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| ATS-Winning Tips |
You may have 15 or 20 years of experience. You may have led large teams and made financial decisions worth crores of rupees. But does your resume have the power to convey this incredible experience to an HR officer or hiring manager in just 7 seconds?
Yes, according to research results, an executive's resume is scanned for an average of only 7 seconds!
Also, before your application even reaches human eyes, it is filtered by software called ATS (Applicant Tracking System). So, how do you prepare your executive resume for today's modern job market? Here are 5 key tips that will guarantee success!
1. Needs more attention: The powerful executive summary
The 'Objective' section, which is found in regular applications, is not included in an executive application. When applying for leadership positions, what should be at the top of your profile is an achievement-focused executive summary. Rather, it should show under what circumstances and how big of a decision you made.
Key things you should include in the executive summary:
Your total experience: Rather than '20 years of experience,' state '18 years of leadership experience in the financial services industry, focused on profit (P&L).'
Your Value Proposition: Briefly describe the challenges you faced and how you rescued your company from them.
Numbers at the beginning: Don't hesitate to list two of your biggest successes with numbers (quantified).
Example: "Experienced in transforming an underperforming business unit into a profitable unit in 36 months; strategic leader who reduced operating costs by 30% in the last 5 years, generating savings of ₹ 5 million per year."
Just reading this summary should pique the hiring manager's interest in learning more about you.
2. Forget about mere duties and talk only about impact!
Do you know a fact? What are you as an administrator? You did. Rather, what is the result in the company? You made an impact. This is of great interest to higher authorities and ATS software.
Let's take a look at two of the biggest mistakes commonly made on your resume and how to fix them.
Mistake #1: Just talking about activity!
Mistakes you make (🚫 to avoid):
"I led the team to cut costs."
This is just a duty. What was the profit for the company? You led the team, okay. But how much money was saved? That information is not here!
The correct way (must be followed):
"Over a period of six months, I signed procurement contracts as a result of the reorganization, resulting in a 15% cost reduction. This is an average per year for savings of ₹ 5 crore caused by it."
Watch now! ₹ 5 crore savings The number, you are the leader who creates results It immediately shows that. This is many times more powerful than just 'I guided'!
Mistake #2: Hiding your achievements!
Mistakes you make (🚫 to avoid):
"I implemented a new performance process in the company."
This is also an activity. You may have installed a new piece of software or changed a process. But what is the benefit to the employees? Has the company's productivity increased?
The correct way (must be followed):
"Through the new performance process I implemented, 120 employees—the overall productivity of our team—increased by 40%. Thus, all projects were completed on time (On Time Delivery)."
Now you have created 40% growth The information clearly shows the positive change that your work has brought about. It's not just implementation; it's created success. He is the hero of your resume!
From now on, your resume should not have duties! It should only have 'Stories of Impact' that you have created!
S—Situation: What was the challenge or goal you faced?
T - Task: What responsibility have you been given to tackle this challenge?
A - Action: What specific actions did you take?
R - Result (quantifiable result): What happened as a result?
Detailed STAR example (example):
S: Due to fierce competition and technological changes in the market, our traditional customer segment's revenue has seen a 10% decline for two consecutive quarters.
T: I was given the responsibility of preparing a complete digital transformation strategy to regain market share and sustain revenue.
A: I built a cross-functional team, we abandoned legacy technology systems, introduced cloud-based solutions, and integrated AI chatbots for customer service.
R: These changes reduced operating costs by 20% over the next 18 months, increased customer retention by 15%, and generated the company's highest quarterly revenue.
If every major achievement is in this STAR format, the quality of your application will increase many times over.
3. ATS-Friendly Format and Word Choice
Don't forget that your application is first filtered by software called ATS.
ATS Winning Rules:
Role of Keywords:
Split the job description: Carefully read the job description you are applying for and use words from it that describe management skills (such as strategic planning, P&L management, and stakeholder communication) naturally in your executive summary and job descriptions.
Titles are important: When using headings for your skills and job categories, only use words that the ATS can easily understand (for example, instead of writing 'Work History,' write 'Professional Experience').
Simple design:
Avoid decorative shapes: Complex shapes like tables, images, or graphs will not be scanned properly by ATS.
Font: Use simple fonts like Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial. Fancy or unique fonts can cause problems for the ATS.
Word/PDF: It is generally best to save the application in PDF format (unless the job description asks for a Word file).
4. Writing down the core competencies
Create a separate section before your work experience section and list your top 8 to 10 management skills. This important section is what will quickly make your hard skills known to the ATS.
Skills to include:
P&L Management
Global Team Leadership
Strategic Planning
Digital Transformation
Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A Integration)
Risk Management
Stakeholder Relations
5. Decluttering the Resume
Regardless of the amount of experience, the goal is to keep an executive resume to no more than 2 pages. Extra information will distract the reader.
What you need to remove:
The 15-year rule: Briefly list or eliminate work experience prior to the 15 years in one line. Focus only on your most recent and most significant leadership responsibilities.
Personal details: Remove personal information that is not relevant to the job, such as age, marital status, photos, and hobbies. These can lead to biased results.
An executive resume is not just a list of your work experience; it is a powerful sales document of your leadership journey. By following these five tips, showcasing your accomplishments with numbers, and making your resume ATS-friendly, you can land the leadership role you desire.
May victory be yours.
