Before you can land an interview and impress your future boss in person, you’ll need to impress them on paper. The best way to do that is to showcase your individual approach.

Your resume is your first opportunity to show future employers the kind of person you are, the type of employee you’ll be, and the approach you’ll bring to the position.

To highlight this individual approach in your resume, reflect on your performance in your previous jobs. What were the challenges you tackled? What actions did you take in your role that provided a positive outcome?  How did you specifically contribute to a collective goal?

Including the answers to those questions throughout your resume is much more descriptive to a potential employer than a basic “responsible for” statement.

Responsible For Statements vs. PAR Statements

“Responsible for” statements only highlight what your former employer WANTED you to do, without focusing on what you ACTUALLY DID. Your future employer isn’t interested in simply what you were supposed to do. They want to know what you were able to accomplish and how your company benefited as a result. This is why it’s so important to use PAR statements in your resume.

As we’ve mentioned in previous blogs, PARs are Problem-Action-Result statements that explain certain problems or challenges you faced, the specific actions you took to overcome them, and the positive results (achievements) that came from your actions.

Approach your PARs as mini stories of the problems or challenges you faced in past jobs and how you overcame them to benefit both yourself and your company. Providing a future employer with the context of how and why you achieved your accomplishments is far more valuable than a simple list of your responsibilities.

It’s also important to be as specific as possible when talking about your results. Be sure to quantify your achievements with dollar amounts, percentages, or numbers if possible.

By providing future employers with concrete proof of your achievements and capabilities, you’re not only showing them what you’ve done in the past, but also what you can do for their company in the future.

Define Your Professional Brand

It’s really about defining your brand as a professional.

For example, let’s say the same company, product line, and market had two different CEOs back to back. They had the same responsibilities. However, the results of the company will be different under each leader. Why? Because each CEO brings their own personal approach to the position. They have their own proactive reasoning and their own ideas of how to best mitigate and resolve operational challenges. So, the company will see different results under each leader.

Think about professional positions the same way. Hiring the right engineer, tech manager, or operations director can impact how well that role performs in an organization. Employers know this, and they look for examples of individual approach to find the best talent.

Now you have all the tools you need to successfully define your professional brand for your future employer. If you’re applying for a new job and need additional help crafting your resume, Capstone Resume Services can help!

Whether you need an entry-level resume, executive resume, federal resume, or technology management resume, our Certified Professional Resume Writers will work with you to create a professional resume that’s sure to get you noticed by hiring managers.

We also offer a variety of resume writing services, including cover letter writing, KSA statements, LinkedIn Profile creation, and executive biographies.

Contact Capstone Resume Services today to request a one-on-one resume consultation!

Becoming a board member within your own company, a new company, a nonprofit, or a leading industry organization can be very beneficial, both personally and professionally. Board experience shows that you have leadership experience and industry knowledge, which can both be leveraged as you move up in your career.

In terms of your own personal branding, board experience is a huge plus, as it increases your value, ensures you are perceived as an asset by hiring managers, and establishes your leadership credibility in your industry.

Now that you’re ready to apply for that coveted board position, here are our top tips on how to showcase your leadership in the best light and write a winning resume for a board position.

How to Minimize Hiring Risk by Understanding Committee Needs

Did you know that according to the 2022 PwC annual survey of corporate directors, approximately 47% of the respondents agreed that one or more of their directors should be replaced due to the inability to challenge management, having a negative communication style, diminished performance and overstepping their roles?

This is precisely why selection committees are extremely attentive to detail and personality alignment when it comes to choosing new board members. So, what can you do to lower hiring managers’ risk adversity by positioning yourself as an ethical and responsible leader?

One way to do so is to showcase when you were able to challenge bad management in a responsible and professional manner that helped your team or company avert loss. Another way is to highlight your communication, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills that showcase empathy and compassion. 

Although these skills may be seen as “soft skills,” they matter more than you think. It is these skills that will help set two equally qualified candidates apart and help lower the hiring defenses of corporate directors that have had their shares of challenges when it comes to overlooking personality misalignments and soft skill contributions.

The Importance of Board Position Resume Customization

If you’re an executive who aspires to serve on a Board of Directors within a company or nonprofit organization, it’s important to make sure your resume is tailored for that specific position. 

No matter how polished your executive resume is, or how accomplished and experienced you may be, it’s easy for your board-level experience and knowledge to be lost in the mix among everything else highlighted on your resume. Nominating committees are looking for specific criteria, so it’s important to make sure your resume focuses on exactly what they require, in a clear and concise manner.

Board resumes are all about value proposition and showcasing the candidate’s individual approach to leadership. Your board resume should be different from your executive resume, as it puts things in a different context, will have a different purpose, and needs to be tailored for a more specific audience. 

When crafting your board level resume, ask yourself the following questions:

What type of board do you want to serve on?

When you make the decision to serve on a board, the first step is to figure out what type of board you want to serve on and why that particular board appeals to you. Be sure to convey that in your resume as much as possible, as searches for board members have become more targeted over the years. Once you know which particular board you’d like to serve on, research the board and study their values and goals, and then make sure those shared values are reflected in your resume.

Another point of focus is to discern how this particular board experience will help you achieve your personal and professional goals. Serving on a board will take energy, time, and focus, and by framing your “whys,” you will be better able to translate them through the lens of your resume.

But, before you choose the boards that seem the best candidates for your value contribution, it is important to do a bit of diligence. Perhaps you can connect with other board members in these corporations on LinkedIn and ask a few questions. You can also reach out to former board members and ask to take them out to coffee so that you can learn more about the role and whether it is actually right for you (and how to present your best foot forward). 

Doing research and due diligence on your top companies is incredibly important, since it will give you enormous insight into the governance and operations of each company and save you plenty of time and resources down the road.

What corporate experience do you have?

Corporate experience is one of the most important parts of the board resume. Showcasing this experience in the right way is crucial to the success of your resume. According to Ralph Ward, publisher of Boardroom Insider, there are two main types of corporate experience, and both should be included in your resume.

“Board interaction experience” conveys to the board that you are experienced in the boardroom environment. Be sure to include projects you worked on where you had the opportunity to work with directors, as it shows that you are familiar with that type of environment.

“Internal company governance” is any situation where you served on a committee, represented your company among national or international groups, or were involved in labor union negotiations. This type of corporate experience shows that you have experience negotiating, coming to agreements, and making important decisions among a group of people.

Is everything included in your board resume relevant?

When writing your board-level resume, it’s important to be thinking like a director. Envision yourself as a board member and think about what information is relevant and what no longer matters for this specific position. Be sure to offer examples and concrete evidence of your qualification and experience, rather than just an outline or overview of your past positions.

When writing your board-level resume, delete anything that isn’t relevant to board experience, besides your executive positions. Then, go through and make sure every single piece of information or experience listed on your resume is tailored to the board level.

It’s also important to be as specific as possible. Those reviewing your resume want to know that you can put information together in a clear, straightforward way. Also, don’t forget to focus on the value or the outcomes of your work. If you can attach a number to the impact you’ve created at every role, it will be easier for the review committee to picture the tangible value you can bring to the corporate leadership team. 

Overall, put yourself in the shoes of the selection committee. There is a problem that they need to solve and are looking for the best person to do so. Knowing that, how can you present yourself in a way that showcases that you’ve got all the talent and skills necessary to be an asset to the organization? Looking at your current resume, would you be convinced that you’re the right person for the job? If not, read on!

Is there a skill gap in the board you are applying for?

Another important step in writing your resume for the board of directors is to research the board. Do you bring a specific skill to the table that they are currently lacking? If the answer is yes, be sure to focus on that in your resume.

There are specific skills and experiences boards look for. Be sure to include and highlight:

• Ability to set goals and plan strategically
• Multidisciplinary experience
• Volunteering background
• Foreign language knowledge and cross-cultural experience
• Ability to work with and make decisions among a group
• Communication skills
• Committee work, internal governance experience, and/or experience interacting with a board
• Negotiation and conflict resolution skills
• Industry expertise, knowledge, and experience
• Leadership experience and style
• Problem-solving skills

Tips for Writing a Good Board of Directors Resume

Here are a few board of directors resume pointers that you should consider when structuring and writing your resume:

• Highlight why your skills would help the board make the right decisions for the organization’s growth
• Think about why the board is looking for a new addition and show how you can solve the problem they are looking to bridge
• Show the board directly how you were able to solve a similar pain point in your field by applying the skill-set that is required
• Think about how you can stand out from the competition by crafting a unique value proposition (this includes value statements that highlight what you were able to accomplish in your prior positions)
• Review which other soft skills you can bring to the table that could help the board navigate its organizational challenges
• If you feel in any way underqualified, think of your relevant strengths and highlight them; how can you show that your abilities led to concrete results in a related area of expertise?
• Make sure your resume is not only geared toward who you are and what you can offer but also how you can solve problems through tangible project examples

Here are just a few more of our internal resources that can help your resume stand out from the competition:

2 Resume Optimization Strategies That Are Incredibly Important

How Organizations Are Identifying Their Next Leaders

Why Resume Consultation is Important for New Resumes and LinkedIn Profiles

Board Resume Template Tips

To help you pool all of this advice together into a direct resume strategy, here are a few tips on how to structure your board resume effectively. 

Resume Headline

The resume headline should read as your value proposition statement. It should succinctly summarize who you are professionally, what you do, and where you’re heading. Personalize each headline for every board position, which will signal that your resume is targeted only for that specific coveted position. 

Related Jobs and Skills

Any related jobs, volunteering opportunities, and other board of directors positions should be highlighted in this section. Which prior positions align with your bid for the board of directors role? Any opportunity or personality asset that would make you stand out and highlight your hard and soft skills is important to mention.

Description of Impact and Achievement

This is the tangible way you can showcase what you can do and how you can do it better than your competitors. Present numbers, percentiles, and case scenarios to build your credibility as a creative problems solver. 

Education and Certifications

Showcase all your education, training, and certifications that support your skills and accomplishments. 

Invest In Yourself With Professional Resume Services

Feeling on track but needing a bit more professional help with your board resume? As an award-winning resume writing company recognized for our personal attention, Capstone Resume Services has years of experience writing board-level resumes for experienced executives. 

At Capstone, we work with you to highlight your specific achievements and draw on your experiences. The result is a professional custom resume that is sure to get you noticed by hiring managers and nominating committees.

To request a consultation or learn more about our resume services, contact Capstone today!

Switching careers can be a terrifying task, and thinking about how to make your resume work for your new career path can be even scarier. But, writing a resume for a new career doesn’t have to be terrifying. As long as you put the time in and do the research, crafting your new resume is very doable.

Don’t Use the Same Resume

If you’re pursuing a new career, it’s important to rework your resume to match your new career goals. If you’ve been a customer service representative your entire life and now decide you want to go into web design, obviously your resume will need a makeover. Things that were important to your customer service career can be reworked to align with desired skills sets in the world of designing websites.

When rewriting your resume, be sure to think about the position you are applying for and what you hope your resume will convey to a hiring manager. Come up with new objectives that match with the new career you are pursuing.

Make It Relevant

Make sure all information included in your resume is relevant to the new career and industry for which you’re applying. Eliminate information that is no longer relevant, as it won’t add any value to your resume and can be distracting. Make sure your achievements are relevant to your new job goals and new objectives.

Research, Research, Research

Research is key when reworking your resume. To fully understand what will be expected of you and what future employers want to see, you’ll need to understand what skill sets and functions are important for the specific position for which you’re applying. Speak with people in the field, study job descriptions and roles, and learn all you can about your new industry.

Learning about the skills and qualifications that are important for your new career will help you tailor your own skills to the new position. It’s important that you customize your transferable skills to the specific job you’re pursuing, and exclude ones that are no longer relevant.

The same goes for qualifications. What qualified you to be a baker is not going to be the same thing that qualifies you to be a web designer. Researching the industry will help you have a clear focus for your resume so that you know what to include and what to center your experience and skills around.

Find the Right Keywords

Keywords are important because they are how hiring managers search for candidates in resume databases. Job boards and sites like CareerBuilder and Monster use automated search tools to collect keyword data from applicants and match them to open positions. Having the right keywords in your resume is crucial, and the keywords necessary for your new career will be different than ones used for your previous jobs. Take the time to think about what keywords are important for your new industry and be sure to incorporate them into your resume wherever possible. If you’re stuck, browsing through job descriptions on job board sites and highlighting terms that describe the job or necessary skills is a good place to start. It will help you get an idea of what words are important enough to be incorporated in your resume.

Think About Your Experiences

When including your experience on your resume, it’s important to make sure it matches with the position you’re applying for. Of course, you might not have a lot of experience with web design if you’ve been a baker your entire life. But, chances are, you have at least some experience with it or else you won’t be making the career change.

You don’t have to include just professional experience in your resume. For a career change resume, it’s actually a good idea to include non-work related experiences. Include extracurricular activities that relate to your desired position, for example: volunteering, professional association memberships, and internships, to show hiring managers the full scope of relevant experience you have to offer.

It’s About Branding

Branding yourself is important. When writing your new resume, ask yourself: How do you want to be perceived by potential employers and hiring managers? Once you have the answer, you can go about branding yourself and tailoring your resume to your new career. Above all else, your resume should tell the story of you and paint a picture of who you are.

If you’re still unsure of how to go about crafting your resume for your new career, Silicon Valley resume writing service Capstone Resume Services can help! With years of experience in resume writing, our Certified Professional Resume Writers will have a one-on-one consultation with you to better understand your experience and your new career goals.

Contact us today to request a consultation, and take the first step toward your new career!

If you’re an executive or are looking to make the jump up to executive level, it’s important to ensure your resume speaks of your successes and achievements that align you with these positions.

Your executive resume should tell who you are and what you’ve accomplished. Recruiters have hundreds of resumes pass across their desks a week, and it’s important to make sure yours is specific to you. Your resume should tell your story and leave a recruiter with a better idea of who you are, how you approach and resolve organizational level issues and challenges as well as how your leadership can benefit their company.

There are certain things that recruiters, board members, and top-level executives look for while reviewing resumes, and we can help you stand out from the crowd by ensuring you cover all of the necessary bases.

Executive Summary

A strong executive summary is essential when creating an effective executive resume. The executive summary is how you capture your future employer’s attention and convey who you are. Be sure to include information that is relevant to the specific job for which you are applying.

Using the job description to draw specific details is a good place to start, as it shows that you’ve taken the time to customize your resume for this specific position. If you know this company is looking for someone with strong negotiation skills and experience, be sure to include that in your executive summary to showcase you are qualified for the job. These could include past successful negotiations with high profile businesses or clients as well as the general value of the negotiation. This gives an immediate visual statement to the reader. You’ll be able to showcase all of your skills later on in your resume, but the executive summary is where you want to highlight those that are most likely to capture attention and show that you are someone to be considered for a high-level position.

Professional Experience

In your executive summary, show the hiring manager how your unique experiences can help them with their specific needs.

Include relevant career experience to demonstrate how you will draw on your past experiences in your new position. Be sure to target your experiences to the capabilities, leadership over diverse groups and skills needed for the job.

Your executive resume should be consistent, with a clear and strong message throughout. It is important to add context to help the reader understand what you did and why it had such an impact. When talking about your experiences, be sure to include all relevant details to help the recruiter fully understand your background and skills.

Career Highlights

When writing your career highlights, focus on achievements rather than job responsibilities. Achievements show what you did for your company and how you can make a difference moving forward. Showing what you have accomplished is much more effective than simply covering the responsibilities you had in your previous jobs.

Be sure to include action words and leave out weak verbs that don’t add anything to your resume. When possible, quantify achievements using $, % or #’s. It’s important to be specific and show hiring managers the value you can add to their company.

When writing your executive resume, design is also important. Make sure your resume is clean and organized, with attention to detail and a focus on the most relevant experience.

Now you should be ready to write an impressive executive resume. If you’re still unsure or need some assistance, contact Capstone Resume Services today to schedule a one-on-one resume consultation. Our experienced team will work with you to understand your specific career goals and learn about your experiences to help create a targeted executive resume that is tailored to your specific job search.

Summary

Attention spans are short, and you have only seconds to get your reader’s attention. Convince an employer to continue reading your resume by including a compelling summary section at the top of it. This section directly below your name and contact information provides a synopsis of your professional background and gets the reader interested enough to go on. Important items to include are: core skills and strengths, noteworthy accomplishments, and significant past job functions and experience. Most importantly, make it concise. Generally your summary section will occupy one quarter to one third of the first page of your resume, dependent upon your level of experience and line of work.

Keywords

Including appropriate resume keywords can unlock interview opportunities. Generally a recruiter or HR manager will scan resumes rather than read them, so including relevant keywords can help catch their eyes. Additionally, many large employers use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to collect and store resumes and candidate information. These systems allow the employer to search for candidates with specific skills or experience and they can also rule out those who are unqualified by leaving them out of the search results. Ensure that you stay in the applicant pool by including keywords that are applicable to the job and industry. Job descriptions can be a great source of ideas for keywords.

Evidence

Job seekers commonly include a laundry list of job duties and skills on their resumes while omitting evidence of successful performance. On your resume, it’s better to show than tell. Substantiate your abilities and job responsibilities by describing not only what you did but how you did your work. One way to demonstrate your abilities is to use PAR statements, where PAR stands for Problem-Action-Result. Your statements describe the business problems/challenges/situations you tackled, the actions you took to resolve them, and the positive business results that stemmed from your actions. These results-action oriented statements show the employer the value you have brought to past positions and that you have the potential to do the same for them.

Results

Speaking of results, we’re giving them their own section here because they’re that important for your resume. When describing results in your PAR statements, quantify them in the form of general numbers, dollars or percentages. How many more leads did the company sales team get from your online marketing campaign? How much money did the company save due to a process you streamlined? By what percentage did complaints decrease after your customer service idea was implemented? It’s important to be honest here and determine accurate numbers to the best of your ability. Keeping track of your results as you go through your career is a good professional habit as it not only can help when it’s time to write your resume or look for a job, but it can also help you demonstrate your value in your current position when it’s time for your performance review.

Story

When preparing your resume, it’s essential to approach it from the employer’s perspective. Your resume should tell a clear story of your career rather than present a puzzle that the employer must put together (they won’t). Instead, convince the employer that you are the missing piece to their puzzle and use your resume to guide them toward envisioning a picture of how you could fit the position they‘re offering. In addition to your summary section at the top of your resume, a job narrative, or summary statements describing each position in your experience section, can assist the employer in understanding your story. Your cover letter assists here, but your resume should be able to stand on its own. By focusing on what the employer needs and writing your resume from that perspective, you increase your chances of being invited for an interview.

Capstone resume writers with recruiting and hiring backgrounds create affordable resumes, cover letters and LinkedIn profiles that get results. Get started today!