Are you a rising star in the IT world eager for a shot at the CIO role? Ascending from IT Director or VP takes more than just showing how you’ve leveraged the technology itself: you’ll need to first put yourself in the C-suite on paper.

As described by my recent article in ComputerWorld, most would-be technology executives stumble when it comes to resume writing at the CIO level.

Transitioning your value proposition to reflect officer-ready qualifications requires a significant transition from the traditional, skills-based resume that helped capture your last job in IT.


Here, I've included simple steps that can transform your IT resume from mundane, project-by-project details to a leadership brand message designed to land a CIO role.


First, I recommend making a list of the projects you’ve led, then answer the following questions about each one:
-What made these initiatives attractive to stakeholders (in terms of ROI)?
-Were the benefits external or internal to the company (with impact to either the company’s customers or business users)?
-How did the company leverage the new technologies from a PR standpoint?
-And last of all, what competitive edge was gained from the project?


Now, take these project details and add specific budget or cost figures to demonstrate scope, as shown by these examples:

“Contributed to $4M total savings by working with regional CEO to incorporate SaaS and cloud technologies…”


"Delivered automation solutions that increased business productivity 43%—even with $300K reduction in operating costs…”

As you can see by these sample phrases from actual CIO resumes, focusing on the bottom line can help decision-makers review your credentials in a more strategic light.

In a future column, I'll cover CIO resume writing techniques that showcase (and capitalize on) your executive relationships.