Chief Technology Officer / CTO Resume: Examples & Guide

Ever feel like you've outgrown your current company? You've improved everything you could. You're itching to dive into a new, exciting business. But with so many companies recruiting their CTOs internally, it can feel like your opportunities are limited—and the competition unbeatable. 

If your job search is returning nothing but errors, and no amount of added functionality yields positive results, it’s time for a radical step: reinventing your resume. Luckily, there’s a reliable user manual for writing a job-winning CTO resume—and you’re about to discover everything you need to know to succeed. 

This guide will show you: 

• A CTO resume example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
• How to write a CTO resume that will land you more interviews.
• Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on a CTO resume.
• How to describe your experience on a resume for a CTO to get any job you want.

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Got your eye on a different position? Check out these guides: 

• Executive Resume Sample
• CIO Resume Sample
• CEO Resume Sample
• COO Resume Sample
• CFO Resume Sample
• Software Engineer Resume Sample
• IT Project Manager Resume Sample
• Computer Science Resume Sample
• Director of Operations Resume Sample
• IT Director Resume Sample
• Best Resume Examples for Any Profession

CTO Resume Sample

Look out, Silicon Valley! 

That candidate has just accomplished the strategic goal of landing her dream CTO job. Now, it’s your turn. 

Here’s how to write a job-winning CTO resume: 

1. Choose the Best CTO Resume Format

The first order of business is creating a solid framework for your project with a professional resume layout. No matter how many features you include, your resume won’t get you anywhere if it looks like it came out of an IBM 650. 

So, here’s how to format your CTO resume for maximum impact: 

• Use the reverse-chronological resume format. By opening with your most recent experience, you can start strong and highlight your most impressive achievements. 
• Pick a clean, modern resume template that would gain Reed Hastings’ nod of approval. 
• Include headings to divide your document into clear resume sections. Recruiters and execs alike tend to spend just a few seconds skim-reading resumes, so point them in the right direction. 
• Ensure you’re using a professional resume font that’s compact but easy to read. 11–12 points for the body and 13–14 points for the headings is usually the way to go. 
• Set your resume margins to 1 inch, and use 1–1.15 line spacing. 
• Keep an eye on your resume length. Most CTOs will use two-page resumes. One-page resumes are usually reserved for candidates with less experience. Only go for three pages or more if you have at least 10+ years on the job. 
• Save your CTO resume as a PDF, but keep a .docx on hand. Most companies prefer PDF resumes, but some may still ask for old-school Word documents. (Bet you’ll look into that when you get the job.)

Alright—

Time to create a content roadmap. 

Here are the essential elements of a resume, in the correct order: 

• Header: provide your full name and contact information. It’s what they’ll put on your shiny new CTO business cards. 
• Summary: essentially a 5-second elevator pitch of your resume. 

• Experience: a detailed log of your best on-the-job accomplishments. 

• Education: a slot for your degree(s). 
• Skills: a list of soft, hard, and technical skills compatible with the job ad. 
• Other sections: certifications, licenses, memberships, and anything else that makes you stand out. 

If you want to include your social media, add your LinkedIn address to the header. Before providing your Twitter handle, consider whether it’s worth it—

You don’t need to have Elon Musk following you, but make sure your page is interesting enough to work in your favor. 

Looking to make your resume even more user-friendly? Read more: Best Resume Formats: Samples and Guide

Now—

Although the resume summary is the first section the recruiter will see, we’re going to write it last. 

Why? 

Well, if you were creating a new piece of software, you probably wouldn’t start with the UI. First, we need to lay some groundwork. It’ll be much easier to write a compelling summary if you’ve already defined your skills and accomplishments. 

So, let’s give your work experience and upgrade and get those achievements to the front-end! 

2. Start with Your CTO Work Experience Section

The work experience section forms the bulk of your resume and involves the longest time horizon. To unlock its full operating power, you need to zero in on your key professional accomplishments and show off your KPIs. 

List your employment history, with your latest (or current) job title first. No need to go all the way back to that server room maintenance job you had in high school—focus on recent positions pertinent to the ad. 

For each entry: 

• Add the company name and employment dates. 
• (Optional) Provide a one-sentence summary of your duties or of the scope of the company, e.g.: International SaaS company with 1.2m monthly users and a $15m annual revenue. 
• Write up to six bullet points illustrating your performance and accomplishments. 
• Start each bullet point with an action verb. Include numbers and time frames whenever possible to quantify your success. Use the PAR formula for maximum impact. 
• Tailor your resume to the requirements and keywords in the job ad. 
• (Optional) Pick an accomplishment you’re most proud of and include it as a separate Key Achievement. 

Looks good on paper. Now, let’s see it in action: 

CTO Resume Examples [Work Experience]

...can you hear that? 

That’s Adobe asking Rita where she’s been hiding all those years! 

This candidate makes excellent use of action verbs and numbers to define and quantify achievements, presenting the reader with immediate value. 

Now, for comparison, a bad resume example: 

If the first example is CSS3, then the second one is HTML 1.0. 

Notice anything peculiar? 

It’s the same candidate! The difference lies not in her experience, but in the way it is presented. 

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.

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When you’re done, our online resume builder will score your resume and our resume checker will tell you exactly how to make it better.

3. Enter Your Education the Right Way

No matter how many years of experience you have, your college education should still make an appearance on your resume. The BoD expects to see it, and its lack will raise uncomfortable questions as quickly as a $4m hole in the annual budget. 

On an executive-level resume, it’s enough to list your degree(s), complete with the name of the college and years of study. 

Like so: 

CTO Resume Example [Education]

If you want, you can add a couple of bullet points with notable accomplishments from your college years, such as publications or standout extracurriculars. It’s not necessary to include your GPA on a resume, but you can definitely mention it if it was over 3.5. 

Read more: Listing Education on a Resume: Tips and Examples

4. List the Skills that Make You an Excellent CTO

Here’s what Werner Vogels, Mike Krieger, and Mark Russinovich have in common: 

The right set of skills for the role of CTO. 

(And seven-figure paychecks, but let’s focus on the skills for now.)

Employers will be looking for these skills on your resume, too—as will the ATS software that most companies use to streamline the hiring process. 

So, here’s how to create an industry-disrupting skills section: 

• Start by making a list of all the key skills that appear in the job description. 
• Consider your experience. What are some of your strongest assets as a CTO? List all the abilities that you have, including both soft and hard skills. 
• Compare the two lists and mark the skills that appear on both. 
• Choose up to ten of the overlapping skills and include them in your resume. 

Here’s a list to get you started: 

CTO Resume Skills

Hard Skills for a CTO Resume

• Project management
• Management skills
• Strategic planning
• Analytical skills
• Resource management
• Finance
• Budgeting
• Presentation skills
• Workflow development
• Corporate strategy
• Investment management
• Investor relations
• Agile Methodologies
• Data visualization
• Data interpretation

Soft Skills for a CTO Resume

• Leadership
• Decision-making
• Problem-solving
• Active listening
• Communication skills
• Teamwork
• Interpersonal skills
• Time management
• Confidence
• Delegation
• Organizational skills
• Public speaking
• Creative thinking skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Persuasion
• Negotiation
• Active learning
• Adaptability

Technical Skills and Software Skills for a CTO Resume

• MS Office
• Front-end development
• Back-end development
• Full-stack development
• SQL
• Java
• Python
• C++
• AJAX
• Salesforce
• Enterprise systems
• Google Suite

When you’re done, your CTO resume skills section might look something like this: 

CTO Resume Example [Skills]

Are your best skills extracted and embedded? Excellent—

Then we’re ready to target our last resume milestone. 

Need more inspiration? The Best Skills to Put on a Resume: 99+ Examples

5. Add Other Sections to Your CTO Resume

Think of these as non-essential features. Your resume will work just fine without them, but they do give you an edge over the competition. 

So, here’s what you could include in the last sections of your resume: 

• Certifications: A place for your CISSP, CGEIT, CAPM, or any other relevant certifications. 
• Awards: CTO of the Year? Yes, please! Include awards, shortlists, and recognition received by projects that you’d worked on. 
• Memberships: Being a member of an association or a forum shows your professional commitment. Mention it here, complete with a bullet point or two outlining your activity within the group. 
• Publications: The perfect opportunity to plug your book or academic paper and a great talking point for your imminent interview.
• Languages: Include your level of proficiency, e.g. Italian - Fluent; Spanish - Intermediate. 

Here’s the finished product, ready for launch: 

Sample CTO Resume [Other Sections]

Is there a place for personal hobbies and projects on your CTO resume? Find out: Complete Guide to Hobbies and Interests on a Resume

6. Integrate Your Top Achievements into a Perfect CTO Resume Summary

Remember how we were saving the best for last? Well, it’s time for our final deliverable—

Here’s how to write a CTO resume summary: 

• Imagine you’re a Spencer Stewart recruitment consultant and read through your resume again. What caught your eye? 
• Pick two or three of the most impressive accomplishments and a few skills relevant to the job. 
• Do some research on the company you’re applying to. What could you do for them if you became their CTO?
• Integrate the above components into a focused resume summary. 

To make that last task easier, you can use the following formula: 

• Adjective, e.g. Proven
• Job title (CTO)
• Years of experience
• Achievements and skills
• Your offer to the employer

Let’s run the script and see what happens: 

CTO Resume Summary

Measurable achievements? Check. Tailored to the ad? Check. Making an irresistible offer? Check.

All systems are go!

Whereas here, the core drive is stalling: 

Does not compute. 

This person is getting ITL before she even arrived. 

The underperforming areas here are quite easy to spot, frankly—

The candidate doesn’t care about this particular job. Neither does she bother to back up her claims to greatness with measurable results. 

Read more: How to Write the Perfect Resume Introduction: Tips and Examples

7. Write a Compatible CTO Cover Letter

Congrats! 

What a way to move the needle on your resume! 

Somewhere, the glass walls of your future office are already being polished in anticipation of your arrival. 

There’s just one small caveat—

Your application is not quite finished, and you can’t expect top performance from an incomplete system. To ensure full compliance, attach an equally impressive cover letter to your resume. 

Though they may feel as old-school as a mechanical keyboard, cover letters are still necessary. 

So, here’s how to write a great CTO cover letter: 

• Use the right cover letter format. Stick to the accepted cover letter structure, include a header, and open with the proper salutation for a cover letter. 
• Start your cover letter with a couple of key achievements and an offer to the company. 
• Show how your skills and experience make you the ideal candidate for the CTO position at this particular company. Demonstrate your understanding of their values, products, and needs. 
• End your cover letter with a CTA and include a P.S. for additional impact. 

No need to produce a full 20-page report: for most jobs, the ideal cover letter length is up to one page. 

Read more: Executive Level Cover Letter: Example and Guide

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

Create my cover letter now

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Key Takeaway

Here’s a quick recap of how to write a CTO resume step by step:

• Pick a modern template and format your resume, using the reverse-chronological order. 
• Write your work experience section first, including measurable achievements rather than descriptions of duties. 
• Plug your degrees into a stellar education section. 
• List your F500 CTO skills, tailored to the job you’re applying for. 
• Include additional sections with bonus features such as conferences and certifications. 
• Attach a job-winning cover letter to your CTO resume to maximize your chances of getting into that boardroom. 

That’s it! 

Thanks for reading! Now, we’d love to hear from you: 

• What’s the most challenging part about writing a CTO resume? 
• Is it difficult to fit your executive resume into a two-page document? 
• Do you feel like your achievements as a CTO aren’t so easy to define and measure? 

Drop us a line in the comments, let’s chat!

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Sources

• http://jobversity.upwardlyglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/PAR-Examples-Guide-1.pdf
• https://www.cs.princeton.edu/courses/archive/spring12/cos448/web/readings/smith.pdf