanned by a potential employer’s automated applicant tracking system (ATS).

Highlight Your Achievements

The candidate’s most impressive accomplishments, quantified by dollar amounts and percentages, are highlighted in a dedicated “Recent Accomplishments” section preceding the traditional “Experience” section. Showcasing these tangible achievements will help to ensure that the candidate immediately stands out among their competition. The strongest accomplishments are highlighted with bold text.

Different bulleted achievements are then also incorporated into the “Experience” section, once again serving to illustrate the impressive contributions this executive has made to the companies they've worked for during their career.

The "Education" section of the resume includes the undergraduate and graduate degrees the candidate has earned.

Emphasize Your Leadership Skills

In addition to providing concrete examples of your achievements, quantified by boldfaced numbers or percentages, try to incorporate powerful action verbs into your work history that demonstrate your leadership skills. Strong phrases include “Promoted to lead …,” “directed,” “spearheaded,” “guided,” “pioneered,” “accelerated,” “drove,” and “advanced.”

Privilege Your Most Recent Experience

Most C-level executives have many years of experience, and it’s important to create a “narrative” that demonstrates how one has ambitiously and successfully worked their way up the career ladder. Like bulleted achievements, promotions to positions of increased responsibility and authority need to be highlighted on your resume.

However, it’s best not to describe more than 15 years of work history, unless a job announcement specifically asks for more than this. There are several reasons to limit your resume’s experience to your most recent employers. Many employers are guilty of “ageism” – given the choice of hiring a C-level executive who is 40 as opposed to hiring a 55-year-old who is closer to retirement, they will probably hire the younger candidate, even if they have fewer years of experience.

Employers also prefer to hire candidates with a recent history of accomplishment; the successes you achieved at the beginning of your career simply aren’t as important as proving that you are still a highly talented “producer.”

If you worked for a prestigious company early in your career, your best strategy is to mention this in an “Additional Experience” sentence at the end of your resume: “Early experience includes roles as Product Manager for ABC Company (Flagstaff, AZ) and as Market Analyst for XYZ Corporation (Los Angeles, CA).”

Executive Resume Length

Resumes for C-level job candidates can be longer than the standard one- or two-page length that works for mid-level and entry-level professionals. Three-page executive resumes are fine since this resume length allows one to present a richly detailed “Accomplishments” section.

However, keep in mind that all of the information you provide needs to be relevant in speaking to the qualifications listed in the specific job listings to which you are applying. Also, remember that your executive resume is not a professional biography – it is a personal marketing document that will be most effective if it focuses exclusively on your recent leadership roles and accomplishments. If you water your text with too much verbose, non-relevant information, this will diminish the overall impact of the presentation. 

Executive Resume Example With Profile

This is an example of a resume for an executive position. Download the executive resume template (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online) or see below for more examples.

Screenshot of an executive resume example with a profile
©TheBalance 2018

Executive Resume Example With Profile (Text Version)

Winston Applicant000 Main Street, New York 00000
(123) 555-1234
winston.applicant@email.com

CAREER OBJECTIVE

An opportunity to lead diverse teams of professionals to new levels of success in a variety of highly competitive industries, cutting-edge markets, and fast-paced environments. 

CORE QUALIFICATIONS

  • Strong technical and business qualifications with an impressive track record of more than 15 years of hands-on experience in strategic planning, business unit development, project and product management, and system engineering strategies. 
  • Experienced in domestic and global sales, key client retention, and brand awareness. 
  • Strong business development skills with a focus on relationship management and project management. Willingly work after hours and during weekends to ensure student success.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

TRADERS INTERNATIONAL, Wallace, CA
Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Spring 2015-Present

Promoted to oversee the strategic management and operational oversight of the company’s Global Business Development and Operations in order to provide streamlined operations, reduced operating costs, and greater profitability. 

  • Interfaced with partners and large clients to develop and maintain organizational strategies, operational efficiencies, and proposals for increasing technical efficiency and profitability. 

Interim Chief Financial Officer, Fall 2014 – Spring 2015

Acted as Interim CFO for approximately 18 months during the rapid growth and financing period for the company. 

  • Secured all funding for company operational start-up, including $10 million in funding followed by an additional $30 million in funding. 
  • Set up all financial relationships, systems, and processes necessary for U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) compliance. 

EDUCATION

Master of Business Administration (2014); GPA 3.9
Waldrup School of Business, Hartford, Connecticut 

Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (2011); GPA 3.8
University of New Hampshire, Rye, New Hampshire

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