Transition Team Recap 5/1 with Wilma Nachsin
About Wilma
The Top 1/3 is Your Resume Real Estate
“If you don’t capture their interest in the top third of the first page, they’ll just put it in the ‘no’ pile.”
Include the job title you're targeting, a branding tagline (your superpower), and 2–3 compelling accomplishments.
“Nobody cares who you are until they know what you can do for them.”
“Use the exact job title from the posting at the top of your resume.”
Front-Load Your Impact
“Without quantifiable metrics, it’s just a job description.”
Flip the CAR model (Challenge, Action, Result) and lead with result
“We front-load the result in each bullet point—and often bold it.”
Ask yourself: “What does success look like, and how can I quantify it?”
“Recruiters expect two pages.”
Design for Scanning
“Recruiters will look at your resume for 15 seconds—maybe.”
Don’t use a giant name at the top. No photos. No fluff.
“Avoid overdesigning. Keep it clean, simple, and easy for ATS systems to read.”
Stick to ATS-friendly fonts like Calibri, Arial, or Tahoma.
Pass the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Test
“83% of hiring managers feel they're missing qualified candidates due to ATS filters.”
“Put keywords in the body of the resume—not in a skills dump or hidden text.”
“Mirror the language of the job posting exactly—like ‘SEO (Search Engine Optimization)’ in parentheses.”
Tools to extract keywords: Wordle, TagCrowd, Soolve, GenAI
LinkedIn Sync + Personal Branding
“Don’t be Dan on LinkedIn and Daniel on your resume (even middle initials count). Recruiters can’t find you.”
The About section should tell a story—but use bullets, not paragraphs.
“Recent recommendations still matter. They confirm you are who you say you are.”
Cover Letters Still Count
Use them to personalize your pitch and explain career pivots.
“53% of hiring managers/recruiters read them” — don’t waste the opportunity.
Drew: “If you're applying outside your normal category, that letter better explain why.”
Small Details, Big Impact
Use a professional email address with your name (NOT your work email)
Save your resume as FirstName_LastName_CMO_Resume.pdf
Add a one-line company description if your employer isn’t widely known
“If you want to include older experience, group it in an “early career” section—no dates needed.”
Own Your Brand
“CMOs are often too humble. You’ve got to sell yourself.”
Drew: “Go on a listening tour: ask 2 bosses, 2 peers, and 2 reports what made you great.”
Use their words to shape your branding statement and superpower line.
Networking Over Applying Cold
“50% of executive level jobs are not on job boards.”
“Every job you see online has between 200-500 applicants. It’s better to network your way in.”
“If you do end up applying online, apply on the website. Use LinkedIn to triangulate your network and find someone to reach out to.”
After applying: “Email the right party right away. You can follow up once a week—people are busy, you want them to pull your resume out of the pile.”
“So many companies have employee referral bonuses.”
The “Why I Left” Dilemma
A Huddler shared one of the toughest interview questions is “Why did you leave?”
One Huddler framed a “strategic misalignment with a new CEO,” then pivoted to what they’re looking for in next role with tight alignment.
Drew tip: “Find someone you trust and rant like crazy. Then move on.”
Get ahead of it: Tell them why you left before they ask.
