INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Top Executives positions are at a 8% growth rate, which is as fast as average. With that said, there are currently 2,704,400 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 209,500 to 2,913,900 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Top Executives jobs was $107,680 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $45,850, and the highest 10% more than $208,000.
Our conclusion? The Top Executives job market is wide open for candidates.
Top Executive Director sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to write a Executive Director resume experience section
Executive Director Resume’s Job Experience Checklist:
- Use 4-6 bullet points per job title;
- Don’t go further than a decade behind when describing your job history, unless you’re applying for an executive position;
- Combine job responsibilities as well as achievements with numbers in results when you describe your past work;
- Start each sentence with a power verb and avoid overused buzzwords;
- Use either C-A-R or S-T-A-R methodology, when describing your experience.
The work experience samples below come from real Executive Director resumes that got people hired at top companies. You can use them as an inspiration to build your own resume:
Work Experience
Executive Director
Hessel - Ruecker
2011-2018
- Prepare and present powerful, persuasive sales presentations that effectively demonstrate the value proposition of Salut United solutions.
- Collaborated across Development, Marketing, Services, and Salut growth teams, developing an internal services road-map with clear priorities for the implementation of new projects and solutions
- Establish projects success measures and KPIs.
- Prepare and give business reviews and presentations to the management board on a monthly basis.
Work Experience
Acting Executive Director
Eco Focus
2015-2019
- Leadership by example, resilience, and a willingness to work collaboratively with the Board of Directors.
- Fostering important stakeholder connections in our community.
- Organizing fundraisers from book stores to the shelter's largest yearly fundraiser.
- Establishing and maintaining relationships with our volunteers.
- Maintaining adoption rates.
- Lead Social media efforts including Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat to get our adoptable pets the most exposure possible.
- Hire staff, schedule staff, and coach individual performance.
Work Experience
BU Executive Director - Sales&Marketing Dir.
Cipher Publishing
2009-2014
- startup from scratch of Consumer & SoHo Business Unit, break even in 10 months => www.sicuritaliaprotezione24.it
- growth: sales, revenues and margin increase (>10% YoY)
- churn: reduction > 30% in 24 months
- customer satisfaction (NPS) improved > 30%
- active member of IoT Smart Home Observatory of Milan Politecnico
Work Experience
Sales Executive Director -Dealers, Franchisee, Distributors
Bravura Combo
2015-2017
- Management of 200 employees, sales operation across Italy
- above 1,5 billion € sale revenues/year (25% growth in three years)
- TIM Brazil turnaround, most successful in history of GSM Association
- Management of commercial Operations on subsidiaries (Chile, Argentina, Greece, Brazil)
- Reshape of stores channelsand commercial policiies
- Launch of the new Distributors and Retail sales channels in Italy
- Founder of the Sales Community for 10.000 dealer's sales people
Work Experience
Acting Executive Director: Business Development
Altenwerth Group
2018-2020
- Developing and driving implementation of client development strategy
- Identifying and initiating strategic projects across Africa
- Engineering design project management (overhead power lines, substations, etc.)
Work Experience
Executive Director: Business Development
Bravura Combo
2019-2021
- Generated opportunities with Megatron Federal for R45 million deal
- Led negotiations and managed the design process
- Generated the opportunity for the Kiswishi substation, HV and MV network, project management for its design and construction in the DRC
Work Experience
Executive Directorships Held
Smash Tech
2021-2022
- Linfox India
- Laura Ashley UK Ltd
- Laura Ashley Ireland
- Laura Ashley France
- Texplan Manufacturing Ltd (UK)
- Premier Home Logistics (UK)
- Laura Ashley Hotels (UK)
- Trustee Laura Ashley Retirement Benefits Fund (UK)
- Company Secretary - Ocean Freeway Pty Ltd (WA)
Work Experience
Executive Directorships Held
Altenwerth Group
2017-2018
- Linfox India
- Laura Ashley UK Ltd
- Laura Ashley Ireland
- Laura Ashley France
- Texplan Manufacturing Ltd (UK)
- Premier Home Logistics (UK)
- Laura Ashley Hotels (UK)
- Trustee Laura Ashley Retirement Benefits Fund (UK)
- Company Secretary - Ocean Freeway Pty Ltd (WA)
Work Experience
Executive Directorships
Sanguine
2018-2020
- Linfox India (2013-2014)
- Texplan Manufacturing Ltd (UK) (2006-2011)
- Laura Ashley Hotels (UK) (2010-2011)
- Laura Ashley UK Ltd (2006-2011)
- Laura Ashley Ireland (2006-2011)
- Laura Ashley France (2006-2011)
- Premier Home Logistics (UK) (2006-2011)
- Trustee Laura Ashley Retirement Benefits Fund (UK) (2008-2010)
- Company Secretary - Ocean Freeway Pty Ltd (W.A.) (1987-1989)
Work Experience
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) / Executive Director
Hintz, Emmerich and Swaniawski
2009-2014
- Responsible for all areas of the corporation and report to the Physician President and the Board of Directors
- Responsible for revenue cycle, info tech, facilities, accounting, HR, benefits, marketing, call center, rehab, patient reg, ancillary services, credentialing, insurance, risk mgmt, managed care, offices, & physician compensation
- JOI maintains its own tax identification number and operates independently to the most extent, but is fully owned by Baptist Health (5 hospital health system) as an integrated system
- Team physicians for the Jacksonville Jaguars (NFL), Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Florida Marlins AA), Jacksonville Sharks (National Arena League), Jacksonville Armada (North American Soccer League), Jacksonville University, Florida State College at Jacksonville, and 7 local high schools
- Recruited and hired 15 new physicians & recruiting 5 additional surgeons
- Opened 5 new rehab offices in new markets, 2 new physician offices in new markets, relocated one physician office, and renovated one physician office
- Grew annual revenue from $44 million to $58 million
Work Experience
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) / Executive Director
Bravura Combo
2015-2017
- Cultivated high performing organization through strategic recruitment of 18 new physicians, directing talented staff in processes to achieve effectiveness and quality for 315K annual patient visits, over 10K annual surgeries, and over 10K pain management cases.
- Accelerated growth of organization through effective opening of five new rehab offices and two new physician offices within new markets, growing annual revenue from $44M to $60M.
- Developed strong diverse teams, leading and motivating through positive leadership, emphasizing corporate values, quality care, and patient service excellence.
Work Experience
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) / Executive Director
Admire Arts
2017-2018
- Cultivated high performing organization through strategic recruitment of 18 new physicians, directing talented staff in processes to achieve effectiveness and quality for 315K annual patient visits, over 10K annual surgeries, and over 10K pain management cases.
- Accelerated growth of organization through effective opening of five new rehab offices and two new physician offices within new markets, growing annual revenue from $44M to $60M.
- Developed strong diverse teams, leading and motivating through positive leadership, emphasizing corporate values, quality care, and patient service excellence.
Work Experience
Chief Financial Officer/Executive Director
Innovation Arch
2012-2018
- In partnership with the MD, led the company from a micro-cap business through to entry into the ASX300 Index.
- Led multiple forms of Capital Raising and Debt Finance exercises - largest Capital Raise; $35m, largest Debt Finance; $100m.
- Negotiated and led Due Diligence on a number of acquisitions, growing company from 8 to 65 sites at the end of the engagement.
- Managed operational integration of all acquisition resources into the company operations.
- Key company contact point for Investors, Stock brokers, Finance providers, Company Secretarial, legal and other advisors.
- Direct control and guidance of multiple operational departments; Finance, Technology, Marketing, Human Resource, Call Centre and Administration.
- Promoted the adoption of significant technical innovations, e.g. digital imaging platforms to increase radiologist productivity by 200%, Call Centre to reduce abandoned calls from 12-16% to 1% at clinics.
- Managed all audits and complete production of Annual Reports and other statutory filings
Work Experience
Deputy Executive Director
Bonefete Fun
2011-2018
- Developed our flagship five-month fellowship for senior NGO staff which now has 200+ alumni who report increased impact, improved confidence and stronger, more effective networks.
- Have reached 2000+ civil society staff through our training programs and events with 85% reporting increased skills, new relationships, and 95+% reporting satisifction with the programs.
- Worked closely with the Executive Director to grow the number, reach and quality of our programs, diversify our revenue sources and drive efficiency and impact.
Work Experience
Non-Executive Director
Techbia
2017-2021
- Clover SA: A leading consumer brand, producing dairy and other value-added products;
- CJP Chemicals: A stockist and distributor of specialty and commodity raw materials to a variety of industries;
- Dartcom SA: A specialised distributor and manufacturer of components used by the telecommunications industry;
- Izandla Property: A property fund and manager;
- Tarsus: South Africa's leading IT distribution group;
- Concord Cranes: An entity that specialises in crane hire;
- Prowalco: A distributor of pumps and dispensers for the fuel industry;
- Afrit Group: A trailer manufacturer; and
- Goscor Group: An entity involved in the supply, servicing and renting of industrial and construction equipment.
Work Experience
Executive Director
Schmeler and Sons
2017-2020
- Directed all aspects of $2M operations, including grant management, public relations, human resources, program evaluation, marketing, artistic leadership, strategic planning and continuous quality improvement
- Implemented a new vision and rebranding strategy for the organization that highlighted social change initiatives, generating widespread media attention and increased audience participation by 20% in one year
- Trained, managed, evaluated and mentored a staff of 42 educators, managers and volunteers using an entrepreneurial model that led to mission-driven buy-in at all levels, including a 20 member Board of Trustees
- Ad hoc duties as needed, including event management, community engagement and facility management
Work Experience
Executive Director & Senior Director of Philanthropy
Bonefete Fun
2020-2022
- Directed all aspects of $1M operations, including grant management, human resources, marketing, budgeting, project evaluation, public arts programming, continuous quality improvement and strategic planning
- Created and supervised all marketing and public relations initiatives, and by way of a 5-year impact strategy, generated an effective and recognizable organizational brand
- Secured 20+ partnership agreements with cultural, education, and social service organizations to advance the organization’s outreach activities and expand audience/donor base, leading to a 20% revenue increase in 3 years
- Partnered with a 12 member Board of Directors in all development activities, effectively cultivating, soliciting, and maintaining strong relationships with individual, corporate, foundation, and government donors and sponsors
- Trained, managed, evaluated and mentored a staff of 95 educators, directors, artists and volunteers using an entrepreneurial model that led to mission-driven buy-in at all levels
- Engaged and coordinated artists from multiple disciplines to foster a culture of collaboration, exploration and creativity that attracted a constituency of 50,000 artists, clients, patrons, donors and volunteers from all backgrounds
- Ad hoc duties as needed, including those related to event management, technical support and public engagement
Work Experience
Executive Director
Miller - Windler
2009-2014
- Executive Director at Herdt Consulting. Serves as the Program Manager (PM) for Herdt Consulting's two largest prime contract supporting the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Philadelphia in Material and Asset Management (MAMs) and the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) ERP Business Office.
- Responsible as the PM for Herdt's ERP sustainment work at Office of Naval Research (ONR) and supports multiple other Herdt contracts in various leadership and technical roles.
- Supports and leads full business development lifecycle efforts from capture to execution.
- Provides executive level change management,organizational strategic and process improvement support.
- Responsible for Process Improvement, Strategic Planning, Change Management, and analytical analysis support.
- Plans, organizes and deploys resources for accomplishing client projects.
- Manages and supervises over thirty Senior Consultants and Associates and manages multiple contracts with annual revenue of several million dollars.
Work Experience
Co-founder, Executive Director & Senior Director of Philanthropy
Hessel - Ruecker
2020-2022
- Co-founded and grew the organization into a respected cultural center with awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Florida Alliance for Arts Education and the Division of Cultural Affairs for the State of Florida
- Directed all aspects of operations, including human resources, marketing, budgeting, project evaluation, artistic programming, fundraising/grant writing, continuous quality improvement, artist/community relations and 5-year strategic planning over 17 consecutive years
- Acted as the Director of Development, and over 5 years secured $5 million in support for the organization from individuals, education institutions, businesses, foundations, government agencies and other stakeholders
- Consistently elevated individual gift-giving by 20% each year through application of strategic, emotionally intelligent use of the Benevon Model
- Created and supervised all marketing and public relations initiatives, and by way of a 5-year impact strategy, generated an effective and recognizable organizational brand that ties the dance arts to social change
- Secured 20+ partnership agreements with cultural, education, and social service organizations to advance the organization’s outreach activities and expand audience/donor base, leading to a 20% revenue increase in 3 years
- Partnered a 12 member Board of Directors in all development activities, effectively cultivating, soliciting, and maintaining strong relationships with individual, corporate, foundation, and government donors and sponsors
- In cooperation with the Board, guided the creation of a comprehensive development program and implemented visionary strategies that increased unrestricted giving by 170% over 3 years
- Trained, managed, evaluated and mentored a staff of 95 educators, directors, artists and volunteers using an entrepreneurial model that led to mission-driven buy-in at all levels
- Wrote all media releases, promotional copy and social media content while also serving as the art director for all print and digital mediums
- Engaged and coordinated artists from multiple disciplines to foster a culture of collaboration, exploration and creativity that attracted a constituency of 50,000 artists, clients, patrons, donors and volunteers from all backgrounds
- Developed and supervised education programs, performance seasons and multi-disciplinary showcases that fostered community relations, leading to an average audience increase of 3,000 members every year across 17 years
- Initiated and grew inclusive/accessibility-based dance education programs for special populations, including persons with unique abilities, at-risk youth and senior citizens, leading to a 25% increase in reach over 3 years
- Ad hoc duties as needed, including those related to event management, technical support and public engagement
Work Experience
Executive Assistant to Executive Director
Waters and Sons
2017-2020
- Implemented systematic calendar management strategies averaging 45 meetings per week
- Used discretion with email delegation when communicating on behalf of Executive Director
- Liaison with White House staff, Department of Defense, Mayor's Office, internet and television celebrities
PRO TIP
Don't make the same mistake everyone else does. What we mean is, don't list your Executive Director job responsibilities instead of your achievements. Recruiters know what you do. They want to know what kind of difference you can bring to their company. Focus on what you've accomplished.
Action Verbs for your Executive Director Resume
At Enhancv, we went through countless Executive Director resumes and uncovered which are the unique words people use to spice up their resumes. Forget about buzzwords - use these power words instead to make your experience section shine.
Recommended reads:
Executive Director Resume Skills’ Tips & Tricks to Impress Recruiters
Resume Skills Section Checklist:
- Ensure your hard skills section (including technologies) are exactly matching the job description.
- Don’t simply list your soft skills. Apply the “show, don’t tell” principle - let your job achievements speak for themselves.
- Find a way to showcase your skills beyond the skills section.
- Your resume’s skill section is important to ATS systems - so don’t skip it.
Top Skills for your Executive Director resume
HARD SKILLS
- Public Speaking
- Digital Solutions
- Technical Skills
- Spreadsheets
- Point of Sales Systems
- Data Analysis
- Marketing Solutions
- Writing
SOFT SKILLS
- Transparency
- Communication
- Delegation
- Decisiveness
- Empowering
- Consistency and Reliability
- Empathy and sensitivity
- Mentoring and coaching
PRO TIP
When picking skills to feature in your resume, make sure they'll be relevant to the position you’re applying to. The point of listing skills is for you to stand out from the competition. Stay away from repetitive, meaningless skills that everyone uses in their resumes. Or else, they’ll backfire and make you look like an average candidate.
Executive Director Resume Header: Tips, Red Flags, and Best Practices
CHECKLIST For Your Executive Director Resume Header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Include a link to your portfolio in your Executive Director resume header. Most companies will require that you include one in your resume, and even if they don’t, it’s an excellent opportunity to directly show them your proudest projects.
Executive Director Resume Summary Best Practices
Checklist: What to include in your Executive Director resume summary:
- Years of experience;
- Highlight top 3 skills and proficiencies;
- One big professional accomplishment you’re most proud of, that you can tie with the aforementioned skills;
- Use short, direct sentences - but no more than three - to keep the HRs interested.
Resume Summary Formula:
Resume Summary Formula:
[Adjective] [job title] with [number] years of experience in [industry], a proven ability to [relevant, measurable skills], and a strong background in [relevant context of your work experience] seeks a position as [the job title you’re applying for].
PRO TIP
Your summary section should act as a brief but informative introduction to your experience section. In this section you should go into more depth about what you have done, and how you did it.
Recommended reads:
Listing Your Education, Certifications and Courses
Resume Education Section Checklist:
- Ensure your hard skills section (including technologies) are exactly matching the job description.
- Don’t simply list your soft skills. Apply the “show, don’t tell” principle - let your job achievements speak for themselves.
- Find a way to showcase your skills beyond the skills section.
- Your resume’s skill section is important to ATS systems - so don’t skip it.
Top Certifications for your Executive Director resume
Conflict Resolution for Executives and Board Directors
You'll learn diagnosis and resolution techniques for tense, sensitive conflicts with your board directors/exec committee
Non-Executive Directorship For Beginners
Learn how to build a lucrative and rewarding portfolio career as a Non-Executive Director.
A Beginner's Guide To Becoming a Travel Director
How To Get Paid To Travel The World
High-Impact IT Leader - Succeed as CIO/CTO/IT Director 2021!
Complete playbook for IT executives on leading strategy, technology, people and operations
Financial Intelligence For Non-Finance Managers
Financial Intelligence for Entrepreneurs, Executives, and Directors
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
There are dozens of certifications that you can claim as a Executive Director. But, some are more effective than others. That’s why you mustn’t include every certificate other applicants might have. Try instead to earn and list a few of the difficult ones.
Executive Director Resume: Additional Writing & Formatting Tips
There are three basic resume formats you can choose from:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional resume format;
- Hybrid (or Combination) resume format;
The most optimal format for your particular case will depend on your years of experience, as well as whether you’re switching industries or not.
Reverse chronological resumes are best suited for experienced individuals who are sticking to their industry. The experience section takes a central place, and its bullets contain your responsibilities and achievements, coupled with numbers and results.
Functional resumes are used by less experienced jobseekers or career changers. Note that it’s not a format that recruiters prefer, as most are used to the classic chronological alignment. Instead of a list of job titles, functional resumes focus on your skills, and through what experiences you gained them.
Hybrid resumes are great for both experienced and entry-level candidates, as well as career changers. They combine the best of both worlds - most often in a double column format, where one side of the content is focused on your experience, whereas the other - on your skills, strengths, and proudest moments.
Executive Director Resume Summary best practices
Here are more resume tips regarding your layout and style:
- Clear and legible 12p resume font size;
- Use 10’’ resume margins - that’s default for a great resume design;
- Use a one-page template resume length if you’ve got less than 10 years of experience; otherwise, opt for a two-page resume;
- Save your resume as PDF before sending it to the recruiter.
To take it a step further, check out how your resume can stand out without leaning too much on the creative side.
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
If you feel that you don’t have high chances in a particular company, due to lack of relevant experience, then you can still consider using a creative layout. That might help you get noticed and invited for an interview, as most of the other applicants will have boring resume designs.
Other sections to include in your resume
Depending on the type of company (corporation or start-up; innovative or traditional), job seniority level and your location, you may want to include more sections to your Executive Director resume:
Executive Director Resume: How to Make Yours More Creative & Stand Out
When you send your resume to a potential employer, chances are it's the fiftieth one they've seen that day. That's why you need to make your Executive Director resume stand out for the right reasons. That means showing your personality, not just your professional experience. Employers are far more likely to remember a candidate who seems like a genuine person and not a robot. Do this by including your passions (which is also a great place to demonstrate skills on a resume), share your favorite books, or even what your usual day looks like.
What Makes a Great Executive Director Resume: Key Takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
Volen Vulkov
8 minute read
Updated on 2022-03-25
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