Reaching the top level of any organization, no matter which field or profession you belong to is a big achievement. Professionals who have gained years of experience always try to take their careers to the next level by applying for managerial and leadership positions. Although the competition for these executive positions is a little less than the one for junior positions, you have to put in more effort in proving your worth. This is where a CV comes in, a document that combines all the details about your experience, qualifications, skills, and all that you accomplished over the years and presents it in an organized and impressive way.
While a regular CV might only contain the work experience and skills of an individual, an executive CV has to serve as the complete summary of an individual’s professional career. This is why executive CVs are longer and have more details. If you are a professional with more than 7 years of experience and want to apply for higher, executive level professionals, then this guide will help you articulate the perfect executive CV:
Contact Information:
Like any other CV, executive CVs also start with contact details. Write down your name and contact information like phone number, email address, and the city and country you are residing in at the top of your CV. This makes it easier for the recruiter to find these details and connect with you. Make sure you spell your name correctly and use a professional email address to the CV look professional.
Profile Summary:
A professional summary should be concise and written to perfection since a lot of the time, a recruiter will only view the profile summary before dictating the fate of your job application. Make sure you add all the executive skills in your CV that portray you as the perfect candidate for the job you are applying to. Include all your achievements as well as all the highlights of your professional life and career. You have to play more on talking about achievements that showcase your abilities as a manager or a lead.
Work Experience:
If you are creating an executive CV, chances are that you have 7 or more than 7 years of experience and this means you have had quite a few positions up till now. Include the roles that are relevant to the target job and highlight your executive skills, such as being a project manager or leading a team. Add key achievements for each of the job positions you are including as well as all the daily tasks and responsibilities that you had. Make sure you fill this section in reverse chronological order and mention the start and end dates for every position.
Education:
List down all your education, starting from the most recent and going backward. Mention the degree name, the name of the organization, and the year you graduated. Executives usually have some other educational achievements as well, such as certifications, and all of these will also be written in the education section. You can also mention your CGPA but according to the professional CV writers in Pakistan, it is preferred you mention the CGPA if it is above 3.0.
Additional Section:
An Executive CV is a little different than regular CVs and this is why it is important that you include additional sections in your CV such as awards, honors, recognized projects, memberships, or volunteer work experience. While in a regular CV, these sections are considered optional, in an executive CV they can be pretty important. This is because as a senior professional, you do not just have to highlight your skills and experience but you also have to show your knowledge regarding the whole business. Including these additional accomplishments will also make you seem fitter for the job than any other candidate who does not have these. This is the section most employers will inspect to know how suitable you are for an executive role.
Skills:
Another important section in a CV can determine your competencies for the target job. According to professional CV writing services in Pakistan, this section can also work the best to make your CV ATS-friendly. List all the skills you have that are relevant to the target job and use them to showcase all the executive skills you possess. Make sure you use a combination of both soft and hard skills, as well as technical skills, to make your CV more impressive. The best skills to include in an Executive CV are:
- Organization Management
- Goal Setting
- Project Management
- Leadership
- Subject Matter Expertise
- Change Management
- Decision Making
- Employee Training and Development
- Strategic Forecasting
- Business Development
- Growth Mindset
Cover Letter:
Complement your CV by attaching a well-written Cover Letter with it. Including a Cover Letter in your job application will not only make you look dedicated but it will make you stand out from the crowd or potential candidates. C-Suite level professionals know how important it is to go an extra mile to make your job application look impeccable and writing a cover letter is doing just that. Make sure you mention how you can help the company progress and develop. Remember, an employer is always looking for candidates that can benefit the company so filling out the job application by talking about yourself and your qualities will not help. You need to mention what you can do for the company and how you will be a good fit for that company’s team.
Make sure you talk about all the leadership and managerial roles you have ever performed in your entire career, be it a presentation you gave to C-suite level professionals or leading a project. Choose a professional format and ensure there are no spelling mistakes or grammatical errors in your CV. It is best to proofread your CV at least twice or ask a friend or colleague read it before you sent it in. Creating an Executive CV will require your utmost attention but the result will be an exceptional career boost.