The Executive Summary
Does this have to be YOUR reality?
The entire interviewing system is built to reject people, not accept them. Just look at the numbers. Hundreds of people apply for a single position and only one gets it.
It quickly becomes a matter of seeing who you can cross off, no matter how small the reason is. Then you can interview the survivors, using whatever you learn there to cross off the rest. So, it’s often a matter of hiring the survivor, someone who had no apparent flaws, rather than uncovering the best person for the job. The Psychology Of The Hiring Process – BizLibrary https://www.bizlibrary.com/article/psychology-hiring-process/
What is better: to have the interviewer seeing you as the person TO HIRE WITH NO APPARENT FLAWS or seeing you as a person to “CROSS OFF” leaving you to defend your resume and career?
We’re going to let you in on a little secret: the average recruiter or hiring manager spends 6 seconds reading a resume. August 2, 2017, Posted by Amy Elisa Jackson https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/scanning-resumes/
Regardless if a Hiring Manager spends 6 or 60 seconds, nearly all that time is spent reading your “Executive Summary” with the “Experience” section reviewed for titles, company names, and education.
Why an Executive Summary?
Busy Hiring Managers just do not have the time to “parse” your skillset from the body of your resume; certainly not in 45 seconds! They need to absorb your career path and skill set before reading your Employment Experience section. It is more important for the reader to know WHAT YOU CAN DO before knowing WHERE YOU DID IT!
Think of your first sentence as very clearly describing your next job: I AM A PLUMBER.
Think of your second sentence/ sentences/ paragraphs as describing the toolbox you carry – HERE ARE MY TOOLS.
Overview: of an Executive Summary
This paragraph is located at the top of the resume
First sentence: “I want to be a / I am a ___________” – your NEXT job!
The second sentence (s): Imagine you met your Hiring Manager at a conference and s/he asks you: what do you do? You would never say “I am organized and responsible”. You would get into the real detail (transferable skills) of your job. Strong experience revising quarterly Financial Statements, implementing TRID, sitting on the Strategic Planning Committee, etc.
I have the following skills that I am doing; skill one, skill two, skill three
Third sentence: an accomplishment – give a success so they keep reading
The body of the resume should be focused to support the first sentence of the Executive Summary. This means that if your goal is Plumber and your skills are plumbing and three out of four jobs are Electrician Apprentice, and one job is Plumbing, increase the bullets/ sentences listed under the Plumbing job and cut WAY BACK on the Electrician Apprentice detail.
Before you hit the send button, does your Executive Summary answer:
1. My next job is…
2. My skills/ tools to do that job are…
Too many Candidates’ resumes will declare – I am the GREATEST plumber EVER with NO TOOLS/ SKILLS presented OR
Present the entire toolbox contents as Basin Wrench, Hole Saw, Hose Cutter, Rib-joint Pliers, Drain Augers, aka Snakes, and Metal File then get upset when an overworked HR professional passes on their resume because GUESSING WHO AND WHAT YOU ARE is not their problem – it is YOURS!
The Executive Summary Section
Here are a few examples. The first Summary is a direct and to the point, Summary. The second is from a more seasoned manager’s resume.
EXAMPLE 1
Commercial Bank Manager with extensive experience in financial services. Expertise in commercial and retail banking, sales, new business development, business consulting, and marketing. Proven skill in managing vendors, staff, and product solutions. Strong record of motivating staff and increasing sales. Winner of Presidents award for outstanding sales in the region.
EXAMPLE 2
SUMMARY
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND OPERATIONS MANAGER
BOUTIQUE INVESTMENT BANK, BROKER-DEALER, AND PRIVATE EQUITY FUND
Forward-thinking and visionary executive with an exemplary record for leading operations, administration, and finance for an investment banking firm specializing in the retail and consumer sector. Organization structure includes oversight of US and UK broker-dealers and home office for the Chairman. Skilled at overseeing all administrative operations, IT development, deal flow monitoring, accounting practices, budgeting, financial reporting, and tax planning. Excellent communicator, motivator of people, and strong leadership skills.
· Skilled in Corporate Finance and Accounting
· Expert in Budgeting & Variance Analysis
· Strong Organizational Skills and Ability to Multitask
· Strong Understanding of Broker-Dealer Capital Requirements and Compliance
· Heavy Forecasting and Cash Flow Analysis
· Tax planning optimization among Individual Owners, Sub S, LLC, and Partnership entities
· Strong IT systems knowledge
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
· Developed and implemented deal flow pipeline database resulting in the tracking of each stage of client relationship from initial discussions to deal closing, including lead banker, banking team, revenue forecasting, deal type, deal size, deal status notes, and extensive reporting. This resulted in increased client follow-up, increased profitability, historical fee reporting, and capturing banker statistical performance.
· Developed a financial reporting system including a weekly dashboard to enable the firm to better monitor cash flow, implementation of cost-saving policies, analyze budget vs. actual spending, and quickly respond to multiple requests.
· Increased Accounting Department's productivity through technology upgrades which allowed the company to grow without adding to headcount.
· Overhauled the Human Resource area of the firm by reviewing benefit packages and policies, administrative salary levels and duties, and overall professional staff expectations of office support. This effort resulted in offering more benefits to employees, while decreasing benefit costs, higher staff retention through increasing staff communication and implementing changes to the year-end review process.
· Spearheaded the establishment of Securities LLC, a registered private placement broker-dealer (March 2004); interfaced with the FINRA and outside consultants to establish subsidiary; coordinated establishment of Ltd., a registered UK broker-dealer (2003); file reports with the FSA (UK equivalent to FINRA).
EXAMPLE 4
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Mr. H. is a senior finance and commercial banking professional with over 25 years of proven experience successfully financing public and private clients to grow their business. He received his credit training in a large New York Money Center bank. He is experienced in credit underwriting and structuring, including asset-backed loans and in providing cash management solutions to middle-market and small businesses. He works closely with team members to identify additional financial needs of his clients and design appropriate solutions through innovative product development. Clients span the life science, government contracting, manufacturing, professional services, technology, real estate, and not-for-profit industries with loans in the $500,000 to $10 million range.
Actively involved in the community, Mr. H. is on the Board of Directors of Volunteers of America, Chesapeake, and also serves on the Board of Directors of a start-up company in Maryland. He has previously served on the Board of Directors of Manna Food working with government, corporations, nonprofit organizations, schools, faith-based organizations, community groups, and individuals to serve families in need of food assistance.
EXAMPLE 5
IT Program & Project Manager
Motivated and results-focused Project Manager with more than 10 years of experience spearheading complex and effective projects at large organizations. Possess a combination of project management, team leadership, and Information Technology skills. Demonstrated ability to catalyze lucrative results while complying with budget and time constraints. Seeking new challenges while bringing extensive IT program and project management experience and strong interpersonal skills to the new organization.
Areas of Expertise & Technical Skills
§ Project Design/Implementation
§ Technical Challenge Analysis
§ Relationship-Building
§ Confidentiality
§ Stakeholder Interaction
§ Rapid Expertise-Building
§ Contract Spec Analysis
§ Consensus-Building
§ Project Parameter Research
§ Agile & Waterfall Expert
§ Systems Management
§ Problem Solving
Key Skills Assessment
Analytical Leader – Frequently analyzes project parameters, develops a plan for solving the problem at hand, and deploys colleagues and resources quickly and efficiently to fulfill key project milestones and goals. Takes great pride in the ability to keep colleagues on-task while maximizing their productivity, and remaining agile enough as a team to conquer unexpected challenges as they arise. Team manager enjoys finding the right person for the job, integrating them into the team, and getting the most out of a group with dynamic skill sets
Strong Communicator/Interpersonal Skills – Friendly and professional attitude fosters camaraderie across departments and titles to maximize results in minimum amounts of time, boosting efficiency and improving morale in the process. Communicate with a variety of employees and key stakeholders on multiple levels of management daily. Develops relationships that lead to increased opportunities for project completion and maximizes leveraging of resources.
Problem Solver – Actively searches for creative solutions to vexing problems faced by the organization and its stakeholders. Uses resources available in interesting and dynamic ways to go above and beyond delivering expected results, to create elegant solutions to issues.
Tech-Driven Mindset – Thrives in high-tech environments where technology is perceived as a solution to problems, not a complicated impairment to be feared. Quickly, easily, and routinely develops competency and expertise in new technical areas as needed to complete projects, specializing in the design, implementation, and testing of new software and programs to streamline existing processes and automate key tasks. Proficient in SDLC.
BODY OF RESUME
Question: would a smart friend read your current job title and know what you do?
Formal Title: Hydro-Automotive Technician
Functional Title: Car Wash Attendant
Point: Consider functional titles over Formal for clarity and speed of understanding
Question: do the first three bullets in your Work Experience section specifically support the first sentence of your Executive Summary?
Point: The fastest way to be screened out is to have an Executive Summary that reads “hands-on Plumber” and the first three bullets scream: “I am a Supervisor”.