What do you do if your resume doesn't effectively showcase your leadership skills?

If your leadership skills are hidden in the shadows of your resume, it may be an indication that you do not have any leadership skills. If your leadership is not obvious in your resume, without making specific mention of it, you need to work on your leadership skills. Stop thinking that your resume is the only thing keeping you from getting your dream job. Your resume may get you in the door, but it is your work performance that will allow you to demonstrate your real skills. Your job performance is the best job interview possible. And if your current employer does not see your leadership skills, and that is the reason you are leaving and looking elsewhere, what does that say about your leadership skills in real time?

Firstly find some time to slow down to create time to do a life audit. It takes courage to delve into our life experiences, with the intention to find the gifts lurking in the shadows. This process helps you claim and own your achievements, strengths and articulate them in the resume. I hope you will try it. 1. Identify key events in your life that you are proud of 2. Reflect through your key events using these 4 lens. o Lens 1 - Finding positive energy in your life o Lens 2 - Identifying pillars of strengths that can work for you o Lens 3 - Learning from challenges you've had in life o Lens 4 - Gratitude & appreciations in life I find these 4 lens extremely powerful as a reflection activity .

Are your leadership skills hidden in the shadows of your resume? Look at your resume from the perspective of a hiring manager. Are your leadership experiences and achievements highlighted? Rephrase bullet points or add specific examples to showcase your leadership skills. Ask a mentor, friend, or professional in your industry to review your resume. They may provide valuable insights on how to highlight your leadership abilities better. By reflecting deeply on your resume and seeking feedback, you can ensure that your leadership skills shine through and make a strong impression on potential employers.

Reverse engineer the career that you want to have. Seek mentorship from those who are in or above the positions that your looking for, they'll have the most recent and relevant knowledge. You could be overstating the value of showcasing leadership as well as doing it poorly, or have a different issue all together.

Sometimes good and great leaders are not aware they are even leaders. Leaders do not brag about what they do, who they lead, or who they mentor; they just do without any recognition. Leaders do not go out seeking praise or reward. The reward is that of those that follow them are rewarded. So yes, these skills can be hidden in the shadows of the resume. As someone in a leadership role you would need to take a deep look and see if anyone follows you, if you have assisted anyone in growth, and if you have those who come to you for guidance. Then take that experience and craft it into the resume to highlight what others see in you. A true leader is developed by those who follow, not by accolades and bragging.

As someone who constructs resumes for others, and the years of doing so the use of actions words should be a given in a resume. It is very important to choose the correct action word and to be sure to place the use in the past. Nothing on a resume is in the present nor the future; it is about what you have accomplished. I have noticed several resumes that I have proofread to focus on the accomplishments of the person of the resume, but what also should be done to focus your leadership abilities is to portray what you have done for others. Ideas of how many of your followers you have trained, mentored for advancement, and put them in positions of success. A leader controls the spotlight, and does not stand in it.

Highlight leadership experience. Clearly outline your leadership roles and responsibilities in each job position you've held. Use action verbs and specific examples to demonstrate how you've led teams, managed projects, and achieved results. Quantify achievements, whereever possible, to provide concrete evidence of your leadership abilities. For example, highlight metrics such as revenue growth, cost savings, or team performance improvements that resulted from your leadership initiatives.

It is always good to show, what you achieved by using the framework SAR (Situation, Action, Result). So you can showcase, what was the situation you found. What where the action you took and what was the result that was achieved. To highlight your achievement with the SAR method helps to show your leadership skills.

Make sure to include leadership-related skills in your resume's skills section. This might include skills like team building, conflict resolution, decision-making, communication, strategic planning, and delegation.

While some consultants will suggest that the job seeker customize or tailor resumes to suit an opportunity, I suggest one resume with carefully selected power or action verbs that highlight accomplishments. Far better I think, to customize marketing letters (I don't let my friends call them "cover" letters) and keep the resume in Kaizen mode, as job seekers cannot change past successes, but they can constantly improve the quality of their resume text in describing the past. The resume's job is to secure interview opportunities, so it deserves to be clear, concise, persuasive, and beautiful. The job seeker gets a break in maintaining only one resume version and avoid the confusion of maintaining multiple file copies.

Customize your resume for each job application to emphasize the leadership skills and experiences most relevant to the role you're applying for. Research the company and job requirements to ensure your resume aligns with their needs and priorities.

We take on many leadership roles in life outside of the office, so do not dismiss your experiences! This is especially true for someone who has a work gap and/or has a role as a caregiver. Anyone who has been in that role (myself included) knows that it takes assertiveness, organization, empathy, and effective communication to be a caregiver - all great leadership skills! It is also possible to highlight the skills you've honed without revealing too much personal information. For example, "I coordinated medical care and daily support services for a family member with a long-term illness. This included proactively engaging with billing offices and insurance providers while tracking expenses to ensure that their treatment was uninterrupted."

LinkedIn skill endorsements and recommendations carry weight. So does group involvement, and visible "thought leader" actions in groups like Leadership Think Tank can be helpful. Candidates must also seek skill endorsements from others. First, be certain 50 relevant skills are listed and second, visit well known LinkedIn contacts to endorse their skills. Perhaps they will reciprocate, but first be sure your skills are fully displayed. Likewise, written recommendations on LinkedIn act like a reference or background check. The job seeker should write thoughtful recommendations for colleagues in the hopes they might return the favor. It is also okay to ask present and former coworkers to endorse skills and write recommendations.

If you lack formal leadership roles on your resume, consider gaining leadership experience through volunteer work, professional associations, or extracurricular activities. These experiences can also be valuable in demonstrating your leadership abilities.

I've been in areas where I was not aware I was the leader because no one was named the leader. But became the leader due to those around me choosing me to be the leader. During my years of leadership roles and positions and seeing how people came to me for advice, mentorship, and guidance I started to read about different leaders, look to those who were placed in those positions. Then I observed how they treated those they "lead", and made me become the leader I wanted to be and the one I did not. But always seek growth through reading, observing, volunteering for areas where a leader is needed. Honestly there are no perfect leaders, so learning is always an ongoing subject.

There are recognizable traits that are descriptive of the leader. Consider the Korn Ferry competencies. A LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES section toward the top of the resume will create interest. Hiring executives like to know that leaders recognize the traits that make them indispensable. A competencies summary also helps a resume to come alive! Consider these examples: Business Insight ∘ Drives Engagement ∘ Collaborates ∘ Instills Trust ∘ Manages Ambiguity ∘ Decision Quality ∘ Strategic Mindset ∘ Situational Adaptability ∘ Communicates Effectively ∘ Organizational Savvy ∘ Drives Vision and Purpose ∘ Builds Effective Teams The wise leadership candidate will be prepared to give examples that support the competencies listed on the resume.

Structure your bullet points using the CAR method (Challenge, Action, Result) to provide context for your leadership experiences. Describe the challenge or problem you faced, the action you took to address it, and the positive results or outcomes achieved as a result of your leadership.

Seek out experts who specialize in resume writing. Be open to soliciting feedback from other professionals/peers. Tell the story of who you are and your achievements - weave into your experience and skills highlighted.

If your resume doesn't showcase your leadership skills, compile a list of events and projects where you held leadership roles. These are known as transferable skills, these skills will help support your relevant leadership skills on your resume.

An example is to learn and explore how resumes or profiles are created by others through research & professional social media platform. Then reflect on your own career & experiences to review your own leadership capabilities & how do you present it as necessary, being authentic and truthful.