Executive Employment - How Long Should My Executive Resume Be?

In short, the answer is as long as it takes to convince the reader to call you. The difference in length between a resume for an entry-level position and an executive resume relates to this fact. Usually a search for a job candidate for an executive position (ex: CEO, CFO, President, VP, etc.) involves a lot more thought and consideration then one for an entry-level job.

An executive resume is not for an entry-level job and as such, can include more detail then a generic resume. The reason for this is that executives are usually hired by more than one person. Most often, a group of people review resumes of potential candidates for an executive position. They don't usually receive a huge amount of resumes and therefore, can spend considerable time considering each applicant. This means that a reasonable amount of detail can be included providing that it is not just facts and figures, but persuasive copy. Be sure to review your resume and edit out any unnecessary wordiness. If you strive to use concise and dynamic language to communicate what you can do for your reader's company, you will grab and keep their attention through a couple pages or even more.

The point of a resume whether it is for a CEO job at a fortune 500 company or an entry-level job at McDonald's is to persuade the reader. If you are unsure of the length, you just have to ask yourself if you have given enough detail to convince the reader to call you. If you have, it's long enough! For resumes, the focus is always on quality over quantity. For example, instead of just listing off career history and education, write about your experience and skills and what they can do for this potential employer. Sell yourself to this employer, not on what you've done for others in the past, but what you can do for THEM at present and in the future! With a resume focused on this goal, whether it is one page or four pages, if you tell them clearly what you can bring to the table (and this is worth something to them), they will read on and call you.

The concerns with length only arise when someone is listing only career history and education as if these alone will get them the job. With a resume focused on only past achievements, there is a very limited window of interest before the potential employer is bored and decides to move on. Regardless what the length of this resume is, it's unlikely it will garner even a second look.

A candidate presenting a resume like this is completely missing out on harnessing the power of their executive resume.

Remember, the key thing to ask yourself when you're writing an executive resume is "have I provided enough detail to persuasively convince the reader to call me?" Also, you want to make sure you have sold yourself to this employer and told them what you can do for them! With this in mind, the exact word count or page count of your resume quickly loses its importance.



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