The "Executive Profile" (A.K.A. "Qualifications Summary or "Career Summary") goes directly below the objective/resume title. This brief section consists of one or two short paragraphs or several bulleted statements condensing for employers your breadth of experience, major areas of strength, and relevant highlights from your background. This is the perfect place to really "sell" yourself, and if done well this section can often be enough all by itself to convince an employer to contact you for an interview.

Your profile should explain how an employer would benefit by hiring you. It should encapsulate the key strengths you bring to the table and convincingly address why you should be called for an interview vs. your competition. Keep your profile concise. You're not telling your life story here. Just hit on whatever elements from your background are most compelling in terms of your new career target. You will expound upon these strengths later in the resume, but in the profile your goal is to summarize your most saleable traits, experience, and credentials.

Before you begin your profile section, make sure you have a solid grasp of what employers are looking for in your targeted field. Research job ads on the Web or in the newspaper similar to what you are looking for to identify the key skills and credentials you offer that match employers' needs. Compare the job ads you find and take note of similarities between your background and frequently requested/required skills mentioned in these ads.

Draw up a list of your top five to ten marketable skills and accomplishments, and use this as the basis for your qualifications summary. Keep in mind that employers particularly value executives who can prove they have helped to generate revenue, enhance shareholder value, improve morale, save time, cut costs, improve service, solve problems, or further company goals. These traits are universally valued, regardless of the industry or field you are pursuing, so detail your most standout accomplishments in these areas in your Executive Profile.


Reprinted with permission from The McGraw-Hill Companies, excerpted from The Career Change Resume by Kim Isaacs and Karen Hofferber. Copyright 2003. All rights reserved.
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Karen's Bio: Karen is senior resume writer at ExecResumes. Her goal is to prepare clients for career advancement through powerful resumes and career coaching services. Karen is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), demonstrating advanced proficiency in the creation of winning resumes and cover letters. She has served as the Resume Advisor on Monster.com's Resume Tips message board and writes informative articles on how to write a winning resume. She provides advice on how to develop a resume that does more than just chronicle job experience, but sells as an effective executive marketing piece. Her passion for helping her clients achieve their dreams is evident in every resume she produces. Karen's dynamic personality and unwavering support help drive her clients to achieve their goals.

Karen coauthored The Career Change Resume: How to Reinvent Your Resume and Land Your Dream Job (McGraw-Hill, April 2003). She was the featured resume expert on Mark Larsen's Morning Magazine radio show in August 2003. Karen won high praise for sharing her creative approach to resume design as a speaker for the National Resume Writers' Association's interactive chat.

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