How to write a CV

Unsurprisingly, I read a lot of CVs, some of which are much better than others. So how should a senior leader, director or executive write theirs? Here are a few tips.

• Focus on accomplishments rather than responsibilities. This is the most important aspect of any CV and the trap many people fall into. A CV is about what a person has done, not the nature of a business or the purpose of a role, so write about the difference you made and the achievements you secured, providing evidence and statistics to quantify it. For example, don’t write “as Sales Director, I was responsible for sales” because that’s self-evident but, instead, write “as Sales Director, I grew sales by 20%” and then explain how you did it. It’s your track record and capabilities that will differentiate you.

• Whether it’s a recruiter with a full inbox or a CEO with a full schedule, you have to presume the first read of your CV will be cursory. Big blocks of text are hard to read but an eye can quickly skip down a list of bullet points and easily absorb the key facts. Once something has caught their attention, they’ll read the detail. You could use bold type in a similar way.

• CVs can be any length (within reason) but the first page is the most important. It must hit the reader with what’s most relevant and impressive to encourage them to keep reading. Details of an education from twenty years ago do not belong on the first page of your CV, for example, and if you decide to write a personal statement, keep it short.

• CVs are increasingly being designed with graphics, bright colours, boxes, columns and all manner of clever layouts. Yes, this helps a CV stand out but its detrimental to your cause if this makes it hard to read and absorb the information it contains. Be creative if you like but prioritise function over form.

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