Why Executive Resumes Are Different
Everything you know about standard resume formatting changes at the executive level. The one-page resume rule? Irrelevant — clients expect 2-3 pages for senior leaders. Simple chronological layouts? Too basic — executives need achievement-focused formats that tell a leadership story. Standard templates? They signal that your agency doesn't understand the executive market.
Executive placements are high-value transactions — $50,000 to $250,000+ in fees. The resume is your first deliverable to the client, and it needs to match the caliber of the engagement.
Length and Structure
The single most common mistake agencies make with executive resumes is cutting them to one page. Clients hiring a VP, SVP, or C-suite executive want detail. Two to three pages allow space for:
- Executive Summary (top of page 1): 3-5 sentences positioning the candidate's leadership brand and key achievements
- Core Competencies: A concise grid of leadership capabilities relevant to the target role
- Professional Experience: Achievement-focused entries for the last 15-20 years, with metrics
- Board and Advisory Roles: A dedicated section for governance and advisory positions
- Education and Certifications: Degrees, executive education (Harvard, Wharton, etc.), relevant certifications
- Industry Engagement: Speaking engagements, published articles, industry associations
Pro tip: For executives with 20+ years of experience, include detailed entries for the last 3-4 roles and brief entries (title, company, dates) for earlier positions. This keeps the resume focused while showing career trajectory.
Achievement-Focused Formatting
The biggest content shift in executive resumes is from responsibilities to achievements. Every bullet point should quantify impact:
Responsibilities vs. Achievements
| Weak (Responsibilities) | Strong (Achievements) |
|---|---|
| Managed a sales team | Scaled sales team from 12 to 45 reps, driving revenue from $8M to $32M in 3 years |
| Oversaw product development | Led product strategy resulting in 4 new product lines generating $15M ARR |
| Responsible for operations | Reduced operational costs by 28% ($4.2M annually) while improving customer NPS by 15 points |
| Led digital transformation | Executed enterprise-wide digital transformation, migrating 3,200 employees to cloud-first workflows in 18 months |
Design Standards for Executive Resumes
Executive resume design should convey authority and sophistication. This means:
- Typography: Serif fonts for headings (Garamond, Georgia, Cambria), clean sans-serif for body (Calibri, Helvetica). Never use more than two font families.
- Color: Minimal — navy, charcoal, or dark gray for accents. Avoid bright colors or gradients. Your agency's brand color can appear subtly in the header.
- White space: Generous margins (0.75-1 inch) and section spacing. Executive resumes should breathe. Cramped layouts signal desperation.
- Headers and footers: Minimal. Candidate name on each page, page numbers, your agency logo small and tasteful. No borders or decorative elements.
- No photos: In the US market, photos are inappropriate. For international placements, follow local conventions.
Agency Branding at the Executive Level
Branding executive resumes requires a lighter touch than standard submissions. Your agency logo belongs in the header or footer, not dominating the page. The candidate's personal brand should lead. Think of it as co-branding — your agency's professionalism reinforcing the candidate's executive presence.
Best practice: Use a clean header with the candidate's name prominently displayed, your agency logo (small) in the top-right or footer, and contact information for your agency recruiter as the point of contact.
Automating Executive Resume Formatting
Even with premium formatting needs, automation can handle the heavy lifting. AI formatting tools can parse executive resumes, identify achievement sections, and apply your executive template — reducing formatting from 60+ minutes to under 10 minutes. The recruiter then spends their time on quality review rather than copy-pasting.