Secrets To Landing Your Executive Dream Job
Writing resumes that get you hired can be challenging. If you are searching for your executive dream job, even the tiniest mistake on your resume can lead to missing out on a great opportunity.
You definitely need to take your time and focus on the details to prevent a mistake from happening. Here are our top strategies to give you a better chance at landing your dream job.
Don’t Hide Your Credentials
You don’t want your credentials to be buried in your resume or be hard to read, especially if they are a requirement for the job.
Display your credentials with the rest of your Education section. If you have letters to display after your name, proudly do so! Don’t be shy. Show the reader what degree(s) or certifications you have.
Recruiters and hiring managers will look at the top of the page first, so always put them there.
Showcase Relevant Achievements
When writing your resume, you naturally think about your relevant achievements pertaining to a job you’re applying for. Often, you can get too focused on your current job, and not think about how that moves you into your dream job.
The key here is to think about the achievements relevant to the job you want, rather than the job you have or had. Something you accomplished may have been great for your previous company. If it doesn’t translate into potential success for your dream company, then it won’t strengthen your case.
It’s Not All About Past Job Accomplishments
As you prepare to search for your dream job, past accomplishments will be used on your resume. Not everything you’ve ever done.
Always keep the job you’re applying for in mind when writing a resume. Provide an important accomplishment from a previous job. Be sure to clearly indicate why the skills you used can help at their company, as well.
Focus on Recent Experience
When writing an effective resume, your experience should be listed in chronological order.
Most of the time it’s not as important to put detailed information about places you worked at 15 years ago. Instead, focus on the most recent and relevant experience you have.
Numbers and Statistics Matter
Quantifiable results matter when creating your executive resume. Employers want to know actual results you delivered in the past, in hopes that you will deliver the same for them. Numbers and statistics are your friends when it comes to writing resumes that get you hired.
In a page full of text, a number will stand out when an HR manager scans through the resume. Just make sure the numbers you put on your resume are important, since it will get their attention.
Choose Words Carefully
You might think that the more words you have, the better. This isn’t true. You have about six seconds to impress an HR manager with your resume to keep it in the stack for consideration. If your resume is more than two pages and is filled with big blocks of text, it may not even get read.
Keep it short and to the point, and only highlight the most important accomplishments to give yourself a better chance to be considered.
Keep It Clean and Simple
Keeping it clean, simple and easy to ready is the way to go. A resume that is evenly balanced between words and white space is better than a long and detailed one.
We can’t emphasize enough the importance of proofreading it thoroughly. You don’t want it thrown out because of a typo.
Provide Your Online Profile Information
Most employers will search for your online profile before contacting you for an interview. You could make their job a little easier by providing them with a link to your LinkedIn profile.
Just be sure to clean up your profile beforehand. Make sure only the information you want to be visible will actually be seen. How an online profile is displayed can make or break your status as a candidate. You can guarantee the employer will look for it.
Optimize Your Resume for An Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
You may not have the exact experience required in the job listing, but if your resume has the right keywords, chances are it will get reviewed. Not including these keywords may not even get your resume in the hands of a person. The ATS might stop it from being viewed.
How you present yourself on your resume will make a big difference in how successful your resume. It’s what helps you to secure an interview, and ultimately, landing your dream job.
You don’t necessarily have to start from scratch, but you do need to do some tweaking and make sure these essential elements are included in your resume.