Your Resume is Your Brand in Written Form — Make it Count

Your career narrative, the way your experience is framed and presented, needs to align with your career goals, whether that’s becoming a CEO, General Manager (GM), Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), or other leadership position. Here’s a few ideas on how to strategically craft your resume and position yourself as the ideal candidate.

Start With Your End Goal in Mind

Before diving into your resume, clarify what the ideal next step in your career will look like. What is the scope of the job you want? Who will report in to you? Who will you report to? Then, create a checklist of disciplines you want to incorporate onto the resume. For instance, if you’re targeting a GM position, your checklist should include strategic accomplishments across a broad range of disciplines including Sales, Marketing, Operations, and Finance, as GM roles require a holistic understanding of business functions and strategic thought and team leadership. As you build your resume, ensure you call out key accomplishments that convey a mastery of these functional areas.

If your goal is a CMO position, demonstrate key accomplishments across a broad range of marketing disciplines including Brand, Product, Digital, Creative, Social and Influencer, PR, and Trade Marketing. Once you identify a specific opportunity you want to be considered for, further tailor your resume to align with the objectives of the role thus positioning yourself as an ideal candidate.

Highlight Key Accomplishments & Quantify Your Impact

A resume is not a list of responsibilities – it’s a showcase of your most impactful contributions. For each role, think about the key accomplishments that reflect your readiness for the next step. For example, If you’re aiming for a GM position, detail achievements like leading cross-functional teams, driving revenue growth, and overseeing international operations. For a CMO role, highlight accomplishments like launching successful campaigns, improving digital marketing KPIs, and spearheading innovative brand strategies.

Whenever possible, use metrics to validate your achievements. Numbers stand out and provide tangible evidence of your success.

For instance:

• “Reduced time-to-market by 20%, enabling 98% on-time global product launches by improving new product development (NPD) processes.”
• “Led 15% YOY international sales growth spanning 17 markets across US, UK, Australia, and Europe by deepening Sephora Exclusive relationship with several global animations.”
• “Averaged 30% increase in Social Media engagement across platforms by implementing stronger test and learn process.”

Tailor Your Language

The words you use to describe your successes and the order in which they appear on your resume should mirror the job description for the role to which you’re applying.  

For example (If the first 3 bullet points of the job description read as follows, then below is a suggestion on how you would write a corresponding resume)

Job Description – VP Global Sales

• Build, develop and retain a strong sales organization as well as the structure, processes and accountabilities needed to support continued growth
• Define clear sales targets and measures of delivery. Manage all aspects of the sales budget to deliver against profit plan
• Manage the sales team to provide superior partnership and service to key retail accounts

Resume

VP Global Sales

• Hired and trained field sales team of 10 who delivered 30% increase in YOY sell through at Sephora
• Defined and achieved sales targets, managing a budget of $20 million and exceeding profit goals by 15% through strategic planning and cost control.
• Built sales framework that improved client satisfaction by 20% leading to all-door roll-out with ULTA within 6 months of launch and yielding a 40% increase in sales revenue.

Keep Your Resume Dynamic

Show your level of interest in an opportunity by adjusting your resume for each role you apply to. Emphasize the most relevant experiences and accomplishments. For example, if a role leans heavily on digital marketing leadership, ensure your resume highlights expertise in that area ideally with your most recent employer. Candidates who don’t tailor their resume may be overlooked in a highly competitive job market.

Prepare a Portfolio

In today’s competitive job market, a portfolio that complements your resume can set you apart and help you stand out at every stage of the recruitment process. For beauty executives, where visual storytelling is key, a portfolio brings your narrative to life and engages the audience effectively. It might include examples of marketing plans or campaign strategies, case studies of product launches or brand turnarounds, and visuals that highlight the scope and success of your work.

Include slides showcasing key accomplishments, such as the launch strategy for a major product or the roadmap for scaling a brand internationally. Additionally, feature strategic plans, timelines, or marketing initiatives that you’ve led. By reinforcing your achievements and showcasing your expertise, a well-crafted portfolio gives hiring managers confidence in your ability to deliver results.

Final Thoughts

Tailoring your resume is more than just updating your job titles and dates; it’s about strategically presenting your experiences to align with your career goals. By emphasizing relevant skills, detailing accomplishments, and leveraging metrics, you can position yourself as the ideal candidate for your target role. Remember, your resume is your personal brand in written form—make it count.