Chief digital officers help businesses maximize their ROI by implementing technological solutions such as monetizing their data or improving their customer service experience. Below are some of the responsibilities of a chief digital officer:
Chief digital officers should ideally have a background in technology but don’t feel limited by that. The first chief digital officers came from the marketing and customer service fields. This means that you can apply for the position with equivalent job experience. That’s why you should highlight your work experience in your resume.
This role was expected to peak in 2015, according to Gartner’s vice president. The firm expected to see an increase in the demand for CDO by up to 25 percent. Yet, no one predicted the massive acceleration of this role during the pandemic. It accelerated the need for digitalization.
Now, this high demand doesn’t mean that you should neglect the performance of your resume. Learn how you can make the best out of it with our expert tips and resume templates below.
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To become a chief digital officer, you should ideally have a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field. You can also apply to a CDO role with equivalent experience. This role requires excellent communication skills and knowledge of digital trends. If you want to make a good impression on your resume, you should demonstrate that you are a lifelong learner. Your potential employer might expect you to always be up-to-date with the latest digitalization trends that add value to their business.
Chief digital officers use data analytics to discover new digitalization opportunities. This helps them identify technology solutions that could potentially improve operations and generate more income for the company. That’s why highlighting your data analytic skills is so important in your CDO resume.
CDOs contribute to the implementation process of new software or systems and promote a culture of digitalization in the company. Therefore, it is crucial to have collaboration skills and showcase them in your resume.
The chief transformation officer helps a company transition to innovative systems that drive success for the business. It’s their responsibility to identify opportunities for change and create implementation plans. A chief transformation officer must also evaluate how to consolidate those plans and whether the company has the resources to make them. This is why your financial skills should stand out in your resume.
As a hiring manager who has recruited top talent for Chief Digital Officer roles at companies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, I know what it takes to create a resume that stands out. In this article, we'll cover essential tips to help you craft a compelling resume that showcases your skills and experience in the digital space. These tips are based on real-world insights from hiring managers and successful job seekers in the industry.
Employers are looking for Chief Digital Officers who have successfully led digital transformation initiatives. Showcase your experience in driving change and innovation within organizations.
Instead of simply listing your responsibilities, quantify your impact with specific examples:
A resume summary for a Chief Digital Officer role is optional, but it can be a valuable addition if you want to provide context or highlight details that aren't immediately apparent from the rest of your resume. It's particularly useful if you're a career changer and your past experience doesn't directly align with the CDO role, or if you're an executive with extensive experience. However, avoid using an objective statement, as it's outdated and doesn't add value.
When crafting your summary, focus on being objective and using metrics to showcase your achievements. Mentioning your target job title or relevant keywords can also help with applicant tracking systems (ATS). Keep your summary concise, ideally no more than one paragraph, and avoid directly mentioning soft skills or using corporate buzzwords like "proven track record."
The work experience section is the core of your chief digital officer resume. It's your chance to show a potential employer your most relevant and impactful career highlights. When done right, it tells a compelling story of your career trajectory and key accomplishments.
In this section, we'll break down tips to help you create a work experience section that will impress hiring managers. Let's dive in.
The education section of your chief digital officer resume should be concise yet impactful. It's an opportunity to showcase your relevant academic background and certifications that qualify you for the role. Follow these tips to effectively highlight your education and make a strong impression on potential employers.
Action verbs help you emphasize your achievements in your chief digital officer resume. This role implies that you have a big influence on the company’s success. You can use that in your favor to mention achievements you’ve had in previous positions, and action verbs can help you describe that experience accurately and concisely.
Just remember to use a wide variety of them and only include action verbs that are highly related to your career. If you need some help choosing the ones you’ll use in your resume, check the list below. We’ve included relevant action verbs for CDOs.
For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.
Chief digital officers can have different responsibilities depending on the organization they work at and the approach of the role. For example, you could be a CDO with a focus on marketing and customer service. In this case, you have to highlight skills oriented toward that field, such as SEO or media planning.
Other specializations include technology and finance. In those cases, you should include skills like familiarity with AI, cloud technology, data analytics, and automation. Just remember that the skills you include in your resume should be proportionally related to your role. That’s why it is always a good idea to check your potential employer’s job post for this role. This way, you’ll add skills that are highly related to what they’re looking for. Also, don’t forget to check out our selection of skills for CDOs below.
You can include the above skills in a dedicated Skills section on your resume, or weave them in your experience. Here's how you might create your dedicated skills section:
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Chief Digital Officer job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
