state exactly what you do: Senior Sales Executive specialising in the FMCG sector, explain your areas of expertise: Particular expertise in growing wholesale accounts, emphasise your unique selling point: Reputation for turning around underperforming businesses, focus on your achievements and the value you offer: Proven skill in reducing overhead costs, explain your leadership style or experience: Confident directing cross-functional global teams and influencing at C-level. Writing in the absent first person, which removes those pronouns completely, is the more common way to create a CV; for example: 'Led a team and prepared reports' rather than 'I led a team and I prepared reports.'. It is equally important to quantify your achievements wherever possible. Is it a multi-site or remote team? If you're having difficulty identifying your achievements, consider whether any of the following areas are applicable: Awards: It sounds great if someone else has validated your performance. To respect their time, ensure that every line you include needs to have relevance and value. So, put plenty of detail in your current role, and reduce the size of the roles as you work down the CV. Thirdly, it forces a more concise way of writing, enabling you to fit in more quality information. You can also include any skills you think helped you excel or any notable achievements. It's your introduction your elevator pitch. Rather than repeating 'developing', say 'creating' or 'building'. It's a common CV mistake to simply describe your day-to-day responsibilities without showing the impact you've had on a business. Here is an example of an executive CV for a CEO position at a large tech company: Noemi Garcianoemi.garcia@email.com555-555-5555Seattle, WA. You can also list specific certifications here. In this CV section, you should only give your job title, employer name and dates of employment, without stating any responsibilities or achievements. This is partly due to the anti-discrimination laws already mentioned, and partly because they don't offer any valuable information about your ability to do a job. An at-a-glance Core Competencies section not only helps a recruiter quickly identify where your expertise lies, but it's also a great opportunity to include some industry-specific keywords. 2022 TopCV, All Rights Reserved. If 80 per cent of your work didn't involve executive responsibilities and skills, focus instead on the 20 per cent that did. Our review will help you with tips on the design, structure and content of your CV. Such details add no value. Thirdly, photos are not ATS-friendly. One main difference between executive CV writing and entry-level CV writing is showing that you understand not only your role but also the bigger picture across a whole business. Whilst not vital enough to merit a first-page mention on your CV, a final section at the end of your CV for Further Details could just set you apart from other applicants. An entry-level CV will often have a liberal sprinkling of the words 'I', 'my' and 'me'. Expanding your vocabulary makes the CV more interesting to read, conveys a greater sense of responsibility and shows that you are able to communicate articulately in writing without explicitly saying so. Consider adding a couple of lines to show how you exceed the requirements of the role. Recruiters will be able to see your career progression without getting bogged down in repetitive or irrelevant detail. It's the numbers that demonstrate the concrete impact you had. Is there a common theme running through them? The focus should be on leadership, strategy and change. You should also break the text up as much as possible, by using clearly divided sections, bold heading, bullet points, and concise sentences nobody wants to read big daunting paragraphs.
When youre looking to land an executive role, competition is fierce. But a strong CV will ensure you get noticed by senior people, and leave them desperate to call you in for an interview. Secondly, it is considered to be the more polished and professional way of writing a CV. Use this section to outline your successes and contributions and show how you've excelled and added value to each business you've worked for. A school-leaver CV will necessarily focus on generic, soft skills. In this article, we show you what an executive CV is, how to write one and provide a template and example for reference. Productivity: Improvements here directly impact the bottom line.

Over 20 years of experience leading two tech companies to Fortune 500 status, Successful implementation of new leadership tactics to help transform business structure at two companies, Aided in the design, implementation and widespread adaptation of the T-2200 network adapter, Received the "Diversity in Tech" award three times, Helped design and implement two new security systems in high-level government networks, President & Network Technology Systems DirectorColdwall Technologies May 2010 - present Seattle, WA, Created women's workspace initiative for empowering female tech professionals and granting education opportunities, Helped design and implement the T-2200 network adapter for government systems, Managed large teams of professionals and maintained civility in a growing company, Helped facilitate Coldwall Technologies' 220% growth in Q3 and Q4 of 2020, Received third "Diversity in Tech" award for the T-2200 advancement, Chief Executive OfficerVilworld Tech, Inc.March 2000-May 2010Portland, OR, Helped facilitate the growth of Vilworld to a multi-million dollar technology company via leadership and new technology, Received the "Diversity in Tech" award twice for my work in technology and facilitating a more diverse workplace, Oversaw development of several high-end network systems protection protocols, including a system adopted by the state government, West Pine University, Portland, ORMaster of Business Administration, South Arc College, Sacramento, CABachelor of Arts in Business, Certified ambassador for the Diversity in Tech congregation, President of the Diversity in Tech congregation2013 - present, Oversee community and company outreach to encourage diversity in the workplace, Helped the organization double its membership in five years, Experience with high-end network systems technology, Related: .css-1v152rs{border-radius:0;color:#2557a7;font-family:"Noto Sans","Helvetica Neue","Helvetica","Arial","Liberation Sans","Roboto","Noto",sans-serif;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;-webkit-transition:border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),opacity 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-bottom-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-bottom-style 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-bottom-width 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-radius 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),box-shadow 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1);transition:border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),opacity 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-bottom-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-bottom-style 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-bottom-width 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-radius 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),box-shadow 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1);border-bottom:1px solid;cursor:pointer;}.css-1v152rs:hover{color:#164081;}.css-1v152rs:active{color:#0d2d5e;}.css-1v152rs:focus{outline:none;border-bottom:1px solid;border-bottom-color:transparent;border-radius:4px;box-shadow:0 0 0 1px;}.css-1v152rs:focus:not([data-focus-visible-added]){box-shadow:none;border-bottom:1px solid;border-radius:0;}.css-1v152rs:hover,.css-1v152rs:active{color:#164081;}.css-1v152rs:visited{color:#2557a7;}@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce){.css-1v152rs{-webkit-transition:none;transition:none;}}.css-1v152rs:focus:active:not([data-focus-visible-added]){box-shadow:none;border-bottom:1px solid;border-radius:0;}How to Convert a Resume to a CV (With Examples).css-r5jz5s{width:1.5rem;height:1.5rem;color:inherit;display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;-webkit-flex:0 0 auto;-ms-flex:0 0 auto;flex:0 0 auto;height:1em;width:1em;margin:0 0 0.25rem 0.25rem;vertical-align:middle;}. Resumes are enough to describe your professional experience and skills, but sometimes an organization wants to know more about you as a person. What have you been particularly good at? Clarify the type of team you lead. This is crucial. If you do voluntary work, it's worth a brief mention to show your social responsibility, community involvement and further professional skills. prepped Allen's executive CV for a high-level search job, Referee details aren't needed until further along in the recruitment process. Professional summary Dedicated CEO and IT professional with 20+ years experience in entrepreneurship, innovation and cutting-edge technology across multiple businesses. Similarly, your nationality, marital status and gender have no more place on your CV than your shoe size. So, when writing your CV, your role descriptions need to be well structured and written. Well get you a detailed analysis of your CV within 48 hours. Your task now is to convey that you have these skills at a higher level and then back up your claims with concrete examples. Professional registration or personal identification numbers are also unnecessary. And remember, a CV is as much about what you don't say as what you do. We've written a comprehensive guide that will show you how to write an executive CV that avoids common pitfalls, impresses recruiters and progresses your career with an executive CV example showing you how to implement the advice. An executive with a strong CV can communicate why they are the best fit for a role. For example, if a job requires you to lead a team of 300 people in five countries, you're unlikely to have the required skills if you've only ever led three staff in your local office. You need to prove to employers that your presence makes a big difference for the firms you work for. Does your CV contain information that could present a security risk? They rarely add any valuable information and steal space from more important details. You may have seen CV templates splashed across the internet that include a photo at the top of page one, but this is definitely something to avoid for several reasons. It's helpful to include a month and year for a more specific date range. The basic layout and content you used when you left school are no longer up to the job. Who makes up your team? Consider your unique selling point, or USP. Three pages is also acceptable for a senior executive, but if you choose this route, make sure you can justify it. Overcoming Challenges: Businesses need people that solve problems, not create them. Its also very easy to edit when you need to tailor the CV for different roles. Once youve perfected the CV, make good use of LinkedIn and speculative applications to approach employers directly because lots of senior roles never even get advertised. Additionally, it will prevent your CV from becoming unfeasibly lengthy. Aim to keep your CV to two well-spaced pages. Next, you can list your past work experience as it relates to the role you're seeking.
Focus on what matters and save the space for information that sells you.

Here are a few senior level example CVs from a range of industries to give you some ideas and inspiration for your own CV. Including a link to your LinkedIn profile alongside the contact details on your CV not only helps them to do this, but it also allows you to direct them to exactly what you want them to see. Certainly, dates of employment over the last 10 to 15 years will be expected, but if you worry that dates in the Early Career Summary will age you simply remove them.
If you are going to include hobbies, put them right at the bottom of the CV and dont use up too much space. For example, if you're applying for a CEO, CFO or COO position, you may use a CV. Many companies now parse CVs through an application that categorises the information on your CV. A date of birth on a CV is a dead giveaway that your CV is out of date. Related: .css-1v152rs{border-radius:0;color:#2557a7;font-family:"Noto Sans","Helvetica Neue","Helvetica","Arial","Liberation Sans","Roboto","Noto",sans-serif;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;-webkit-transition:border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),opacity 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-bottom-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-bottom-style 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-bottom-width 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-radius 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),box-shadow 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1);transition:border-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),background-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),opacity 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-bottom-color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-bottom-style 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-bottom-width 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),border-radius 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),box-shadow 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1),color 200ms cubic-bezier(0.645, 0.045, 0.355, 1);border-bottom:1px solid;cursor:pointer;}.css-1v152rs:hover{color:#164081;}.css-1v152rs:active{color:#0d2d5e;}.css-1v152rs:focus{outline:none;border-bottom:1px solid;border-bottom-color:transparent;border-radius:4px;box-shadow:0 0 0 1px;}.css-1v152rs:focus:not([data-focus-visible-added]){box-shadow:none;border-bottom:1px solid;border-radius:0;}.css-1v152rs:hover,.css-1v152rs:active{color:#164081;}.css-1v152rs:visited{color:#2557a7;}@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce){.css-1v152rs{-webkit-transition:none;transition:none;}}.css-1v152rs:focus:active:not([data-focus-visible-added]){box-shadow:none;border-bottom:1px solid;border-radius:0;}Q&A: Should You Put References in a CV?.css-r5jz5s{width:1.5rem;height:1.5rem;color:inherit;display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;-webkit-flex:0 0 auto;-ms-flex:0 0 auto;flex:0 0 auto;height:1em;width:1em;margin:0 0 0.25rem 0.25rem;vertical-align:middle;}. What will help you to stand out in a crowded job market? To stick to the 2 page limit, you can add old roles as a simple one line summary, or even batch a few up into a summary like: 1996 2001: Various roles within Forex trading. TopCV offers a free CV review service that will give you confidential, objective feedback on your executive CV with recommendations on how it could be improved. Phrases that sound like they could fit onto almost anybody's CV certainly should not be on yours. If you have a clear understanding of the value that you can add, recruiters will see it too. Writing in the absent first person is a technique that takes some getting used to, but it's worth putting the effort in because it will take your executive CV to the next level. At an executive level, it goes without saying that you have these skills you wouldn't be where you are without them. 6 CV-writing tips that will turn your good CV into a great one, Signs it's time to hire a professional CV writer, How older workers can overcome age discrimination during the job search, How to write a graduate CV like a seasoned pro, How to write a CV for a chef job (with example), How to write a journalist CV (with example). The end result is that readers are instantly seeing a number of key terms that they are searching for, so subconsciously they will view you as good match within seconds. To make sure your CV stands out, learn more about working with a professional CV writer. At this stage of your career, it's unwise to include extra-curricular interests on your CV at all. Evaluate your current and previous roles to identify the skills and results that will translate well into executive positions. Where do others seek your input and expertise? Whilst a splash of colour is fine, you'll definitely need to steer clear of images, graphics, text boxes, tables and special characters. As a senior candidate, recruiters and employers will mainly be interested in your recent jobs, in the range of the last 1 to 5 years because that is generally the best way for them to gauge your current capabilities. Now, we just need to know where to send it!
An executive CV is a document that acts as an alternative to a traditional resume. This section should only be added if you have room, rather than included at the expense of more important information, but it can add another string to your bow. Here are the best practices for writing an executive CV: Keep the CV unique from your resume by listing details about achievements on your CV, Highlight practical, technical and interpersonal skills, For the best experience, please upgrade to a modern, fully supported web browser. Identifying your USP will enable you to build your personal brand and market yourself to recruiters. When youre trying to grab the attention of senior hiring managers, you need to hook them as soon as they open the CV because if you dont, they will probably just close your CV down and get back to dealing with the hundreds of other issues they have on their plate. Consider how you can level up the basic skills on your CV to frame yourself as an executive. Ideally, you'll adapt this section every time you apply for a job to ensure your CV captures all the main requirements of the role as described in each job advert. Additionally, the ATS may confuse their contact details with your own resulting in some very awkward conversations! Contact information should be up-to-date and accurate. When you outline your responsibilities for each role, quantify the main elements. Aim to include between nine and 12 skills more will make the list unwieldy, and less will risk underselling yourself. This is vague and clich. An excellent way to ensure you catch the eye of a busy recruiter or manager when your CV is opened, is by including a core skills section. To do this, you need to show what youve achieved in previous roles, and prove the impact youve made on the business, or perhaps for clients, stakeholders etc. With many CVs being uploaded online these days, data security is also a key consideration. By uploading my CV, I agree to the TopCV Terms of Use and acknowledge I have read the Privacy Policy. This is the place to explain how you went above and beyond it. The CV exists for one reason alone to convince recruiters to interview you. This is boring and duplicates information a reader can find elsewhere on the CV. When youre applying for senior roles, the hiring managers and recruiters you are dealing with have very little time, and short attention spans so you need to ensure you get your message across quickly. Every executive role will require a unique set of skills, but some skills are likely to require an appearance in every exec CV. This is especially true when describing soft skills. CEO leading EMEA region for international banking transactions, tasked with overseeing 3 multi-million-pound transformation programmes and continued growth of service sales, To showcase your ability to apply your extensive experience and knowledge to generate results, use short concise bullet points to detail your most important duties and demonstrate how they impact the wider success of the business. Feedback: What do colleagues, managers, customers and suppliers say about you? Profits: This is the big one if you can directly increase profits, shout about it loudly. Finally, quantifying your claims has the added bonus of enabling you to boast about your achievements without sounding boastful you're merely stating provable facts. One outcome of them is that a recruiter should technically disregard a photo, as it can give away discriminatory details such as your age, skin colour and gender as well as, potentially, your religious beliefs or disabilities. Subscribe today to get job tips and career advice that will come in handy. Hobbies and interests never usually have any effect on hiring decisions at executive level, so theres no need to mention the fact you like to socialise with friends or curl up with a good book. At executive level, youre not just there to make up the numbers. Ask your friends, family or trusted colleagues for a second opinion or, even better, ask the experts.

Heres a breakdown of whats included in this post. You may think it proves that you have many years of experience behind you, but a recruiter may see someone who they assume is not up to speed with new technologies, or who could be retiring soon and thus is not worth investing in. What problems or challenges have you been able to resolve? then this could give the CV a boost. The search for an executive role is competitive. Why put blood, sweat and tears into producing amazing content only to end up with a CV that looks unprofessional to a human and indecipherable to a computer? The top half of your CV is prime real-estate your chance to make a positive first impression and convince the recruiter that the rest of your CV is worth reading. There are two exceptions to this rule. Focus on executive skills and achievements that are relevant to the position for which you're applying. By the time you're a senior executive, your professional experience speaks louder than your Saturday league involvement. To identify your USP, take some time to assess your biggest wins over the last 10 years. Secondly, we have anti-discrimination laws in the UK. This bullet pointed round-up of your most in demand skills and knowledge, should reflect your target employers candidate requirements, so that the key terms jump off the page and cant be missed. This is your personal sales document, so concentrate on the details that will sell you. You'll also need to show off your higher-level executive skills. Again, due to the attention spans of recruiters and hiring managers, you need to keep the CV short and sweet 2 pages is enough to tell your story without boring people. Skills such as 'communication' and 'teamwork' are really only for the most entry-level positions. In the next sections, an executive CV will typically list the applicant's education, any educational recognition or awards, qualifications and achievements outside of educational institutions and more.