When looking to make a professional move, your resume may likely be your first introduction to a prospective company. As an executive search consultant for 30 years and now as an executive career advisor, I’ve reviewed thousands of resumes—the good, the bad, and the ugly. You don’t want to be overlooked for your next right position because your resume falls flat. Following is the 2nd in a 2-part series where I share some of my Secrets from a Search Consultant™ for ensuring your resume hits the mark.
In Part 1, we focused on resume content essentials. Here in Part 2, I share resume formatting tips:
1. LEGIBILITY. Make sure the font is large enough to be easily read without a magnifying glass. Don’t go smaller than a 10-point font. If you find yourself dropping the font size to reduce page count, don’t. As noted in Part 1 senior execs have a lot of experience to share (though not embellish).
2. 7 SECONDS. While you don’t want to leave anything essential off your resume, recognize that on first pass the reader will still only give it a cursory glance. Each resume may get just 7 seconds of review. Use appropriate text formatting (see other tips below) to make the most important points stand out and grab attention.
3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. This isn’t an essential element for a resume, but if you wish to include one, make it your elevator pitch and keep it to a tight 1-2 sentences.
4. USE BULLET POINTS & ELIMINATE FILLER WORDS. Resume readers will gloss over big blocks of text. Avoid long paragraphs. Instead organize your content into bullet points.
5. USE TIGHT, ACTION-ORIENTED PHRASING. Eliminate articles such as a, an, and the where a statement can be read and understood without them. For example, instead of this: “I provide deep experience within the marketing department at the intersection of brand positioning, marketing objectives, and company communications.” State this: “Provides deep experience at intersection of brand positioning, marketing, and communications.”
6. NO FRILLS. Don’t get fancy with visual embellishments or an overly designed template. The reader can get distracted or bothered by an atypical format. Choose a layout that is clean, simple, and professional and allows the reader to review quickly and comfortably.
7. EDIT. THEN EDIT AGAIN. Read over your resume carefully and edit anything that could be stated more clearly or simply. Proofread again. Once you’ve made a few passes share with a trusted friend or advisor to review. A second set of eyes might spot things you overlooked.
8. PAGE FOOTER. Since your executive resume will be multiple pages, add a page footer that includes your name and “page x of y” pagination. This helps ensure no pages get left behind when your resume is printed.
9. FINAL CHECK. One last check before you call your resume finished. Print it to ensure margins and page breaks look right. Save document in PDF format (retain document master for updates). Email PDF to yourself and then open file from your email to ensure formatting comes through as intended.
I will share more on these and other secrets in our consulting sessions. As your strategic advisor my mission is to get you ready for the interviews that will land your first or next C-suite position. Through The Montague Method, I share my Secrets from a Search Consultant™, including techniques for shaping your resume to help you get noticed and invited to the interview. Explore the rest of my website to learn more and schedule a complementary 20-minute exploratory consultation.
