Entry-Level, Executive, and Professional Resume Writing: What’s the Difference?

Writing a resume is tricky stuff. Seriously, how does one go about writing every accomplishment and relevant experience within one single sheet of paper? Deciding what is important and what is irrelevant is no easy feat. Unfortunately, having a flawless resume is what lands you an interview for the job of your dreams – or at least one that pays the bills.

Before sitting down to write your resume – or deciding on a resume writing service – you first need to determine what kind of type of resume you need. Yes, you heard that right. There are several kinds of resumes depending on previous work experience and qualifications. You’ll have to choose between entry-level, executive, and professional resume writing.

Unsure about which category you fall under? Here you can read about the differences between these 3 types of resumes and get started on the one that is right for you.

Entry-Level Resume

An entry-level resume is technically the lowest status of resumes, but everyone has to start somewhere, right? Before holding a professional or executive job title, first is the entry-level job. An entry-level position is one that requires no previous experience and is typically held by young people entering the workforce for the first time.

An entry-level resume still needs to look professional, but an employer hiring for this type of position completely understands that you won’t have a ton of experience. You can include things like past jobs (even if they aren’t super relevant), volunteer experience, educational background. It is also helpful to include a summary at the top describing where you hope to see your career go in the future.

Professional-Level Resume

The next level up is the professional resume. These are needed for “professionals” of the field, or at least someone who has 5 or more years of experience. These are the people that are really starting to make a name for themselves and follow a specific career path. A professional resume should only include relevant experience that is applicable to the new job.

According to a leading resume writing service of 2019, professionals “are the people who understand how to work with their department to get the desired results. There’s leadership responsibility with much more hands-on daily tasking.” A professional resume is more difficult to write than an entry-level one since you are expected to have a thorough understanding of your field.

Executive-Level Resume

Many people go through life never having to write an executive-level resume. This is because these resumes are written with the intention of holding an executive position within a company, like CEO or CFO. An executive leader has the task of running a company as effectively as possible, which is certainly not a role for everyone.

It’s no surprise that writing an executive resume is much more complicated than the previous two. Execs have to include specific statistics regarding their value; this includes things like charts and graphs showing how the individual played a role in quarterly or annual success. Chances are you’ll never have to write a resume like this, but if you do it is suggested to hire an agency to help you through the process.