CIO Resume Example

This article will provide actionable advice on how to create a CIO resume that showcases your career achievements, expertise and leadership skills. The article will guide you on how to show your long-term vision and how your leadership has led to success for organizations. You'll also find tips on how to present your resume for the maximum impact with employers and key decision makers. Continue reading to discover everything you'll need to create an impressive and impactful CIO resume.

Key sections for a CIO resume

A successful CIO resume will typically include each of the sections listed below, with some optional sections.

Your resume layout and structure may differ depending on your experience levels, but make sure your resume includes the following:

Resume Header with Contact Details

Your CIO resume header is the place to add your contact details. Start by adding your full name and underneath, include your email address, phone number and location. Adding your LinkedIn profile, if you have one, can help the employer get a better insight into your skills and industry expertise. You don't need to include any additional personal information or a photo. Create a clear, well-structured header that acts as the headline of your resume. Use color accents and blocks to help this section stand out and catch the eye of the reader.

Only include professional, name-based email addresses in your resume header. If you have an old email address that uses nicknames, puns, references to your personal interests or anything else that could appear unprofessional, set up a new email just for your job applications. Finally, always double-check your contact details are correct and up-to-date before sending your resume.

Resume Profile

The next section is the resume summary. The section might also be called 'resume objective' or 'personal profile'. This is a brief introduction to you, your key skills and your career achievements and ambitions. While a resume summary focuses on your career achievements and experience, a resume objective typically focuses on your ambitions for the future. However, make sure you keep your resume summary short and snappy, and focused on the skills and experience listed in the job description.

Alternatively, focus on introducing your career ambitions, and why this role is a good fit, both for you and the organization.

A strong resume summary focuses on two or three key skills and achievements that showcase your suitability for CIO roles in a clear, quantifiable way. It also gives an insight into your personal qualities, to help the reader understand why you're a suitable candidate. You can see some positive examples of a resume summary for CIO jobs below.

Alternatively, a poor resume summary would include bland, generic information that does little to prove your suitability for the role, while failing to provide any useful insights on you as a person or as a candidate. The visual above includes some examples of what not to do with your CIO resume summary

Employment History

In your work experience section, list any previous relevant roles you've worked in, as well as your key achievements as a CIO. Mention only the most appropriate and relevant jobs you've had in reverse-chronological order, starting with your most recent and working backwards. Add your job title, the name of the employer, the location of the role and your dates of employment.

Also include some bullet points for each job mentioned, showcasing your achievements so the employer can see the impact you made on the company. Pay attention to the job description and make sure each point is relevant to CIO roles.

For a CIO resume, you might wish to include a longer work experience, owing to the role's senior status. To be under consideration for a role like this, you'll need to build up plenty of relevant work experience, so you may require more space in your resume to showcase this. There aren't any hard and fast rules over how long to make your CIO resume work experience section, how far back to go or how many roles to include. However, many people consider 10 to 15 years to be sufficient. For CIO jobs, you may wish to go back further, assuming you have the experience.

A good work experience section pulls the reader in with clear examples of where you've put the skills necessary for the job into good use in your career to date. This typically includes evidence of how your skills and activities contributed to positive outcomes for the organization. Take a look at the examples below for some guidance on what works best for your work experience section.

In the graphic above, you'll see some examples of less effective resume work experience sections. A poor resume work experience section would typically use vague descriptions of activities in previous jobs, while focusing too much on responsibilities rather than achievements. Failing to focus on the skills and experience that match the job description is likely to harm your chances of success.

Education

Under education, add details of any degrees or professional qualifications relevant to CIO roles.

If you're applying for CIO positions you'll typically need to have a degree. A Bachelor of Science in Information Technology will usually help your chances of success. You could also list any qualifications that demonstrate your cloud computing expertise or cybersecurity management.

List your relevant qualifications in reverse-chronological order. Add the name and level of the award, the institution, its location (if this isn't obvious from the name) and your dates of study. If you have space, include some bullet points outlining any specialist areas of study, awards or high grades, so the employer can learn more about your unique skill set and knowledge.

If you took part in any volunteering or you were a leader or member of any university societies, you could also mention these in your education section.

Skills

The skills section of a Chief Information Officer resume is a chance to list any skills you have that match those of the job description. You could include cloud computing expertise, effective communication or any other skills that show you're a suitable candidate. Additionally, read the job description to make sure your skills match those required for CIO positions. You could also include some unique skills that help you stand out as a candidate.

Listing hard skills on your CIO resume

Hard skills are specific skills related to the job you're applying for. They include particular abilities, technical skills and industry knowledge that relate directly to jobs as a CIO. Furthermore, your hard skills list helps to show employers how competent and experienced you are at key CIO duties and responsibilities. Add up to five key hard skills that show you're an ideal candidate for the role. It can also be beneficial to add context to each skill, showing how you've used it to positive effect in your career to date.

Your resume hard skills list should reflect your unique and specific industry expertise and experience, while also fulfilling the requirements listed in the job description. See the examples below for an idea of what an effective CIO resume hard skills list looks like.

Showcasing your best soft skills

Your soft skills are the core qualities and personal characteristics that make you a good employee. They tend to apply to multiple professions and jobs, though the soft skills you'll require may change as you move from junior to senior positions. Indeed, as the nature of work changes, soft skills are growing in importance, so make sure you include them in your resume.

Aim to include approximately five soft skills that reflect the skills listed in the job description. For senior job applications such as CIO roles, your soft skills section should show examples that showcase your leadership skills.

Your soft skills section should make the most of your unique personal qualities and strengths, while also reflecting the requirements laid out in the job description. See below for some examples of useful soft skills for a Chief Information Officer resume.

Licenses and Certifications

Your certifications section is the place to mention any relevant professional CIO certifications, licenses or qualifications. These could be official licenses required for the job or certifications that improve your employability. Therefore, add any necessary licenses and certifications in this section, along with valid dates so employers can see you're still qualified for the job.

See below for some suggestions of relevant certifications for a CIO resume:

Additional Information

In addition to the core sections of a Chief Information Officer resume, there are several optional sections you could include to enhance your chances. Take a look at the sections below and add any that help you show how and why you're right for the job.

Personal Interests

Including your hobbies and interests can be a valuable way of showing your key skills and qualities. Consider listing hobbies and interests to help your resume stand out, or to provide the employer with some insight into your personality and wider interests. They're perfect for candidates who might lack genuine work experience as a CIO. Don't include hobbies and interests in your resume unless they showcase a specific interest or aspect of your personality. You'll want them to add something to your application that you can't add elsewhere.

Volunteer Experience

Adding voluntary roles can be a useful way of showing relevant experience and skills for CIO roles beyond your main employment history. Add any voluntary roles, including your position, the name of the organization, the dates of your voluntary work and a brief explanation of your responsibilities and achievements.

References

References aren't a standard CIO resume section, but employers do sometimes ask for them. Check the job advert and only include them if requested. Add two or three professional references, and be sure to approach each referee before you include them.

Best action words for your CIO resume

Start each bullet point in your work experience section with a strong verb to show actions you took. Choose from the list of words below to make the best possible impression.

As an experienced CIO, you'll want your resume to do justice to your experience and standing in your industry. As such, it's acceptable to submit a longer than average resume of two pages or more. Jobseeker's clean, attractive resume formats can help your applications make a strong impression on employers. Check them out for help designing a winning resume, and see our cover letter templates to help win over recruiters and hiring managers.

Sample CIO resume

Now we've covered the main sections to include in your CIO resume, let's take a look at how it all comes together in the example below:

Tips on creating an ATS-optimized resume

An applicant tracking system (ATS) is just one of the tools employers and recruiters can use to streamline their hiring practices. This typically includes screening candidates by scanning and ranking their resumes based on their likely suitability for any vacancy. When drafting your CIO resume, there are a few guidelines to follow to give you the best chance of passing the ATS screening stage and progressing with your application.

Follow these simple rules when writing your resume, to make sure it's ATS compliant:

• Adopt a traditional structure for your resume, such as a reverse-chronological format or a functional format. These are likely to be the easiest layouts for ATS software to scan.
• Include keywords throughout your resume that align with the job description. ATS software tends to compare your resume to the job description for points of similarity, so careful, considered use of keywords should help your chances of success.
• Use clear headings that break your resume up into readable, scannable sections that match the standard content employers expect from a resume.
• Utilize a clean, clear resume design that helps make your content more readable. Use simple fonts and subtle color accents and design elements that don't detract from the written content.
• Use simple, concise language to keep your resume to a maximum of one to two pages in length. This will make it easier for ATS software to read.

Key takeaways for your CIO resume

An effective resume is a concise, professional summary of your relevant skills and career achievements, showcased through a chronology of your career history. Select a resume format that suits your experience levels and the job you're applying for, and make sure you tailor your resume for each application.

Use Jobseeker's resume templates, other tools and resources to create an application that impresses employers. Sign up today to access a wealth of valuable resume and cover letter resources. A stylish, professional cover letter can make all the difference to your job prospects. See Jobseeker's cover letter examples, written by careers experts, to help you craft an eye-catching application.

Sources:

(1) Overcoming the Most Common Challenges in the Executive Job Search, MIT Career Development Office: https://cdo.mit.edu/blog/2024/10/15/overcoming-the-most-common-challenges-in-the-executive-job-search/

(2) How to Impress an Executive Recruiter and Break Into the C-Suite, Harvard Division of Continuing Education: https://professional.dce.harvard.edu/blog/how-to-impress-an-executive-recruiter-and-break-into-the-c-suite/