Adrienne Tom

Co-Founder | Small Business and Productivity Coach for Career Pros

Every executive has a career story. The difference between being overlooked and being invited forward is how clearly your story demonstrates impact and relevance at the next level.

Too often, resumes read like job descriptions. Responsibilities are listed, but context is missing. Outcomes are implied instead of proven. Yet, boards and decision-makers are not looking for what you were responsible for. They are looking for evidence of how you think, what you drive, and where you can take their organization next.

For 15+ years, I’ve partnered with C-Suite, VP, and Director-level leaders across Canada and the U.S., translating complex careers into executive narratives that hold up in boardrooms, recruiter conversations, and high-stakes decision environments. This work is not about job searching. It’s about positioning, readiness, and control of your professional narrative before opportunity requires it.

I help leaders uncover the stories behind their successes and translate them into persuasive, market-ready career files. Stories that make decision-makers stop and pay attention.

As Canada’s first Certified Executive Resume Master (CERM), a 32X award winner, and a 10X certified career professional, I bring expertise in executive resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and leadership branding that position leaders as the candidate of choice. 

How I help executives tell their story:
◆ Craft executive resumes and narratives that go beyond ‘responsibilities’ to decision-level impact
◆ Unearth results and value that are not easy to spot yourself
◆ Translate experience into strategic stories that resonate with boards and hiring teams
◆ Deliver polished, market-ready career files aligned to next-level leadership goals

The executives I work with have gone on to:
• Step into C-Suite, VP, and Director roles with greater confidence and leverage
• Strengthen visibility with boards, investors, and executive search firms
• Secure roles with Fortune 500 companies, high-growth firms, and complex, multibillion-dollar organizations

Recognition and expertise:
⚜ Featured in Forbes, The Globe and Mail, NBC News, and Calgary Herald
⚜ Named one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices in Job Search and Careers
⚜ Certification Assessor for Career Professionals of Canada
⚜ Published in 7 resume and cover letter books

Your career story is your competitive edge. Let’s showcase your leadership and open doors. Explore my client recommendations below or visit my website to learn more. 

Calgary Executive Resume Writer | LinkedIn Profile Writer
🌐 www.CareerImpressions.ca
📧 adrienne @ careerimpressions .ca

LinkedIn Profile Writer >> Executive LinkedIn Content and Strategies to Get You Found!

⚜ Looking to get your LinkedIn profile to bubble to the top of search results? Want to build a robust executive online presence? 

⚜ I develop LinkedIn profile content, from top to bottom, for forward-thinking executives, directors, and managers across North America to help them get found and hired faster.

LinkedIn services include:

✔️ Complete LinkedIn profile audit

✔️ Creation of customized, SEO-rich LinkedIn content to increase your profile's visibility on the #1 site for recruiters and hiring managers (over 95% of hiring personnel use LinkedIn)

✔️ Content creation for the Headline, About, Education, and 3 Work Experiences

✔️ Content suggestions for your Volunteer, Accomplishments, Skills, Awards, and Interests sections. 

✔️ Recommendations for all other sections, photo tips, and more

✔️ LinkedIn user guides and engagement strategies (you must also get active on the site to get found!)

▶️ In 2020, I was named a LinkedIn Top Voice for elevating essential career and job search topics and driving important business conversations on the platform.

I'm celebrating eighteen years in business! 🎉 
That number feels both steady and surreal.
When I launched Career Impressions: Executive Resume Writing in 2008, I did not have a grand master plan. I had conviction, a laptop, young kids at home, and a belief that professionals deserved solid career documents that reflected the depth of their value and offerings.

What started as a leap has become nearly two decades of executive conversations, board-level positioning, late-night edits, early-morning strategy calls, and the quiet privilege of being trusted with someone’s life’s work.

Through it all, one thing has remained constant.
This work matters.

Here is what 18 years of writing executive resumes has reinforced for me:

• Executive resumes are never about years of experience alone. They are marketing tools designed to showcase trajectory, influence, and outcomes that positively impacted people and organizations.

• The most powerful career stories are often the hardest for leaders to see on their own.

• Positioning is important long before a job search begins. Clarity creates options and opportunities.

• A well-crafted resume does more than open doors. It changes how someone talks about themselves in every room that follows.

I have had the privilege of partnering with C-suite executives, VPs, and directors across Canada and the U.S., and watched clients step into CEO seats, secure SVP roles, pivot industries, and regain confidence after difficult exits.

Many have told me over the years that the biggest takeaway from our work together was not just job offers, but in how they viewed their own impact and grew their confidence. 

To every client who trusted me with your career story, every colleague who referred someone my way, every reader who shares my content, and every leader who reaches out quietly behind the scenes to ask, “Can you help?”… thank you.

Eighteen years in, and I am still energized by the conversations, the complexity, and the responsibility of packing and positioning senior leaders for top jobs. 

Here’s to year 19!

#workmilestone #executiveresume

32X Award-Winning Executive Resume Writer | Positioning C-Suite Executives, VPs, and Directors for Executive Search and Board Visibility ٭ Branding * Career Storytelling ٭ LinkedIn Authority

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Many people are currently looking for work, which means the applicant pool for an open position might be substantial. Your resume needs to be strong, tailored, and the very best it can be to stand out. 

Here are 10 resume tips to help you write a modern, compelling resume.

What else would you add to this list?

For detailed explanations, check out this post on resume tips https://lnkd.in/guQHQQzD

10 Resume Tips for 2026

Condensing 20+ years of experience into two pages of a resume can feel almost insulting. Entire seasons of effort reduced to just highlights. 

At the executive level, you’ve likely weathered market downturns, restructures, team attrition or growth, and business evolution. 

And now it has to fit… neatly onto just a few pages.

I had a conversation recently with a senior executive who said, “How do I possibly choose what to leave out? It feels like I’m erasing half my career.”

So I reminded him, as I have with many others I’ve had this conversation with, that a resume is not your legacy document.  It is not a complete career chronology, but a marketing tool designed to open the next conversation.

When an executive resume tries to hold everything, it becomes dense and unfocused. When it is curated around a clear direction with succinct proof points, it becomes powerful. 

Restraint at the executive level is a mark of clarity and helps create a stronger connection with readers. 

You are not erasing your history by editing down details in a resume; you are making decisions about relevance. It is so important to choose what best demonstrates your capacity to lead at the level you are targeting now, rather than preserving every accomplishment that once mattered in a different season.

Yes, your career is far bigger than two pages. But your resume has one job. It needs to make a compelling case for what you can deliver next.

If you are in the middle of refining your resume, do this: consider what is truly essential for the future job you are pursuing, and decide what belongs in your personal archive instead.

That distinction changes everything.

#executivesearch #executiveresume

A Chief Human Resources Officer reached out to me and said something I hear more often than you might expect: “I know I’ve done meaningful work. I just don’t see it on the page.”

He was accomplished. Strategic. Deeply experienced across talent, culture, and organizational design. Yet his resume felt flat. And when you are targeting executive roles, flat is expensive.

Let me walk you through what changed and why it mattered in this executive resume before-and-after case study.

https://lnkd.in/g4mNd6kk

Open article: Executive Resume Before and After: From Uncertain to In Demand by careerimpressions.ca

Executive Resume Before and After: From Uncertain to In Demand

Job seekers who are struggling right now: it's ok to feel all sorts of ways. 
Just don't give in or give up.
DO: ⬇⬇

Keep trying!
Seek help!
Employ different strategies!
Celebrate small successes!
Break down big goals into smaller steps!

I have witnessed the emotions and challenges of job search both personally and professionally. There are times it sucks...it hurts...it is overwhelming...AND it can be ok.

What advice would you give to someone who is struggling with their job search?

If you are job searching, what has helped you the most right now?

Is your LinkedIn About section helping or hurting your executive brand? According to LinkedIn, 97% of Fortune 500 CEOs have a presence on the platform. They understand the power of a strong online brand to attract opportunities, partnerships, and influence. 

Yet, many executives leave their About section vague or underdeveloped.

Here’s what an effective About section can do for you:

Establish professional authority -->
Clearly define your expertise, achievements, and leadership value. Think of it as your digital handshake.

Stand out in a competitive market -->
Highlight your unique strengths, measurable results, and leadership style. Examples: revenue growth, team engagement scores, or transformation outcomes.

Expand your network of influential leaders -->
A well-crafted About section attracts the right people to you: executives, recruiters, industry peers, and thought leaders.

Improve search visibility -->
Use targeted industry language and keywords to ensure you show up in recruiter and people searches.

Showcase leadership style and cultural fit -->
Infuse personality into your story. Share examples of how you lead teams, drive results, and fit into (or build) strong cultures.

Pro tip: Keep it authentic and strategic. Blend storytelling with proof of performance. A snapshot from my work with clients:

"Throughout my career, I’ve consistently driven breakthrough results across multimillion-dollar M&A deals, led global teams of 200+, and delivered measurable growth and efficiency -- up to 30% more in each area -- at every stage of my journey."

The right About section can transform your profile from passive to powerful. Don’t leave this space empty or generic.

👉 What’s the ONE thing you want people to know when they visit your profile?

If you’ve ever looked at your executive resume and thought, “My experience is strong, but this feels flat,” you’re probably right.

At the executive level, your resume needs to tell a clear leadership story, yet  senior leaders still miss the warning signs and compile an unsharpened narrative. It often happens because they are too close to their own experience to see what isn’t working.

Here are 9 executive resume warnings that deserve a hard look.

1. The resume reads like a job description
If your content could belong to other leaders with the same title, it belongs to none of you. Executives are not hired for task coverage. When the document focuses on duties instead of decisions, it erodes differentiation.

2. Results without context
Large numbers can look impressive at first glance, but without scope, scale, timeline, or complexity, they lose credibility quickly. A $50M initiative means something very different in a $75M organization versus a $5B one. Context creates weight. 

3. Too much history, not enough direction
Boards and CEOs hire forward. If your resume meticulously details where you have been but offers no indication of where you are heading or what mandate you are built for next, it feels reactive rather than strategic.

4. Strategy is implied, never stated
At the executive level, it is important to articulate how you defined priorities, influenced enterprise decisions, and aligned resources, not simply how you delivered against them.

5. Leadership stories stay operational
What you delivered matters, of course. Yet at this level, trade-offs matter too. What did you choose not to pursue? Where did you reallocate capital? How did you balance risk and growth? Those choices reveal executive thinking.

6. Inconsistent messaging
Your resume, LinkedIn profile, and interview narrative should reinforce one coherent leadership story. When the tone shifts dramatically across platforms, or when your LinkedIn reads visionary while your resume reads transactional, trust erodes fast. Consistency builds credibility.

7. Culture is invisible
Executives are culture carriers. If your resume does not show how you led through change, developed successors, managed conflict, or influenced organizational health, you can appear technically capable but culturally risky. That is a quiet barrier.

8. Titles do the heavy lifting
If your value proposition relies on recognizable companies or impressive titles without a clearly articulated impact, you are leaving opportunity on the table. Decision-makers want to understand what changed because you were there.

9. Your gut says, “This feels flat.”
If you sense something is missing, even when the content looks strong on paper, that instinct usually means your value is under-articulated. Not overstated but under-explained. 


Before you send your resume off, assess whether it tells a sharp leadership story or just lists where you have been.

NGO Recruitment

NGO Recruitment (NGOR) is Asia Pacific's leading not-for-profit sector recruitment specialist and the longest-established outplacement/career transition services provider for the non-profit sector. 

I manage all international recruitment, providing a specialist retained executive search service, recruiting for all positions across Australia, Asia Pacific and internationally. I design and manage our international recruitment strategies and lead the international team. I have significantly expanded the international recruitment operations and our global following.

I co-authored a non-profit/social impact careers guide with Emma Crane: https://ngorecruitment.com/careersguide/

I recruit for international non-profits in the fields of climate action, sustainability, social justice, international development, humanitarian aid, conservation, and animal welfare, among others. 

Roles I recruit range from C-suite leaders to regional and national managers, programme managers, campaigners, strategists, researchers, analysts, monitoring and evaluation roles, resource mobilisation/philanthropy/fundraising-related roles, all programmatic, thematic, and technical functions, and many others.

I am the Outplacement & Career Transition Services Lead, designing, delivering, and helping our team deliver outplacement and career coaching programmes to our national and international client base.

- 3,000+ talented professionals placed since 2004
- 250,000 registered professionals on our candidate database 
- 100% exclusive executive search success rate
- 500 not-for-profit partner organisations across Australia & Asia Pacific

For almost 16 years, we have recruited for a vast range of not-for-profits, from large multinational NGOs to neighbourhood centres, and everything in between. Our unrivalled networks and specialist firsthand sector knowledge enable us to find the very best local and international talent to help drive, shape, and empower the not-for-profit sector across the region.

Manager, Asia Pacific & International Recruitment | Career Transition Services Lead 

Niche Career Services

Private coaching/consulting practice offering fully International Coaching Federation (ICF) certified career/transition and job search coaching, resume writing coaching, and personal branding services for climate, environment, ESG, sustainability and social impact job seekers. 
Supporting mission-driven professionals in the non-profit sector, and those who seek to land meaningful and impactful careers.  

Services:

- Career/transition coaching and consulting
- Job search strategy coaching & support
- Interview coaching
- Resume and job application writing coaching
- LinkedIn and professional profile writing and coaching

Bespoke coaching services, tailored to your needs.
Testimonials on my LinkedIn profile.

*ICF certified for all career coaching and resume services
*Member of global career services think tank
*International recruiter (19 years), recruiting international nonprofit climate/environment jobs (5+ years)
*Co-author of NGO Recruitment's Asia Pacific Non-profit Careers Guide - 
 https://ngorecruitment.com/careersguide/
*Terra.do Climate Fellowship (ongoing)
*Certified Asperger's/Autism Employment Coach

Career Coaching Services for Climate, Environment, Sustainability & Social Impact Job Seekers

Who Group

I recruited mid to senior level marketing, sales, digital and security related positions across all industries in my first role back in Australia, meeting targets and bringing in new clients.

I set up and managed the security, safety, cyber security, compliance and risk, investigations and all security related recruitment (technical and commercial), sectors for Who Group.  Outplacement and career transition services delivery.

- Digital marketing recruitment, digital recruitment, marketing recruitment, sales recruitment, sales & marketing recruitment, security recruitment, cyber security recruitment.Who Group was formed to deliver a higher level of Recruitment and HR Consulting services, along with a place for the best in the industry to be challenged and to grow. The calibre of our people, our patented tools and the quality of our service sets us apart.

Manager - Marketing, Sales, Digital & Security Recruitment

REED

Start-up and set-up of Reed Specialist Recruitment in China, with the expansion of the Shanghai branch office and development of specialist recruitment verticals. Responsible for P&L management and overall financial performance. Recruited, trained and led the Shanghai-based China team and was business development lead.  Branch of the Quarter Award Q2 2014. 

Recruitment into security & investigations, digital marketing and PR and communications.

Reed is a US$1bn+ recruitment and HR services organisation, with more than 3,000 specialist staff across 300 offices, delivering the entire service spectrum - from contingency recruitment, through managed service and RPO and on to full service HR consultancy. As a specialist recruitment business, Reed has over 20 different divisions, each delivering bespoke services to their particular talent market. Our global network spans across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and Asia.

Country Manager, China / General Manager 

Kelly Services

Led large solution project sales for Kelly including RPO, MSP, Talent Relationship Management, contract and permanent staffing, plus a full range of workforce solutions and product development across all industry sectors for Kelly Services China.

Launched the leading scientific recruitment brand globally, Kelly Scientific Resources, in China via Life Science team set up, strategic development, leadership, new product development and service introductions to China market. Developed well-received thought leadership white paper meeting demanding targets. P&L role. 
Achievements: Tripled billings compared to previous quarter.

Director, Solution Sales, China | Director, Life Sciences, China - Sales & Recruitment Lead, China 

2IC role. Managing 65+ staff in PT (Professional and Technical) recruitment, operations, workforce solutions, BD and sales for all service lines and products. BD andkey account management across Shanghai, Suzhou and Guangzhou. New product and service line development, branch set up and restructures, training, staff coaching and development and target attainment. Also led global key account development in China. 

Achievements: Consistently most profitable region in China. One of my direct reports was a recipient of the William Russell Kelly Global Award. (Kelly Services' highest company recognition).

Established in China since 2002, Kelly's 9 Offices in Greater China provides specialist Professional and Technical recruitment, and Recruitment Process Outsourcing.

Beijing | Shanghai | Guangzhou | Suzhou | Chengdu | Tianjin | Nanchang | Shenzhen | Hong Kong

Industries and practices: Industrial & Manufacturing, Banking & Finance, Consumer, Information Technology, New Energy, Human Resources and Accounting.

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in the USA, Kelly Services (NASDAQ: KELYA, KELYB) is a Fortune 500 company and a world leader in providing Workforce Solutions. With 2,600 offices in 37 countries, Kelly employs over 530,000 staff and proudly partners more than 90% of the worlds Fortune 500 companies.

Revenue in 2010 was $5 billion. 

Kelly's Professional & Technical (PT) Specialist Recruitment Division focuses on mid-senior level search in China. 

New Award - March 2012
Winner "Best Headhunting Service Provider of Greater China" 2011-2012 by HRoot Human Capital Management Magazine (CHINA)

Winner "APAC Best HR Consulting Firm" 2011, Asia HR Summit (CHINA)

Winner "Best HR Service - Recommended Recruitment Firm" 2011-2012, Human Resources Association (CHINA)

Finalist Award "Annual Best Recruitment Firm 2011-2012", China Staff Awards (CHINA)

Winner "Best Head Hunter of the Year Greater China" 2010-2011 - Human Capital Management Magazine (CHINA)

Director of PT Operations & Sales, South & East China - Recruitment General Manager & Sales Lead

Managing 60+ staff in PT operations, BD and sales for all service lines and products across Shanghai, Suzhou and Beijing. Beijing branch management in absence of Branch Manager. New product and service line development, branch restructures, training, staff coaching and development, SOP and recruitment process design and implementation. Also led global key account development in China. 

Oversaw entire China operations for several months during management transition period.

Achievements: Consistently most profitable region.

Director of PT Operations,  North & East China (Professional & Technical Division)

Niche Talent Search

Co-Founder of the company, I established and managed the former Niche Talent Search Industrial Division; China's only specialist security recruitment and outplacement firm. 

Niche's high degree of specialisation and key account model resulted in the retention of top MNC clients from the industries Niche served and repeat business with all clients.

Full range of services and solutions provided for clients and candidates including mainly sales and marketing recruitment,  personal branding,  outplacement, career transition, career coaching, psychometric testing and career marketing communications for clients and candidates from all industries. 

I was the first licensed Personal Branding Strategist in China.

Partner & Co-Founder, Niche Industrial (Security) Recruitment; Personal Branding & Career Strategist

Hudson

Consistent top 1-3 performing China consultant and multi award-winning recruitment consultant at Nasdaq listed Hudson Recruitment, grew and managed the Industrial Sales/Marketing team. 

Built the fire/security business from 0 base and expanded the HVAC/R and BAS recruitment practice to significant contribution to overall company revenue and a top performing team. Consistently surpassed all targets and KPIs. Managed Commercial Industrial and Manufacturing Practice.

Managing Consultant - Industrial Sales & Marketing Division

Parkwayhealth

Developed comprehensive suite of marketing and communications materials to revitalize the brand and position the organization as China's leading expatriate health care provider; greatly enhanced Parkway Health's exposure and professional corporate identity. Temp position. Parkway was formerly WorldLink Medical & Dental Centres.

China Marketing Manager

IWNC

Re-vamped the entire IWNC brand and developed new corporate identity and marketing collateral to signifcantly increase IWNC's brand awareness. Developed effective scalable strategic marketing plan. Temp position.

Marketing Manager, China

Freelance

Retained for various projects as copywriter, marketing manager, events organizer and publicist, including for global US social networking forum; copywriter and major contributor for various China and Asia-focused newsletters and publications; Publicity and Marketing Advisor for Shanghai Sunrise Charity. Elected to Board of Shanghai Expatriate Professional Women's Society as PR Executive.

Independent Writer, Publicist & Marketing Consultant

I am a specialist executive search consultant and career coach for the international non-profit sector. I recruit all roles for my clients, with a focus on climate, energy, environment, sustainability, and ESG. I also recruit for international development, humanitarian aid, human rights roles, and others. 

I am known as an industry search expert, relied on by non-profit clients across Asia Pacific and internationally, to take over abandoned searches and deliver the talent my clients urgently need to expand their international operations. 

I use my international recruiting and coaching expertise to support climate and social impact job seekers to navigate and expedite their job searches, translate skills and experience into strategic positioning and compelling messaging, and land meaningful and impactful jobs.

20 years of Asia Pacific and international experience with industry-leading credentials:

- Fully International Coach Federation Certified:
- Career Coach & Career Transition Coach
- Resume Writer, Personal Branding Strategist, & Social Branding Strategist 
- Climate Fellow, Learning for Action - Terra.do
- Certified AS/Autism employment coach 
- Co-author- Ultimate Non-profit Careers Guide - APAC & International, with Emma Crane: 
 https://ngorecruitment.com/careersguide/
- Associate Member - Career Thought Leaders 
- 19 years in international recruitment; 5 in nonprofit, social impact, climate, and environment recruiting

I have been an invited speaker on international forums including Channel News Asia TV, The Economist, American Chamber of Commerce, Shanghai Business News, HULT University and I opened day two of the International Women's Federation conference in Hong Kong with a personal branding workshop. I regularly contribute to articles in the non-profit, international development, and career-related international media and forums.

Contact me for:

• International non-profit recruitment – retained search for all roles, sectors, & geographies - APAC focus
• Career coaching/career transition/job search/outplacement/personal brand development support
• Professional resume coaching & profile consulting/writing

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The Battle

Adrienne Tom

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The Battle

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Lois Freeke

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Adrienne Tom's LinkedIn Performance

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