Resumes for Executives

Oftentimes, executives and senior executives find themselves in the situation where they've moved up the corporate ladder based on their performance, not necessarily because of the information found on their resumes.  For that reason, when they're looking for a job, many of these same executives might find their resumes in need of updating.

In general, writing about resumes for executives is a difficult topic to isolate because there are so many types of executives and executive level positions in the workplace.  We've already covered some of these types of positions in our article on Resumes for Professionals.   We're going to try to avoid repeating that information here.  That being said, putting together resumes for executives is certainly something we're willing to explain.

Resume Styles for Executives

There are three basic resume formats in use today, and each one has its own strengths and weaknesses.  Listed below are those three resume types, and how they might apply to an executive in today's workplace:

• Chronological Resume - the chronological resume is the most popular of all resume types.  Its focus is on where an executive might have worked in the past, with secondary consideration for the knowledge and skills they've gained.  If you're an executive with a good deal of work experience, then you might want to consider the combination resume, which is a more marketable resume format.
• Functional Resume - by contrast, the functional resume is a good choice for executives that have a significant employment gap.  If you're an executive that is rejoining the workforce after taking a couple of years off, then you might want to consider the functional resume format.  With a functional resume, you don't need to list out all your work experience in a reverse chronological order.
• Combination Resume - the combination resume style gives executives the best of both worlds.  It provides the reader with information on your qualifications - skills and knowledge - right up front.  This skills section is then followed by a reverse chronological listing of your work experience.  If you're an executive with a rich work history, this is probably the best format for you to use when preparing a resume.

Since the combination resume is the most complex and marketable resume format you can use, our executive resume example is going to be in that style.  As is the case with all of our samples, you can download the example for free, and use the resume template we've provided to get a jump start on your own resume.

Sample Resumes for Executives

A resume for an executive level individual should be very straightforward to assemble.  The only factor worth mentioning at this point is that executives may have professional certifications and / or associations that they might want to include on their resume.  Our example will show you exactly where to include these certifications and associations so they grab the attention of the recruiter or hiring manager.

You can download the sample here - Executive Resume.  Keep in mind, however, that the example we've provided is just that, an example.  We provide resume samples to help our readership generate their own ideas.  As an executive or aspiring executive, you have rich and unique work experiences that you can draw upon when writing your very own executive resume.

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