CDB’s Resume Checklist & FAQs
Get Noticed. Get Interviews.
Guiding Principles
Treat your resume as a leadership brand and marketing asset, not a full career history
Showcase your key strengths, value delivered, and the altitude you operate at
Focus on relevant and high-impact accomplishments in each role you held relative to your target job
Make it easy for the reader to understand how you will help their organization
Speed test it. If you had just 30 seconds with a hiring manager, what would you highlight?
A) Content: What To Say
Clearly show the value delivered, the problems you solved, and the level of decision authority you hold (not just responsibilities)
Include the scope of your roles, e.g., team size, budget, geography, or population
Show what impact you made on key metrics - growth, revenue, profitability, CX or EX improvement
Showcase your top strengths using straightforward language
Express impact through metrics and outcomes, rather than task lists, wherever possible
Include years of experience using ranges when appropriate
Tell your story in bullets vs prose
Lead with strong verbs (present tense for current role and past tense for former roles)
B) Structure: How To Organize It
Sections: Choose section order intentionally based on how you want to present yourself. (see FAQs)
Heading, branding title, and contact details
Candidate for the XYZ role at ABC, spelled exactly as stated in the job descriptions.
Summary
Core Competencies or Key Skills
Professional Experience
Education
Volunteers and Boards
A. Include full name, email address, phone number, and social URLs in text and hyperlinked (LinkedIn and or Website/Portfolio)
B. Include exact position title in header and file name. E.g, Candidate for XYZ title at ABC Company
C. Include a Summary that tells your story, highlights your superpowers, and clarifies your goal
D. If core competencies are strong, nuanced, and directly aligned to the job profile, put them upfront after the Summary; if they are more general, put Competencies or Skills after education (see FAQ #1)
E. Anchor the resume around professional experience
F. Include education and certifications when relevant
G. Include board or volunteer roles when they reinforce leadership or values
C) Formatting: How to Optimize it for ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems)
Make it easy to scan in 30 secs or less. One page for early career professionals, maximum two pages for everyone else - unless it's an academic CV
Most ATS systems rank resumes, which is why wording and relevance matter even when your resume technically “gets through.”
There are a few fussy details worth paying attention to when optimizing for a variety of ATSs.
- Include numeric years of experience using ranges (use ‘10+ years’ rather than ‘11.5 yrs’ or' eleven’, see FAQ# 3
- Use a sans-serif font such as Arial, Roboto, Calibri, Open Sans, or Montserrat
- Avoid columns, tables, and text boxes. Many modern ATSs can manage simple two-column layouts, but the results are inconsistent.
- No cool graphics or images (sorry, designers - you can create a “show resume” and PDF it to share with hiring managers & recruiters.
- No funky characters - such as ™, smart quotes, or fancy bullets like arrows or checkboxes
- In the Header, write out the LinkedIn or Website URL in plain text AND hyperlink it
- Limit bolding to section headings and titles or the company name in the professional section to stand out. Avoid italics
- Do not use hidden or whited-out words for keyword stuffing. ATS may boot your resume out if it detects this.
FAQs
Do I need a Skills or Core Competencies section? If so, where should it go?
Yes, particularly for mid-career, leadership, and executive-level resumes. A common best practice is to place a Core Competencies or Skills section near the top, usually just below the Summary. This helps with early keyword matching and gives both AI tools and human readers quick context on your strengths. That said, some candidates choose to lead with their most recent role and title, especially when it closely aligns with the target role. For early-career candidates, skills can be placed at the end of the resume, often after Education, especially if you do not yet have enough depth of experience to lead with them.
What matters most is that your skills are included, accurate, and written in the role's language. Minor wording differences can affect ATS screening. For example, “Strategic Communications” and “Executive Communication” may feel interchangeable to a human reader, but are not treated the same by an ATS. The same applies to phrases like “Collaboration and Team Building” versus “Interpersonal and Relationship Building.” Your resume has to pass the filter before a person ever reads it. Thoughtful customization, without stretching the truth, makes a real difference. (find a good balance without “keyword stuffing”.
What if I do not have strong metrics or quantified results?
This is very common. If metrics are proprietary or not available, focus on scope, complexity, decisions made, and improvements driven. In the Marketing Mindset, I suggest describing the “altitude you operate at,” which means including what and who influenced or served (Board, C-suite, or senior VPs, clients). Numbers to support your achievements are always best. Still, you can demonstrate credible impact by showing what changed, what you influenced, and the level at which you were operating, even without exact numbers.
How should I handle years of experience and age bias?
Using ranges such as 10+ or 15+ years is often more effective than listing exact totals. Emphasize recent and relevant experience, and summarize early-career roles to avoid overemphasizing tenure. For early-career professionals, high school should be removed once you have been in the workforce for at least two years.
It is reasonable to generalize slightly on a resume, which is a leadership brand asset. Note - online applications are quite a different document. Be precise, do not embellish or falsify dates of service, and include all information requested, especially for the last 20 years of work. I have seen candidates get declined or offers rescinded due to inconsistencies between application dates and background checks.
How do I address gaps in work?
Gaps are more common than most people think. Be factual and concise, and avoid overexplaining. In most cases, clarity and confidence matter more than detailed justification. Examples I have seen handled well include “planned career break to complete graduate school,” “family caregiver,” or “freelance assignments”. If you list freelance or consulting work, be prepared to share examples and references that demonstrate the work was real and substantive.
Should I include volunteer work or board experience?
Yes, when it is relevant. Volunteer leadership, board service, and community roles can strengthen a resume when they demonstrate leadership, influence, or responsibility beyond your job. This can include board membership, nonprofit leadership, or community roles, such as coaching youth sports, notably when it demonstrates skills like team leadership, development, and commitment over time. As with all resume content, be selective. Inclusion here is a brand and alignment decision, not a requirement.
Should I include interests or hobbies?
In most cases, no. Interests and hobbies should only be included when they reinforce your leadership brand, cultural fit, or values in a way that is clearly relevant to the role or organization. For senior leader resumes, an Interests section should be brief and intentional, typically a single line near the end of the document. Activities such as competitive athletics or long-term coaching commitments can add value when framed thoughtfully. For example, “Youth soccer coach for five seasons (team development, mentorship, accountability)” is more effective than listing a casual hobby without context.
And if you’d like to talk through your situation, feel free to reach out at colleen@cdbglobalpartners.com or message me directly on LinkedIn
Wishing you clarity and confidence as you navigate your next step!
Colleen
