How to write a standout resume for leadership roles

Are you looking to take the next step in your career? When applying for a leadership role, you will have significant skills and experience. However, you will also be coming up against highly qualified and experienced candidates. However, you will be competing against other highly qualified and experienced candidates. Therefore, how you present yourself in your resume could determine whether you land the role. Whether you are applying for a Senior Executive or Executive Leadership role, it is essential that you stand out from the crowd.

So how do you write a stand-out resume for a leadership role?

Develop a strong personal brand

When applying for a senior role, developing your personal brand is essential. This helps differentiate you from other candidates and allows you to highlight your unique value proposition; that is, the unique value you can bring to the workplace.

To begin developing your personal brand ask yourself the following questions:

• What are my core strengths at work?
• What are my values?
• What are my professional goals?
• What makes me a unique leader?

Craft a compelling executive summary

You should begin your resume with a compelling executive summary, that should outline your career highlights, key skills and professional ethos.

Begin your executive summary with a sentence highlighting your most significant achievements, followed by your key skills and relevant areas of expertise.

Senior level roles often come with a significant increase in responsibility and associated pay boost. Therefore, you must demonstrate the impact your work has created at your previous employers. The more senior the role, the more significant impact the employer will be looking to see. It is the results you have achieved that will make you stand out from your competitors. Importantly, the results you have achieved should be tangible and measurable.

One effective way of doing this is by highlighting your financial impact. Did you save your previous employer a significant amount of money? Alternatively, you could talk about how you exceeded deadlines set by your previous employer.

Tailor your resume to the role

Tailoring your application to the role is important for all applications. However, it is especially important for senior roles where you will be competing against experienced, highly-qualified candidates. Take a look at the organisation’s website and social media. What are their values? Try to align your application with these as closely as possible.

Emphasise professional development and leadership

This is an opportunity to set yourself apart from others. Outline the size of the teams you’ve managed, the scale of the projects you have worked on, and your strategic vision. Include a section dedicated to your ongoing education, certifications and professional memberships. This shows your commitment to growth and your continuing relevance in the field.

Know the audience you are writing for

When applying for a senior role, it is especially important to know the audience you are writing for. Is the application intended for an executive recruiter, HR manager, board or executive director? When applying for a senior role, it is essential that your application is highly targeted. By knowing who your audience is you will be better able to target your application to them.

Preparing an application for a senior leadership role isn’t easy and takes time and resources. Following the above tips will help you put your best foot forward.

If you are looking to take the next step in your career, Public Service Resumes can help. We are pleased to offer various services including our Senior Executive resume writing service and our Executive Leadership resume writing service.