DISTINCTIVEEXECUTIVERÉSUMÉWRITING&CAREERMARKETINGSERVICES

“I have had two second interviews

with companies...and have had a

bunch of discussions with recruit-

ers... Have interest from some

others that I need to follow up

with… I have taken a bunch of

calls, probably at least 10 or

15...All corporate stuff or portfolio

company positions are CFO, ex-

cept one which is a CEO posi-

tion...I’ve already spoken with

them and we have a follow up call

with more people next week...have

sent about four or five resumes

out to direct job postings and have

had calls/follow up email commu-

nication with two of them...I didn’t

expect the market to be this ac-

tive. I hope it keeps up!”

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Executive Resume Writing Cheat Sheet:

5 Expert Tips to Modernize the “Look and Feel” of Your Executive Résumé While a direct cause has yet to be proved, the research is clear. Humans’ a en-

on spans are ge ng shorter. Just eight seconds or less according by recent re-

search conducted by Microso , and this was more than 30% less than similar

research had found ten years prior.

Realizing that, it isn’t shocking that a study conducted by The Ladders found that

on average, recruiters spend only six seconds reviewing each résumé.

As we move deeper and deeper into the digital age, it is increasingly important

that your execu ve résumé is wri en and designed to account for these facts.

Your execu ve résumé should be wri en ghtly, the content succinct. But

graphics play a big role as well. Some frequently quoted sta s cs from a variety

of researchers tell us that the human brain can see images that last for a mere

The #1 Service of Choice for Discrimina ng Leaders, Managers & Execu ves www.execu veresumewri ng.services

13 milliseconds and that our eyes can register 36,000 visual messages per hour. Further, people retain a memory of the infor-

ma on they have learned through a graphic far more effec vely than informa on learned through words.

It is for these reasons that

infographic résumés are so

popular now, and a handful of

professional résumé writers,

myself included, have started

offering the development of

execu ve infographic résumés

as an op on. Of course, info-

graphic résumés are not right

for everyone. But, infographic

elements can be used to

greatly enhance the eye appeal of even the most tradi onal résumés. Here are some ps to help you incorporate infographic ele-

ments in your own execu ve résumé.

1. Charts, Graphs & Tables If you have a lot of numbers to include, especially numbers that show an increase or improvement of some sort, consider pre-sen ng the data in an easy-to-read table format. Or, it can be very impac ul to create a graphical chart or graph to present the data. Microso Word has powerful tools to help you with this, or you can create the graph is Excel and import it into your execu-

ve résumé. Some examples of what is possible:

2. Graphical Elements The Shapes and SmartArt features in Microso Word is easy to use and provide the tools to create all sorts of graphical elements in your execu ve résumé. The standards offered are highly customizable and are great ways to showcase a list of key qualifica ons or other informa on and data pieces that can be presented as a process, a cycle, hierarchy, matrix, or more. Some examples:

3. Callout Boxes Callout boxes are another way to draw a en on to key informa on. Microso Word’s Text Box feature can be used for this, or depending on the layout you can use a single cell table. This is a great technique to showcase signature accom-plishments, a personal branding statement, or even a quote from a reference le er. Some examples:

4. Traditional Design Options In many cases, even simple design elements such as selec ve shading, page borders, paragraph borders, ruling lines, de-signer bullets, monograms, strategically applied white space, and drop caps can give your execu ve résumé the extra visu-al pop that it needs to stand out from the masses.

5. Coordinated Styles, Themes & Color Schemes A er more than 20 years of résumé wri ng, I consider myself an advanced user of Microso Word. However, it wasn’t un l I sat down and made a concerted effort to learn how to use Word’s Themes, Styles, and Color Schemes features that I realized how incredibly powerful and helpful they are when designing a résumé. If you aren’t sure what these features are and what they can do for you, it is worth spending an hour or two learning. Using these features as you develop your execu ve résumé gives you instantly coordinated color and design schemes to choose from, with so many customizable op ons that you are sure to create a unique and eye appealing résumé design.

Contact Us

Michelle Dumas, Founder and CEO of Distinctive Career Services, LLC

Are you an executive who needs help with your resume and career marketing? Book an introductory consulta-tion with Michelle.

(800) 644-9694

Visit us on the web and learn more about Michelle’s highly person-alized, one-on-one exec-utive resume writing and career marketing pro-gram designed specifical-ly for top-tier executives and professionals.

Multiple Certifications:

Featured in more than 12 top-selling books:

Numerous National Resume Writing Awards:

More Considerations Finally, remember that too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Inappropri-ately or excessively applied design can make your résumé look gaudy or flashy. This is not the first impression you want to make.

Think strategically and have a reason for your design choices. With a few excep-ons for clients in more crea ve or trendy industries, my rule of thumb is to use

muted rather than bright colors very selec vely and to shoot for a dis nc vely understated and sophis cated look.

Some inspiring examples can be found in my resume samples por olio and if you want expert help and advice, I am happy to meet with you. Just book an appointment for a consulta on with me.