Is Your Executive Resume Placing You Among the Top-6 Candidates?

When sifting through executive resumes, many hiring managers decide that they will choose six candidates to interview for a position.  Of course, this number fluctuates depending on the circumstances, but for many companies, six is the magic number.

So how can you increase your chances of becoming one of the top six candidates—those who are most likely to be called in for an interview?

Make No Mistakes on the Resume

At your level, there is no excuse for errors of any type, including typos, misspelled words, or grammar issues.  If you don’t trust yourself in this area, have someone edit the resume for you.  And if you are not sure that the resume itself is at the top level, you may want to consider hiring a professional to get the job done for you.

Add Testimonials

One great way to show that you are a top-level executive is to have others share this on your resume.  Many job candidates find that adding testimonials from influential people in their field shows just how much they are valued.

If you have a lot of testimonials you’d like to share, you could add 2-3 to your resume, then point the manager to your LinkedIn page to read the rest.  (That’s assuming that you have a LinkedIn page.)

Know You Are Someone—Not Something

It’s very easy to get caught up in the idea that you’re a product, rather than a person.  To a certain extent, this concept helps you to properly market and brand yourself as a top-level executive.  But when it all boils down to it, you’re a person.  And not just any person—you’re the right person for the job.  How can you express this idea?

Think about how you—as a person—have contributed to each role, not just based on skills you’ve acquired over the years, but as a heartfelt, compassionate, driven, sensitive, [fill in the blank] person.  You have many layers that make you dynamic.  Dig into those layers as you write your resume to tell the story of how you’ve made a difference at every company for which you’ve worked.

The only way to prove you are among the six candidates who should be called in for an interview—and further prove that you’re right for the position—is to make the employer believe in you.  It helps when people around you believe in your capabilities, but if you don’t see your own greatness, no one will.  So dig for that inspiration as you write your resume to increase your chances of getting hired.

Jessica Hernandez, expert resume writer, is a nationally-recognized resume authority and former HR Manager who has achieved over a 99% success rate securing interviews with prestigious organizations through exclusive, personal branding strategies.  The President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast, she and her team partner with professional- and executive-level candidates.