An account executive resume is read by hiring managers with one question: can this person own revenue and close? So your resume has to prove deal ownership, not list activity. Every bullet should answer that question with an outcome — a deal you helped close, pipeline that converted, discovery and negotiation you actually ran. If your resume reads like an activity log, you'll be screened out before you get to prove yourself.
Lead with outcomes and numbers
Open strong lines with the result, not the task. "Owned discovery and negotiation on an expansion that closed" beats "was involved in account expansion." Where you can, use numbers — deal sizes, conversion, quota attainment — because revenue proof is the language AE hiring managers speak. Numbers that reflect your actual work carry more weight than vague claims.
Reposition SDR history to show AE-adjacent ownership
You're not hiding the SDR job — you're recasting it toward what the AE role needs. Instead of touches sent and calls made, lead with the AE-adjacent parts: the discovery or demo sections you ran, the deals you helped move past first meeting, the handoffs that converted. AE managers hire reps who've already started doing the job, so show that you have.
Match the language of the AE role
Mirror the words of the job: owner, quota, revenue, discovery, demo, proposal, negotiation, close. Use OTE and quota vocabulary correctly — it signals you understand the comp you're applying into. Keep it to one page, and make every line pass the test: does this prove I can carry a revenue number and close a deal?
Start here
A resume gets you the interview; the interview decides it. The next lesson is the questions AE interviews actually ask, and how to answer them from real deals.