✒️Claire M. Davis🖋️

Become the Obvious Hire in Medical Sales (and skip applying online) | Resumes | LinkedIn Profiles | Branding | 2X Top Voice | 🧬 Biotech, 🦾 Med Tech, 🩻 Device, 💊 Pharma → DM me to start 💬

You didn't build rapport in the OR by talking about yourself, right? 
❔So HOW do you share your value without bragging on a resume?
❔Where do you even START after not needing a resume for 10+ years?

I get it, I do. And this is my specialty.

After 5 Layoffs and scouring 16,000+ resumes -- I built a system 
(my award-winning Triple S System: https://tinyurl.com/MyTripleSSystem)

And now, I help people land meaningful roles in medical sales with

⚡ Resumes 
⚡ Networking Strategy
⚡ Building Personal Brands on LinkedIn 

I apply the exact system I used to:

⚡ Build authority
⚡ Market myself as the product
⚡ Become the 'obvious choice' over dozens of candidates

...so they win ideal roles at ideal healthcare companies for ideal pay.

________

But in this business, we're skeptics, right? 

So don't take it from me...

𝗠𝗬 𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗦𝗔𝗬...

"I'm in the process of interviewing with a company that I received a call back from less than 12 hours after I uploaded [...] the resume she created." -Shawn V.

"If you're like me, you'd rather walk on hot coals than write your own resume. Claire made the process easy, effective, and enjoyable." -Stephanie B.

"I've had an interview every day this week! Your résumé is my secret weapon!." -Kyle C.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗔𝗬 𝗧𝗢 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗖𝗛 𝗠𝗘...
DM me your resume and I'll give you my personal take -- and let you know if we're a great fit.

𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗠𝗘?
🧬 Pharma recruiting > oncology sales > radiology sales > women's health dx > Traction Resume > LinkedIn Top Voice 
(and a bit of healthcare business consulting)

🤝 The style of networking I teach saved my life after a DVT in 2017.
🌶️ 8-year traveling jumprope performer

I write a lot on LinkedIn, as well.
 
About layoffs. About medical sales. About gratitude. 

The 'what' to do.
And the 'how' is in my newsletter.

💌 Join here: https://tinyurl.com/2p4kzunb 

🎧 And listen to interviews w/industry greats here: https://tinyurl.com/bdhrjyja

_________

Visit my FEATURED SECTION for free resources.

Rooting for you and DM me if you're sick of 'reworking' your resume and ChatGPT is making you sound like everybody else. 

I've got you.

-Claire

Medical Sales Resume Writer + Branding Consultant

If medical sales lights you up, let’s talk. 

I help driven professionals just like you land thrilling, 6-fig. jobs in Medical Sales with my proven Triple-S System©.

(Psst -- it's Story, Style, and Statistics.)

We'll dramatically shorten your job search and clarify your value so you're the obvious choice for your ideal role.

I've helped thousands of Medical Sales professionals do just that with clear, relevant, and compelling...

Custom Resumes

Cover Letters

LinkedIn Profiles

Interview Prep

Networking Coaching

Job Search Strategy

Negotiation Plans

💬 DM me to learn more.
💬 Want to write me a review? Click here, please: https://testimonial.to/traction-resume

UPDATE: the ‘ol boy is back home 😅

Vet, tests, and meds later…he has a bad Upper Respiratory Infection and early kidney issues. 

So grateful to have a few more years with this furball. 

We’ve been through a lot together. 

Medical Sales jobs 
5 layoffs 
Marriage
4 Homes
2 States
3 Businesses
And … an overzealous new roommate (Rudy the Lab)

…and he’s still the first one to interrupt a zoom call bc it’s really about *the cat*

…and has an extra sensory radar for anytime a lap-portunity presents itself. 🧘🏼‍♀️ 

Thank you for your kind comments, friends. 

🐈‍⬛ Rocky is still here, rooting for you! 
______________

This has nothing to do with business but…

I’m sending up a little prayer to St. Francis of Assisi today. 

Hang in there Rocky boy. 

❤️

No alternative text description for this image

Normally, I don't request a share

But today I'm shamelessly asking you to

Having rec'd 100+ DMs about layoffs and how to get through them

and having been through 5 layoffs myself

THIS is what you should do right now

(before you hit pause or dive into self care)

...if your job is being threatened with a layoff

And yes, EVEN if...your job is 'safe'

because that's what thousands of people also thought at Medtronic, J&J, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch, and Amazon (erm... hello, botworkers)

That's what I thought, too
(at 3 different companies, and 1 company TWICE)
__________
__________

Share this with someone who needs a layoff game plan today

*and comment "PART 2" for how to use this info to activate your network to help you get the next job after building this goodwill.*

Layoff Gameplan

...but what if you don't *want* people leadership?

4 unsung heroes of "what's next" (that aren't people-management roles) can look like:

>> Strategic/Key Accounts
>> Sales Training + Mentorship
>> Creating Community Outreach Programs

and

>> Asking internally what additional responsibility you can take on 

...etc.

(ie. side/internal roles to support the company with specific strategic initiatives).

The bottom line is this:

>> you do not have to want "people management" to be successful <<

(and that's okay!)
.
.
.

There are many options but when we get focused on the next step as 'people management' and it's really not our cup of tea

-- it can be a slippery slope and may not satisfy our financial goals, either.

There are many more brass rings than 'management' when considering what's next which makes it *invaluable* to bounce these ideas off recruiters and career coaches.

What does "next" look like for you?

Happy Tuesday!

Claire

In 2014, I got stuck in a stretch limo with our new CEO, in Texas.

It was the first time

that I'd ever chatted with someone at C-Level
(other than my mother)

😬

And initially -- I was terrified.

Here I was, a 20-something newbie at a startup sliding in the back of a stretch limo next to a big-time, Netherlands-hailing gentleman CEO who'd be calling the shots for our company.

What could I possibly say?

He felt so much BIGGER than me.

*loosens collar*

Then, I realized why we were both there.

We both missed the bus to the restaurant with the sales team.

We were both *LATE*

Suddenly, a corny "why we're late" Dad-joke flew out of my mouth before I could stop it -- or my awkward laughter that followed.

And my heart stopped.
Sweating in my WHBM pants suit.
In a limo with steer horns on the front.

(Seriously Texas -- your decor! 😆)

And after an eternity ... I felt utter relief when he laughed, too.

And to my delight, I realized the truth.

He wasn't BIGGER than I was...and he was incredibly NICE.
...and he didn't mind my natural corny joke tendencies one bit.

So we hopped in the limo shuttle and laughed and chatted about our blunder all the way to the restaurant.

This may have been the first time that I realized that in every

👉 Level
👉 Market
👉 Industry

People are people.

And you know what?

People still want to work with people they like.

__________
__________

When you're nervous, just be yourself.

The OR
The Interview
The Salary Negotiation
The National Sales Meeting

All of those high-stakes scenarios are still filled with people.

Don't worry so much about pleasing or saying the right thing.

Just be yourself and get the reps in.

Your authenticity will attract the people you're meant to.

(And if you're stuck -- have a corny joke ready to ease that tension)

Happy Monday, all!
__________
__________


#resumewriters
#medicaldevicesales
#medicalsalescareercoach
#medtechjobs

You don’t have to manage people to be successful.
(I promise)

Here are some other ideas: 

1. Specialist Roles

Clinical Specialist: Focus on providing in-depth product knowledge and support during clinical procedures.

Technical Specialist: Specialize in the technical aspects of medical devices, providing expertise and support to both the sales team and customers.

2. Training and Education

Sales Trainer: Develop and deliver training programs for new hires and existing sales staff 

(helloooo system for success).

Clinical Educator: Provide training and education to healthcare professionals on the proper use and benefits of medical devices.

3. Market Development

Market Development Specialist: Focus on developing new markets and expanding the reach of existing products.

Product Evangelist: Advocate for and promote products through public speaking, conferences, and direct customer engagement.

4. Product Management

5. Regulatory and Compliance

6. Business Development

7. Research and Development

8. Consulting and Advisory Roles

9. Customer Success and Support

10. Entrepreneurial Ventures (side gigging!)

11. Sales Operations

12. Communications and Public Relations

I think you see where I'm going with this...

...
..
.

...the truth is, success is different for e v e r y o n e.

I hope this helps you feel liberated > limited.

Have a great day, everyone!

xo
Claire

Recruiter PSA 📣 

it's not you

YOU have spent money, time, and talent to find top-quality candidates to present to that hiring manager.

But if their resume isn't selling them on paper
...not supporting that right-fit message...
it makes your job harder, longer

...often frustrating.

And in my experience of more than 2.5 decades in this business, people are doing their BEST to represent themselves, best foot forward.

>> but we often don't know how to tell our own story <<

And you are doing *your best* to get them where they need to go

>> often, without knowing what their best foot looks like <<

and that's what makes this a worthy endeavor

And the trouble is, you want to do that for them 
but with hundreds of people you're vetting
-- you may not have the time to do it.

(at our pharma head-hunting firm, we LIVED on the phone and often didn't have enough either...maybe 30 min. per candidate when we were lucky.)

-- getting to know them beyond their President's Club status, their gap, their passion to pivot into pharma sales --

so here is something you can use:

2 ways we helped our candidates help us SELL THEM were: 

Sending out an email to ask candidates:

1. Please jot down the top 3 sellable points from your history or resume that you think would impress or solve a hiring manager's challenges.

2. If those stories don't contain a measurable accomplishment, add "resulting in" or "despite" to the end of those statements to trigger you to add the impact and context to that experience.

>> and the next part is something I coach on now << 

(bc we had our recruiting firm before LinkedIn was, well... a 'thing')

3. Ask them to turn on public visibility of their LinkedIn profile and to read through it. Would they be interested to meet them?

>> If they want to update their profile with Linkedin best practices, refer them to one of your favorite resume or linkedin profile writers for guidance. Often, they can find free guides, advice, and low-cost courses (or done-for-them work).

OR

>> If they don't want to update their profile and it sounds like "servant leader with 15 years of proven experience," like everyone else, (and without a call to action), ask them to remove the About Section content altogether.

Better mysterious than boring.

When your clients don't give you language to sell them, it can be frustrating because we start to think that it's us.

it's not you.

Thank you for all you do.

And from one former-recruiter to another -- thank you for all you do. 

It's not easy but it's so incredibly valuable.

xo
Claire + The Traction Resume Team

You're ONE PERSON away from your next medical sales gig.

And they just might be in the comments TODAY.

How do I know?

Through 15+ years in this business and 300+ hired clients ALL through the power of

N E T W O R K I N G

(notice, I never mentioned *applying online*)

Here's HOW to Up your Networking Game Today:

1// Tag your favorite recruiter
2// Tag up to 3 friends in your industry, looking for work or not
3// Choose 3 comments that aren't yours and comment on those comments.

Engage, engage, engage -- THAT is the real secret to winning this job market.


#medicalsalesjobs
#medtechjobs
#meddevicejobs
__________________________

Hi, I'm Claire Davis -- and if you've come in 2nd a time or two for that medical sales job or promotion you want, 💬 let's chat.

📄 🧬🦿💊💉

We help medical salespeople SELL themselves on paper with interview-winning Resumes, LinkedIn profiles, etc.

Ring the 🔔 for more tips like these.

OR

Visit TractionResume.com for Medical Sales Resume Templates (yep, JUST for medical sales reps and executives)

Network Like This To Win Your Next Role

"So Claire, my last question is WHY do you do what you do?"

(if you're job searching in your 50's and 60's, read on)

*ahem* so I say (+ cheekily, I might add)
"...because I'm terrible at sailing a boat."

he laughed
I laughed 
and then he shared that he was given *ridiculously shallow* outplacement services after being let go as the VP (on his way to CCO).

*and... then we weren't laughing anymore*

THIS IS IMPORTANT
You can and should negotiate for yourself on the way out 
And that includes your outplacement / executive support.

(even after a exit, layoff, or otherwise)

If you’re getting dumped into an outplacement program that feels somewhere between being a wallflower at a middle school dance you have far too much life experience to attend and screaming into the void after reading another “Here's Why You Should Be Posting on Linkedin Guide" ... then you know EXACTLY what I mean, don't you...

>> You Can CHOOSE Who you Use <<
(SHARE THIS bc most people don't know)

So anyway, we're talking more and he doesn't want just 'my word for it' (I totally get it) so I shared a recent call with him that I had with a client who chose us for outplacement, with her permission. 

Here's a clip toward the end of that call and also (Meet Deb).

>> >
Deb said:

“I’m treating this transition as seriously as I treated my last role. 
Like my livelihood and my joy depends on it. 

Frankly, because it does. 

And because I want my career to be honored - not AI-rewritten in hopes that someone ‘takes a chance on me’ because the keyword were right.

The outplacement I was 'assigned' said Linkedin posting was a priority.
Worrying about keywords incessantly should be my focus.

That's ridiculous.

Applying online hoping for a ping is just as you say [me! Claire!] -- is a low ROI activity. 

And having cut my teeth and won all the awards to win in sales, I know the importance of that.

And that’s exactly what I invested in with you. 
And I'm already getting opportunities because of it.

And I'm not surprised at all."

Deb
Executive Leader | Commercial Strategy | MedTech & Biotech
<<<
________________________

Thanks, Deb. You rock.

And we'll see if he goes with us for outplacement services. 
(I mean, I'm biased and I think he should.)

Do you think he should?
________________________

*(I wish everyone could hear this)*.

PSA:  If you've been offered outplacement support, know this: you don’t have to go with the default you’re offered. 

If it doesn’t feel like the right fit—it probably isn’t. There are firms like mine with support, 1-on-1 executive coaching, and networks built specifically for your market.

(other AI-free, human intelligence ones like Traction).

Tagging some in the first comment so you don't have to search so hard for those GOATS this weekend.

AND PLEASE:

You’re a fighter
Please remember that
It got you where you are
It’ll get you where you’re going

Now, fight for the support you deserve.

xo, Claire + the Traction Team

Adrienne Tom

Co-Founder | Small Business and Productivity Coach for Career Pros

Every executive has a career story. The difference between being overlooked and being invited forward is how clearly your story demonstrates impact and relevance at the next level.

Too often, resumes read like job descriptions. Responsibilities are listed, but context is missing. Outcomes are implied instead of proven. Yet, boards and decision-makers are not looking for what you were responsible for. They are looking for evidence of how you think, what you drive, and where you can take their organization next.

For 15+ years, I’ve partnered with C-Suite, VP, and Director-level leaders across Canada and the U.S., translating complex careers into executive narratives that hold up in boardrooms, recruiter conversations, and high-stakes decision environments. This work is not about job searching. It’s about positioning, readiness, and control of your professional narrative before opportunity requires it.

I help leaders uncover the stories behind their successes and translate them into persuasive, market-ready career files. Stories that make decision-makers stop and pay attention.

As Canada’s first Certified Executive Resume Master (CERM), a 32X award winner, and a 10X certified career professional, I bring expertise in executive resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and leadership branding that position leaders as the candidate of choice. 

How I help executives tell their story:
◆ Craft executive resumes and narratives that go beyond ‘responsibilities’ to decision-level impact
◆ Unearth results and value that are not easy to spot yourself
◆ Translate experience into strategic stories that resonate with boards and hiring teams
◆ Deliver polished, market-ready career files aligned to next-level leadership goals

The executives I work with have gone on to:
• Step into C-Suite, VP, and Director roles with greater confidence and leverage
• Strengthen visibility with boards, investors, and executive search firms
• Secure roles with Fortune 500 companies, high-growth firms, and complex, multibillion-dollar organizations

Recognition and expertise:
⚜ Featured in Forbes, The Globe and Mail, NBC News, and Calgary Herald
⚜ Named one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices in Job Search and Careers
⚜ Certification Assessor for Career Professionals of Canada
⚜ Published in 7 resume and cover letter books

Your career story is your competitive edge. Let’s showcase your leadership and open doors. Explore my client recommendations below or visit my website to learn more. 

Calgary Executive Resume Writer | LinkedIn Profile Writer
🌐 www.CareerImpressions.ca
📧 adrienne @ careerimpressions .ca

LinkedIn Profile Writer >> Executive LinkedIn Content and Strategies to Get You Found!

⚜ Looking to get your LinkedIn profile to bubble to the top of search results? Want to build a robust executive online presence? 

⚜ I develop LinkedIn profile content, from top to bottom, for forward-thinking executives, directors, and managers across North America to help them get found and hired faster.

LinkedIn services include:

✔️ Complete LinkedIn profile audit

✔️ Creation of customized, SEO-rich LinkedIn content to increase your profile's visibility on the #1 site for recruiters and hiring managers (over 95% of hiring personnel use LinkedIn)

✔️ Content creation for the Headline, About, Education, and 3 Work Experiences

✔️ Content suggestions for your Volunteer, Accomplishments, Skills, Awards, and Interests sections. 

✔️ Recommendations for all other sections, photo tips, and more

✔️ LinkedIn user guides and engagement strategies (you must also get active on the site to get found!)

▶️ In 2020, I was named a LinkedIn Top Voice for elevating essential career and job search topics and driving important business conversations on the platform.

I'm celebrating eighteen years in business! 🎉 
That number feels both steady and surreal.
When I launched Career Impressions: Executive Resume Writing in 2008, I did not have a grand master plan. I had conviction, a laptop, young kids at home, and a belief that professionals deserved solid career documents that reflected the depth of their value and offerings.

What started as a leap has become nearly two decades of executive conversations, board-level positioning, late-night edits, early-morning strategy calls, and the quiet privilege of being trusted with someone’s life’s work.

Through it all, one thing has remained constant.
This work matters.

Here is what 18 years of writing executive resumes has reinforced for me:

• Executive resumes are never about years of experience alone. They are marketing tools designed to showcase trajectory, influence, and outcomes that positively impacted people and organizations.

• The most powerful career stories are often the hardest for leaders to see on their own.

• Positioning is important long before a job search begins. Clarity creates options and opportunities.

• A well-crafted resume does more than open doors. It changes how someone talks about themselves in every room that follows.

I have had the privilege of partnering with C-suite executives, VPs, and directors across Canada and the U.S., and watched clients step into CEO seats, secure SVP roles, pivot industries, and regain confidence after difficult exits.

Many have told me over the years that the biggest takeaway from our work together was not just job offers, but in how they viewed their own impact and grew their confidence. 

To every client who trusted me with your career story, every colleague who referred someone my way, every reader who shares my content, and every leader who reaches out quietly behind the scenes to ask, “Can you help?”… thank you.

Eighteen years in, and I am still energized by the conversations, the complexity, and the responsibility of packing and positioning senior leaders for top jobs. 

Here’s to year 19!

#workmilestone #executiveresume

32X Award-Winning Executive Resume Writer | Positioning C-Suite Executives, VPs, and Directors for Executive Search and Board Visibility ٭ Branding * Career Storytelling ٭ LinkedIn Authority

Many people are currently looking for work, which means the applicant pool for an open position might be substantial. Your resume needs to be strong, tailored, and the very best it can be to stand out. 

Here are 10 resume tips to help you write a modern, compelling resume.

What else would you add to this list?

For detailed explanations, check out this post on resume tips https://lnkd.in/guQHQQzD

10 Resume Tips for 2026

What comes to mind when you see "detail-oriented" on a resume? Or "results-driven” or "motivated team player"?
Be honest.

My honest take is that hiring leaders will skim right past these generic phrases.

Not because those traits are unimportant. They are. But because they are unproven.

After nearly two decades of writing executive resumes, I can say with confidence that when a resume leans heavily on personality descriptors instead of business evidence, credibility erodes. 

Anyone can claim to be detail-oriented.
Very few prove it in their resumes. 

If you are feeling stuck using generic words, you are not alone. Many high performers default to general descriptors because they feel safe and familiar, especially when it is uncomfortable to articulate measurable impact.

So, how do you shift the narrative?
You replace adjectives with evidence.

Here is what that looks like.

1. Results
Instead of telling the reader you are results-driven, show the result:

Increased operating margin from 11% to 18% over two fiscal years.

Reduced audit findings by 40% through redesigned internal controls.

Scaled a regional sales team from $12M to $27M in annual revenue.

Results speak with authority. They reduce skepticism and allow the reader to draw their own conclusion about your capability.

2. Stories with context
Strong resumes do more than list achievements. They explain the environment. Ask and answer:

What did you step into?
What was broken, stalled, underperforming, or undefined?
What changed because you were there?

Context differentiates you from the candidate who inherited a well-oiled machine. It shows judgment, influence, and strategic thinking, which matter far more than surface traits.

3. Metrics
If your resume does not answer how many, how much, or how often, it is missing an important layer of persuasion.

Numbers ground your narrative in reality, clarify scale, and elevate scope. 

This is why I consistently emphasize maximizing metrics and measurable outcomes in executive files. When readers can see $ impact, team size, portfolio value, geographic reach, or growth percentage, they no longer have to guess your level.

4. Action and ownership
Language matters.

“Responsible for” diffuses accountability.
“Led,” “Directed,” “Delivered,” “Accelerated,” and “Transformed" clarify ownership and movement.

Energy in your verbs reinforces authority in your story.

Now, here is the most important point.

A resume is a strategic marketing document. It should demonstrate, with clarity and confidence, how you create value insid organizations. Stop treating the file like a ‘catch all’ and start writing it strategically. 

If you removed every soft descriptor from your resume tomorrow, would the file still prove your capability?
If not, that is where the work begins.

What is one overused phrase you are ready to retire from your resume?

Condensing 20+ years of experience into two pages of a resume can feel almost insulting. Entire seasons of effort reduced to just highlights. 

At the executive level, you’ve likely weathered market downturns, restructures, team attrition or growth, and business evolution. 

And now it has to fit… neatly onto just a few pages.

I had a conversation recently with a senior executive who said, “How do I possibly choose what to leave out? It feels like I’m erasing half my career.”

So I reminded him, as I have with many others I’ve had this conversation with, that a resume is not your legacy document.  It is not a complete career chronology, but a marketing tool designed to open the next conversation.

When an executive resume tries to hold everything, it becomes dense and unfocused. When it is curated around a clear direction with succinct proof points, it becomes powerful. 

Restraint at the executive level is a mark of clarity and helps create a stronger connection with readers. 

You are not erasing your history by editing down details in a resume; you are making decisions about relevance. It is so important to choose what best demonstrates your capacity to lead at the level you are targeting now, rather than preserving every accomplishment that once mattered in a different season.

Yes, your career is far bigger than two pages. But your resume has one job. It needs to make a compelling case for what you can deliver next.

If you are in the middle of refining your resume, do this: consider what is truly essential for the future job you are pursuing, and decide what belongs in your personal archive instead.

That distinction changes everything.

#executivesearch #executiveresume

A Chief Human Resources Officer reached out to me and said something I hear more often than you might expect: “I know I’ve done meaningful work. I just don’t see it on the page.”

He was accomplished. Strategic. Deeply experienced across talent, culture, and organizational design. Yet his resume felt flat. And when you are targeting executive roles, flat is expensive.

Let me walk you through what changed and why it mattered in this executive resume before-and-after case study.

https://lnkd.in/g4mNd6kk

Open article: Executive Resume Before and After: From Uncertain to In Demand by careerimpressions.ca

Executive Resume Before and After: From Uncertain to In Demand

Job seekers who are struggling right now: it's ok to feel all sorts of ways. 
Just don't give in or give up.
DO: ⬇⬇

Keep trying!
Seek help!
Employ different strategies!
Celebrate small successes!
Break down big goals into smaller steps!

I have witnessed the emotions and challenges of job search both personally and professionally. There are times it sucks...it hurts...it is overwhelming...AND it can be ok.

What advice would you give to someone who is struggling with their job search?

If you are job searching, what has helped you the most right now?

Is your LinkedIn About section helping or hurting your executive brand? According to LinkedIn, 97% of Fortune 500 CEOs have a presence on the platform. They understand the power of a strong online brand to attract opportunities, partnerships, and influence. 

Yet, many executives leave their About section vague or underdeveloped.

Here’s what an effective About section can do for you:

Establish professional authority -->
Clearly define your expertise, achievements, and leadership value. Think of it as your digital handshake.

Stand out in a competitive market -->
Highlight your unique strengths, measurable results, and leadership style. Examples: revenue growth, team engagement scores, or transformation outcomes.

Expand your network of influential leaders -->
A well-crafted About section attracts the right people to you: executives, recruiters, industry peers, and thought leaders.

Improve search visibility -->
Use targeted industry language and keywords to ensure you show up in recruiter and people searches.

Showcase leadership style and cultural fit -->
Infuse personality into your story. Share examples of how you lead teams, drive results, and fit into (or build) strong cultures.

Pro tip: Keep it authentic and strategic. Blend storytelling with proof of performance. A snapshot from my work with clients:

"Throughout my career, I’ve consistently driven breakthrough results across multimillion-dollar M&A deals, led global teams of 200+, and delivered measurable growth and efficiency -- up to 30% more in each area -- at every stage of my journey."

The right About section can transform your profile from passive to powerful. Don’t leave this space empty or generic.

👉 What’s the ONE thing you want people to know when they visit your profile?

If you’ve ever looked at your executive resume and thought, “My experience is strong, but this feels flat,” you’re probably right.

At the executive level, your resume needs to tell a clear leadership story, yet  senior leaders still miss the warning signs and compile an unsharpened narrative. It often happens because they are too close to their own experience to see what isn’t working.

Here are 9 executive resume warnings that deserve a hard look.

1. The resume reads like a job description
If your content could belong to other leaders with the same title, it belongs to none of you. Executives are not hired for task coverage. When the document focuses on duties instead of decisions, it erodes differentiation.

2. Results without context
Large numbers can look impressive at first glance, but without scope, scale, timeline, or complexity, they lose credibility quickly. A $50M initiative means something very different in a $75M organization versus a $5B one. Context creates weight. 

3. Too much history, not enough direction
Boards and CEOs hire forward. If your resume meticulously details where you have been but offers no indication of where you are heading or what mandate you are built for next, it feels reactive rather than strategic.

4. Strategy is implied, never stated
At the executive level, it is important to articulate how you defined priorities, influenced enterprise decisions, and aligned resources, not simply how you delivered against them.

5. Leadership stories stay operational
What you delivered matters, of course. Yet at this level, trade-offs matter too. What did you choose not to pursue? Where did you reallocate capital? How did you balance risk and growth? Those choices reveal executive thinking.

6. Inconsistent messaging
Your resume, LinkedIn profile, and interview narrative should reinforce one coherent leadership story. When the tone shifts dramatically across platforms, or when your LinkedIn reads visionary while your resume reads transactional, trust erodes fast. Consistency builds credibility.

7. Culture is invisible
Executives are culture carriers. If your resume does not show how you led through change, developed successors, managed conflict, or influenced organizational health, you can appear technically capable but culturally risky. That is a quiet barrier.

8. Titles do the heavy lifting
If your value proposition relies on recognizable companies or impressive titles without a clearly articulated impact, you are leaving opportunity on the table. Decision-makers want to understand what changed because you were there.

9. Your gut says, “This feels flat.”
If you sense something is missing, even when the content looks strong on paper, that instinct usually means your value is under-articulated. Not overstated but under-explained. 


Before you send your resume off, assess whether it tells a sharp leadership story or just lists where you have been.

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The Battle

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Adrienne Tom

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}✒️Claire M. Davis🖋️'s LinkedIn Performance

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