Executive and management professionals often spend significant time adding content to their résumés, showing career progression and detailing their strengths. So why does the average résumé get only a lackluster response?

Most people don’t realize that when it comes to touting their own skills, presentation is everything. When you choose that canned Microsoft Word template for your résumé, you are laying the foundation for less-than-stellar results.

Now, opening a new document and choosing a built-in template might work fine if you’re sending a quick email message, but it certainly isn’t a good way to sell your key competencies if you’re an aspiring leader ready to take on the world and boost your salary in the process.

When it comes to writing the most critical document of your career, consider the message you are sending with the actual style of your résumé, not just the content.

Now you might ask: what’s wrong with using that Word template? Well, first of all, it’s made for EVERYONE to use. Can all professionals relate to your level of achievement? I doubt it.

In addition, the font allows for only minimal wording to be used, with very short lines. Now, I don’t know about you, but as a professional resume writer, I find it extremely hard to get critical information across in seven-word sentences.

Third of all, the template doesn’t convey status or prestige—the very components that drive careers at the upper echelon.

The really amazing thing is that professionals who wouldn’t dream of showing up at a job interview in less than a suit are giving a résumé presentation that equates to wearing their Saturday jeans. Is this really the impression that you want to give your next employer?

So, the next time you’re in the midst of a job search, give your résumé style the same attention that you would for any business presentation--using a professional design that speaks to your status, credibility, and level of achievement.

A unique resume authority with a 98% success rate winning interviews for six-figure professionals, Career Management Coach and Certified, published Resume Writer Laura Smith-Proulx is the Executive Director of An Expert Resume, a career services company that caters to organizational leaders, from managers poised for growth to senior-level executives.

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