Leadership experience is an intangible part of any resume. Potential employers are always looking to find new leaders and groom them. By hiring employees with leadership experience, potential employers believe their company is setting itself up for overall success because of the skills these dynamic individuals bring to the table.
Hiring managers love leadership and constantly look for leaders as established. The next step is making sure your resume passes the “10 second test.” This test is when hiring managers are pouring over resumes. They glance and if there is nothing on the resume that piques their interest, the resume is forgettable, meaning you will probably not get called for the interview.
With that in mind, here are three different things to do on your resume to stand out and demonstrate your leadership experience:
- Leadership Progression:Â If you started out as the stock boy at the grocery store and progressed to Night Manager and eventually a Store Manager, someone who is looking for an Area Manager will be extremely interested. The reason is your resume demonstrates loyalty to a company and the ability to excel within a system. Employers value this level of adaptability along with a track record of exceeding expectations at every turn. Always highlight career progression.
- Branding Statement:Â This seems like a simple principle but it’s often overlooked. A branding statement allows you to control the conversation with your resume. State your leadership experience with a power statement such as, “Led Department to a 15% Increase in Sales in FY2015.” These statements mean a lot to employers because they’re direct information about who you are and what you’ve done. Your success at a previous company is music to the ears of any hiring manager. A branding statement gives hiring managers the key points to focus on for potential interviews and gives you to the power to shape your message.
- Lead with Your Strengths:Â Don’t bury deep in the resume what you’re best at. If you’re a great sales leader, make sure the hiring manager sees that right away and back it up with evidence. Don’t state that your strength is leadership. This is intangible. If your strength is creating a team of diverse strengths, then talk about the team’s successes. Maybe you have been a leader creating efficient accounting systems. Then talk about the processes, what you did and why you did it. The bottom line is lead with what you do well.
Demonstrating leadership doesn’t need to be very difficult. If you’re unsure of how to incorporate this information within your resume, make a list of all your accomplishments at your jobs. By having all your accomplishments listed, this gives you a great idea of what you’ve done and how you’ve done it. The next thing to do is go through each accomplishment and how you made it happen. Think about the processes. Once you’ve organized your thoughts and accomplishments, use the tips listed above and your resume will be set up for success.
