Executive Resume Template, Examples, and Writing Tips

If your current executive resume doesn’t deliver, then it’s time for a paradigm shift. With this guide, you’ll learn how to impress and highlight your worth on an executive resume.

Roma Kończak, CPRW
Roma Kończak, CPRW
Career Expert
Executive Resume Template, Examples, and Writing Tips

You’ve been climbing the career ladder for years, and now, the top is within your reach. Your experience, knowledge, and achievements prove that you belong on the C level. But before you can add CEO to your business card, you must state your case with an executive resume.

What you need is an action plan with proven advice that you can use to make that executive resume deliver. And with this article, you’ll be able to do that before EOD.

In this guide:

  • An executive resume template suitable for C-level jobs.
  • How to add value to your executive job description on a resume.
  • How to leverage your qualifications to write a resume for executive jobs.
  • Best practices to implement to increase your chances of landing an executive job.

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Would you like to check some specific resume examples for executives or management positions? See the guides below:

Executive Resume Template

Ava Williams

Executive Director

(234) 123-4567

ava.williams@resumelabmail.com

linkedin.com/in/ava.williams

Summary

Goal-oriented executive director with 14+ years of experience in business analysis. Adept in new business development, finance, and data analysis. Eager to increase operations efficiency and the target delivery rate at TeaTime Ltd. Achieved a revenue increase of $2.5 million at Adam's Tree in 2019.

Work Experience

Executive Director

Adam’s Tree, San Francisco, CA

March 2017–Present

Key responsibilities:

  • Detected an opportunity to cut costs related to marketing and promotional activities by 27%.
  • Performed data-driven analysis of market needs, characteristics, and growth opportunities to develop business strategies for emerging markets.
  • Collaborated with stakeholders, managers, and individuals across the business to strengthen relationships, promote accountability, and encourage high performance from others.
  • Directed financial operations with strict adherence to the company’s budget.

Key achievement:

  • Succeeded in developing a multichannel revenue plan that increased the annual revenue by $2.5 million in 2019.

Financial and Business Analyst

Copernicus Next, San Francisco, CA

November 2010–February 2017

Key responsibilities:

  • Provided analytical support based on the interpretation of data in order to develop KPIs and increase operational efficiency.
  • Created cost & benefit analyses for new business initiatives with planned budgets exceeding $100,000.
  • Assisted C-level executives with financial budgeting, forecasting, resource allocation, segmentation, and merchandising.
  • Developed insightful reports, presentations, and other forms of data visualizations to support strategic business decisions.

Key achievement:

  • Identified an opportunity to cut merchandising costs through outsourcing opportunities that led to saving $230,000 in 2015 and 2016.

Business Analyst

Green Leaf, San Francisco, CA

June 2008–October 2010

Key responsibilities:

  • Analyzed customer behaviors to support the development of customer strategies in collaboration with account managers and the sales department.
  • Maintained data in CRM and worked with account and sales managers to ensure accuracy.
  • Examined market opportunities and trends to identify new development opportunities for customer acquisition.
  • Identified opportunities for improving various business processes in collaboration with other departments.

Education

Master of Business Administration

University of San Francisco, CA

September 2006–May 2008

Bachelor of Science in Business Analytics

University of San Francisco, CA

September 2000–June 2004

Skills

  • Strategic oversight
  • Data analysis
  • Financial management
  • Leadership skills
  • Problem-solving
  • Decision making
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Excel, Tableau

Certifications

  • Certified Six Sigma Black Belt, October 2018
  • Project Management Professional Certification, September 2017
  • Microsoft Excel Expert, June 2010

Conferences

  • Guest speaker at Women in Business conference, Washington D.C., 11–13 June 2021

Professional Associations

  • Member of the Executives Association of San Francisco since 2018.

Volunteer Work

  • Founder of the Education for All charity organization focused on providing scholarships for talented students.

An executive supervises a company or organization. Responsibilities of executives often include making strategic decisions, setting business goals, working in collaboration with senior-level management, overseeing budgets, and building long-standing relationships with other organizations.

Continue reading to learn how to create an executive resume template that highlights all of the above:

1. Choose the Best Executive Resume Format

Even the strongest candidate for a CEO may fail if their executive resume doesn’t deliver. To make it impactful, the executive resume must seamlessly merge the contents with the form. There’s no space for dissonance. Thankfully, there’s an easy way to maximize the potential of your application—it all comes down to mastering the resume format.

Start by creating the right executive resume format:

When it comes to the length of a resume, it’s advised to keep it limited to one page. However, an executive resume may be extended to two pages if you have enough achievements to present.

Expert Hint: Many senior managers have a varied skill set consisting of industry knowledge, leadership qualities, management skills, and additional qualifications. If your personal brand is built on your versatility, consider using the chrono-functional resume format. This format puts the spotlight on competencies as well as professional experience.

2. Introduce Yourself With a Resume Profile

It’s likely that you’ve taken part in many recruitment processes. How much time did you really have to consider all applicants? It shouldn’t surprise you that most hiring managers spend just a few seconds reviewing a resume. That’s why it’s important to catch their attention right away. The right resume profile can certainly do that, but it really must give its 110%.

An executive resume needs a powerful resume summary. One that’s authoritative, short, and informative. Your executive resume summary must get the message across in just 3–4 sentences.

How to write an executive resume summary in 6 steps:

  1. Start with a strong personality adjective, such as “driven,”“resourceful,” etc.
  2. Follow with your job title and area of expertise.
  3. Add years of experience.
  4. Include the goal you want to achieve for the company.
  5. Name major achievements from previous positions.
  6. Top it off with a selection of relevant skills.

See the examples below to understand these principles better:

Executive Summary for a Resume—Example

Good

Goal-oriented executive director with 14+ years of experience in business analysis. Adept in new business development, finance, and data analysis. Eager to increase operations efficiency and the target delivery rate at TeaTime Ltd. Achieved a revenue increase of $2.5 million at Adam's Tree in 2019.

This example screams leadership qualities. All the elements of a great resume summary are included, and they fit together nicely.

Bad

Experienced business development executive skilled in client education and managing marketing and sales campaigns. Recognized for leadership and teamwork skills. Thrives in complex market segments. A proven growth driver and change manager with high-level strategic development skills.

Is this example terrible? No, but it’s just vague. And no company wants to hire an executive who doesn’t impress the stakeholders.

3. Describe Your Professional Experience

Over the years, you’ve driven growth, transformed businesses, and mentored others. Now is the time to capitalize on those professional accomplishments. The work experience section of an executive resume must showcase the best examples of your career achievements.

Follow the instructions below to make a strong work experience section of your resume:

  • List the relevant positions starting with the most recent one. You might skip jobs from more than 10 years ago unless you feel that they’re relevant to the position you’re pursuing now.
  • Describe your executive responsibilities using action words to put emphasis on your accomplishments.
  • Highlight one major professional achievement for each position described.
  • Use resume keywords that mimic the requirements from the job advertisement to pass the ATS scans.

Check the example below:

Executive Resume Sample—Work Experience

Good

Executive Director

Adam’s Tree, San Francisco, CA

March 2017–Present

Key responsibilities:

  • Detected an opportunity to cut costs related to marketing and promotional activities by 27%.
  • Performed data-driven analysis of market needs, characteristics, and growth opportunities to develop business strategies for emerging markets.
  • Collaborated with stakeholders, managers, and individuals across the business to strengthen relationships, promote accountability, and encourage high performance from others.
  • Directed financial operations with strict adherence to the company’s budget.

Key achievement:

  • Succeeded in developing a multichannel revenue plan that increased the annual revenue by $2.5 million in 2019.channel revenue plan that increased the annual revenue by $2.5 million in 2019.

What makes this candidate’s achievements so impressive? Numbers. Quantifiable achievements are indisputable. That’s why you want them in your executive resume.

Bad
  • Manage sales and marketing budgets, reporting directly to the CEO of the company.
  • Spearhead plans to restructure the e-commerce department to reach profitability.
  • Contribute to the Executive Committee plan to approve IT capital investment company-wide to improve data fidelity.
  • Develop and communicate internal health and wellness strategies to all employees.

This candidate might be great, but they can’t prove it. And hiring managers will move on to the next resume.

Your work experience is closely related to the professional skill set you’ve mastered. But this isn’t the only way to present your executive skills. You should also add them to your resume in a separate list.

Executive Resume Examples: Skills

Hard Skills

Soft Skills

New business development

Decision making

Strategic planning

Problem-solving

Budgeting and forecasting

Interpersonal skills

Relationship building

Effective communication

Making data-backed decisions

Leadership skills

Negotiation

Adaptability

Change management

Critical thinking

Presentation skills

Emotional intelligence

Project management

Time management

Data literacy

Collaboration

Business process improvement

Delegation

Analytical skills

Conflict resolution

Employee development

Management skills

But which ones to choose?

It all circles back to the job advertisement. You must ensure that your skill list matches the job requirements outlined in the ad. And here’s how you can do it:

  1. Make a long list of your professional skills and soft skills for managers, such as leadership abilities, interpersonal skills, or effective communication.
  2. Add a few relevant computer skills, such as the software you use regularly.
  3. Compare your list with the job requirements.
  4. Select 7–10 skills you’ve mastered that match the job advertisement.

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4. List Education on Your Resume

Let’s be honest—this isn’t the most important section of your executive resume, especially if you’re a candidate with decades of experience. But, according to studies, 98% of CEOs hold at least a Bachelor’s degree, and 52% of North American CEOs have at least a Master’s degree. So it can still be a dealbreaker, and that’s why you must include education on your resume

Here’s how to do it:

  • List your highest degree along with the name of the school and years of study.
  • Mention ambitious achievements, such as receiving a prestigious scholarship.

Have a look at the example below:

Good

Master of Business Administration

University of San Francisco, CA

September 2006–May 2008

Bachelor of Science in Business Analytics

University of San Francisco, CA

September 2000–June 2004

If you belonged to a sorority or fraternity, adding information about them is also a good idea. It’s estimated that even as much as 85% of Fortune 500 executives have been members of student organizations. So, be proud of your Greek Life. After all, being a fraternity or sorority member is a great way to hone leadership skills. And if the hiring manager reading your executive resume knows the organization you’re talking about, there’s a chance they’ll invite you for an interview.

5. Select Extra Sections for Your Executive Resume

It’s not the end of the process yet. You can still invest a little more time and effort in your executive resume. How? By adding extra sections to hold relevant achievements and additional qualifications.

You can choose from the following sections:

  • Associations: There are thousands of business associations in the US. You can find large national industry associations or try small, locally-oriented organizations that unite entrepreneurs.
  • Certifications or licenses: Many C-level professionals hold certifications in leadership, business management, project management, and much more.
  • Conferences: Being a guest speaker at a business conference can help your networking efforts and improve your personal brand recognition.
  • Freelance work: Spending your own time on providing consulting services or strengthening your local community can provide you with a fresh perspective on work-related matters.
  • Interests: It’s not as silly as it sounds—personal interests have the power to turn into full-time careers. For example, being a home brewer can be your gateway to managing a brewing facility.
  • Languages: The number of international businesses is growing, and being able to communicate with stakeholders in their first language is a major plus.
  • Volunteer work: Volunteering can help you develop your interpersonal skills, build a positive image for your personal brand, and make an impact locally.

See the example below:

Sample Executive Resume—Additional Sections

Good

Certifications

  • Certified Six Sigma Black Belt, October 2018
  • Project Management Professional Certification, September 2017
  • Microsoft Excel Expert, June 2010

Conferences

  • Guest speaker at Women in Business conference, Washington D.C., 11–13 June 2021

Professional Associations

  • Member of the Executives Association of San Francisco since 2018

Volunteer Work

  • Founder of the Education for All charity organization focused on providing scholarships for talented students.

It’s easy to see that this candidate uses their time in a constructive way—either to develop their own professional skillset or to make a positive impact on others.

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Key Points

Here’s a short summary of how to write an executive resume worthy of C-level jobs:

  • Use the executive resume template up top as your writing model. It includes all the key elements of a powerful executive resume.
  • Sprinkle relevant accomplishments in your resume summary, work experience, education, and other sections to highlight your abilities.
  • Make a curated skill section including all important executive skills that match the job requirements.
  • Write a matching cover letter for an executive position that conveys your passion for the job.

Need more advice on writing an executive resume? Not sure how to create a powerful summary for an executive resume? Let me know in the comments below.

About ResumeLab’s Editorial Process

At ResumeLab, quality is at the crux of our values, supporting our commitment to delivering top-notch career resources. The editorial team of career experts carefully reviews every article in accordance with editorial guidelines, ensuring the high quality and reliability of our content. We actively conduct original research, shedding light on the job market's intricacies and earning recognition from numerous influential news outlets. Our dedication to delivering expert career advice attracts millions of readers to our blog each year.

Roma Kończak, CPRW

Roma is a Certified Professional Résumé Writer and career expert with international work experience and a background in education and humanities. She has spent considerable time assisting individuals in advancing their careers by helping them improve their communication skills in diverse cultural and professional settings. She has written over 50 articles on effective approaches to resume writing and career advice.

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