In a recent discussion with a job seeker, he made a "good news, bad news" comment that his resume was generating a fair amount of response in the marketplace, but the positions for which he was being considered were below the level of his experience and competence.  He handed me his resume; I gave it the 25-second 'recruiter review' test and was struck by the highly tactical nature of the content and the 'junior' appearance of the document. 

Let's talk about the content first.  Virtually all the content was focused on actions, with very little context and very few outcomes or results.  The actions, although demonstrating solid skills and abilities, lacked connection with business strategy, goals, or mission. It read more like a job description than a resume.  It made the reader work too hard to see how his actions contributed to the larger business needs of the organization - a reasonable expectation of a leader.  It was all about the writer and not about telegraphing to the reader how he had helped the company succeed in its broader goals. Although people cringe when I make the following comment (sometimes I cringe a little myself) we must remember that it's not about you... it's about them.  Certainly, the document details your career, but the elements must relate to what the hiring organization needs, not simply what you have done.  If you are seeking a leadership role (aka an executive position) the language of your resume must be consistent with the thinking, actions, and outcomes of a leader.  For years, every survey I have read concerning the desired characteristics of a leader places 'strategic thinking' at the top of the list. This doesn't mean using fancy or obscure words that no one else will understand: it means that your resume should overtly demonstrate that you successfully performed your role in a fashion that advanced strategic business goals.

Moving on to format... my basic rule of thumb is that the 'busier' the format; the greater amount of short, choppy bulleted items; and the over-eager use of upper case letters, italics, underlining, colors, borders, or multiple font styles, the less likely the resume is to send the 'leader' message.  If a resume looks like a laundry list of items, is visually unappealing, or is simply sloppy in terms of spacing, spelling, grammar, punctuation, layout, etc., it is difficult for the reader to distinguish what is important, and it may not pass the '25-second test'.  Although it is pretty much a certainty that if you show your resume to 10 people, you will get 20 opinions, it is none the less a good idea to seek input from other professionals, other successful job seekers, hiring managers, and recruiters to determine what aspects of your resume they consider the most successful in potentially influencing the reader to invite you for an interview. If you are fortunate enough to be working with a professional career coach, take advantage of his or her insights and resume coaching. You are not obligated to incorporate other people's suggestions, but you owe it to yourself to listen and evaluate their advice and opinions in light of what you want to accomplish in the next step in your career.  If the marketplace is not responding to your resume in the manner you had hoped, it seems only reasonable for you to make some changes. 

Oh, what happened to the job seeker I mentioned?  He worked diligently to improve the content and format of his resume, and he has been called for some interviews regarding higher level positions.  We both call that good news.