Most high-performing CIO's have not kept up with their executive resumes because, well, they are too busy being high-performing leaders. As a result, their current resumes still reflect their years as "tactical practitioners" rather than their track records as leading IT executives.

Many CIO resumes read like a grocery list of "tasks done" rather than showcasing their incredible achievements and unique knowledge base. Oftentimes, the resume takes the reader on a stroll down memory lane instead of positioning them for a future role.

An area of focus that is quickly becoming a critical C-level resume addition is your agile leadership approach and how you used it during the pandemic. This new information is one of many things your resume should contain.

As a CIO, or a rising information technology (IT) executive, crafting an interview-generating executive resume is still one of the most important steps for communicating your skills, promoting your achievements, confirming your abilities to work with technical and non-technical leadership and, ultimately, demonstrating how you are the best candidate for a coveted CIO role.

The key difference in creating an effective CIO executive resume versus a professional-level IT resume is the integration of human capital management skills and fiscal acumen with your technical qualifications throughout. An example of how this is done is outlined in the CIO resume sample above.

Here is the bottom line: As an IT executive, you need to demonstrate how you have utilized human and technological resources to improve corporate profitability. Period.

Here are eight ways to achieve this goal:

1. Shift from tactical implementations to strategic results.
Showcase your corporate contributions to top line, expense line items, workflow productivity and the bottom line.

Graduate from citing specific tactical skills and responsibilities common in a staff-level or middle management information technology resume to outlining initiatives where you have added value, and projects that you have led to achieve results. The key with a CIO resume, as with all C-level resumes is to include the long-range effects of your work in addition to the short-term results. You want to show how you can strategize on the big picture and cause movement with what is directly in front of you.

2. Promote systems transformations utilizing technology to bring workflow efficiencies and revenue maximization.
CIOs and technological leaders now are involved in every department of an organization to bring about system efficiencies and performance maximization. Demonstrate how technological implementations resulted in systemic transformation of sales processes, supply chain improvements, human capital productivity and quality of life, marketing channels and fiscal management. Showing how you understand how technology can help others leaders meet and exceed corporate objectives that pertain to their area will show you are the candidate to choose over competitors.

3. Show how you attract high quality talent and lead teams.
Effective IT executives not only manage technology, but they manage people to manage technology to bring results. Successful CIO's negotiate deals, influence key decision-makers, nurture vendor relationships, and attract and develop key talent. Highlight how your skills in team-building, communication and influence have contributed to your success.

4. Emphasize your 'soft skills' to develop high-performing teams compassionately.
Don’t lose readers in a list of systems, software, hardware and applications in which you have expertise. Your CIO executive resume will be read by technical and non-technical types and you must cater to both audiences. Highlight how your soft skills have enabled you to manage both technology and people to drive workflow productivity, revenues and additional profits for the business. Showcasing how you manage teams during economic slowdowns and surges with technological efficiency and managing teams compassionately will set you apart from most senior-level tech leaders.

5. Choose the relevant wins when communicating to prospective employers.
Talking about your biggest achievement is not always the best course of action Reframing your win to showcase your accomplishment in a way that is digestible for the prospective employer is always preferred. If you saved $20 million dollars on one initiative at a $1 billion dollar employer, but now you are applying to a $200 million firm, you may be perceived as being overqualified. Either choose achievements that are within the fiscal scope of the prospective company, or consider using percentages to outline your accomplishments. Choosing relevant accomplishments, and not just your proudest moment, that pertain to your target job is key.

6. Use universal language to highlight achievements and downplay technical jargon.
Outline your technical and human capital achievements in universal language and not just technical jargon. Appeal to the many types of audiences by whom your resume will be read. You may be most comfortable speaking in acronyms or technical vernacular, but not all CEO's and executive hiring teams are aware of tech-speak. I suggest that you speak about technology in approachable and achievement-based terms to be understood by many types of executive management. This will demonstrate your ability to work with non-technical stakeholders.

7. Be what they want, but never lose yourself in your resume.
The content in your resume, social media profiles and communications should be congruent with your personality, beliefs and work style, while still meeting the needs of the prospective employer. Ensure your resume will be in line with the person who shows up for the interview - You. Always be who you are on paper, online and in person.

8. Practice what you preach.
IT recruiters tell me that nothing irks them more than an IT executive that does not include website or a LinkedIn profile on their resume. I am told that a CIO or upcoming IT Executive that has very little to no presence on the internet, or worse, a poor presence on the web, demonstrates that either they are not a lover of technology or that they are a poor promoter of themselves.   The resume of a successful Chief Information Officer must not only demonstrate that you know the why and how behind the technology, but it also must tell a story on how you have communicated effectively with managers, lenders, shareholders, vendors and others key partners.   Frankly, the best CIO's will show how they identify and implement current technology that breeds financial benefits that improves the company’s position within its marketplace. Strategically, design and implement business plans and inspire leadership within the financial departments and with the executive management team to solidify its company's future.