How to write an executive CV

When planning on how to write an executive CV both the presentation of information and demonstration of leadership achievements are vitally important. Getting the right tone of voice within the CV is key too. Your personal qualities and values will influence the teams and stakeholders around you, so it’s essential to give the reader insight into your leadership style.

An executive professional profile

Position yourself for the roles you are applying for in the first sentence of your professional profile. So, whether this is ‘chief financial officer’ or ‘chief marketing officer’ you can mirror the job title of the role you are applying to for maximum engagement. Then describe your leadership strengths. Use original language and try not to fall back on recruitment clichés.

Key skills section

If applying for roles online your CV will be analysed by ATS systems. A key skills section can optimise your CV to help it pass through ATS filters. Read carefully the job description and person specification for important key words. These can be incorporated into your key skills section. Don’t overload the key skill section keep to no more than 10 to 12 key words or phrases.

Career history 

The CV should focus around the most recent years of your career as these are most likely to be closest to the leadership roles you will be applying for. State the key areas of responsibility including budget, people and any interesting facts around the scale and scope of the role. Then provide specific examples of achievements that focus on the outcomes of your endeavours.

Tailor the CV for specific roles

Every role will vary in the requirements an employer is looking for. Therefore, read the person specification carefully for each role and adapt the CV accordingly. The more closely aligned to a specific job your CV is the more likely you are to be called to interview. It is better to take time over each application rather than using the same CV for multiple roles.

Keep your executive CV to two pages

There is a tendency amongst some executives with a long career history that the more senior you are the longer a CV should be. This is simply not true. Keep the CV to no more than two pages. The same rule applies for executive CVs as for all others – a CV is about getting an interview not getting the job. Get your message over quickly and powerfully and a 2-page format is ideal for this.

Use a professional looking layout

Writing an executive CV is not an exercise in excessive design features. This is particularly true for senior roles where it can be argued a more conservative approach is required. A CV is all about you and your brand and this is what needs to shine through. So, ensure the headings are clearly labelled, sufficient white space throughout and that the formatting is consistent.

This article is written by Neville Rose, Director of CV Writers. Please do connect with me via LinkedIn.

Check out our executive CV writing service with details of our packages that include LinkedIn profiles, cover letters and more. You can get things started with a Free CV review. I am also a qualified career counsellor and provide Career Counselling services for people looking to change career paths.