An executive summary of a CV is a short statement often located at the top of your résumé. It summarizes your skills, expertise, passions and experiences and tells the reader you are the right candidate for the job. This article will help you learn how to select the ideal background information when preparing an executive summary and make it catchy and impactful. Read on and learn how to make your résumé stand out.
Writing the executive summary of a CV – what is the most effective approach to use?
You may be wondering which of your top qualities is worth the prime spot on your résumé. Get a second opinion from a trusted peer, mentor, or a professional CV writer. They can help untangle you from the stumper and set you on the right path. An experienced CV writer can also help you choose and present relevant experiences, skills and passions and connect them with the target job. Whether you are looking for a government job, part-time role, or a work-from-home position, don’t leave out a professional CV writer. They will also save you plenty of time. However, if you opt to do it yourself, here are tips to help.
Steps in writing the executive summary of a CV
Prepare yourself
Ask yourself these questions and they will put you in the right mindset.
- What is the one thing the hiring manager should know about you? Carefully study the job description and candidate requirements and pick out crucial qualities required. You can also use the company values and objectives as a guide.
- What makes you uniquely qualified? How can you demonstrate that you are the best match? Connect your personality, and character to the role. They will help portray you as the person the recruiter desires.
- What accomplishments are you most proud of? List a few accomplishments related to the position, and expound briefly using figures and hard, factual evidence.
With this information, you can begin drafting an effective executive summary for your CV. Here’s how to do it.
Draft the opening sentence
An executive summary is like an elevator pitch, only on paper. The opening sentence summarizes your professional career and describes who you are. Therefore, think about the hiring company and its goals. Then match your qualities with the target position and company. For example, you could describe yourself as a motivated business leader with a record of delivering sales.
Accentuate your skills and achievements
After drafting the opening sentence, highlight your most impressive skills and notable accomplishments in two or three sentences. However, they should be relevant and recent. They will help to demonstrate your seniority and impact.
Make it buyable
Nothing sells as fast as hard facts and numbers. Therefore, put metrics and figures to give weight to your description. It will help you connect your accomplishment from previous roles with the bottom line of the new role (for example, increase in revenue, decrease in costs).
Fine-tune it
Now that you have the meat of the executive summary for your CV, all you need to do is to fine-tune it. Start by making it easy to read, then apply industry-relevant keywords. You may choose to include a link to your LinkedIn profile.
Get a second opinion on the executive summary
A trusted friend or peer can help you get a different point of view or identify strengths you hadn’t thought of. Also, check with a professional CV writer with a proven track record of landing executive jobs and see if your executive summary is up to par.
Final remarks
A well-written executive summary can make a significant difference in your CV. It’s like an elevator pitch. Therefore, it is worthwhile to spend time on it and capitalize on the time a recruiter would spend perusing your résumé. At ExecutiveONE, we have the experience and can help you prepare an executive summary that instantly communicates you are the best candidate for the target role.
