Senior Executive CV Writing Service

No. Do not include a list of references or the phrase "references available upon request" on your executive CV. These practices are outdated and occupy valuable space without adding real weight to your application.

Instead, adopt a more modern and impactful approach by introducing a "Recommendations" section to your CV. This delivers immediate social proof from credible and influential sources.

Here is how to execute it effectively:

• Create a dedicated section at the close of your CV titled "Recommendations."

• Select two compelling excerpts from your LinkedIn recommendations. Choose insights that are relevant and aligned to the senior roles you are targeting.

• Prioritise credibility and impact. The recommendations should be from respected professionals and emphasise specific achievements or leadership strengths, not generic comments such as "hard-working and reliable."

• Format them with polish. Present each as a quotation, and include the individual’s full name and their position directly underneath.

This approach enables you to leverage authoritative testimonials, making a far stronger impression on boards, recruiters, and senior hiring managers than a basic reference list ever could.

At senior level, your employment history and leadership achievements carry more weight than your qualifications. Qualifications still matter, but how you present them should reinforce rather than overshadow your professional track record.

Where to Place Your Qualifications Section

For senior professionals, your qualifications should sit towards the end of your CV. Your profile summary and career history should take priority, but you can highlight your most important qualifications briefly in your opening profile if they add significant credibility, such as an MBA, Chartered status or a specialist executive certification.

How to Format Different Types of Qualifications

You can either group all qualifications into one section or separate them into Education and Professional Qualifications if you have several to showcase.

• University Education: List the degree title, your classification (if relevant), and the university name.
  Example: MBA, London Business School

• Professional Qualifications: Include senior-level certifications and accreditations relevant to your field. You only need to list the qualification itself, not the training provider.
  Example: Chartered Director (IoD)
  Example: PRINCE2 Practitioner

A Critical Rule: Do Not Add Dates

To avoid potential age discrimination, omit the dates you achieved your qualifications. This applies to degrees, professional accreditations and certifications.

To keep your executive CV focused and effective, you should provide detailed descriptions for only your most recent four roles. Headhunters have limited attention, and this ensures they focus on your most relevant and current leadership experience.

For all positions held before these, create a separate section at the end of your career history titled "Earlier Career."

In this section, list your older roles as simple one-liners without responsibilities or achievements. The one-liner format should contain only three pieces of information:

• The date

• The name of the company

• Your job title

This method keeps your CV concise and aligned with the standard length of up to three pages for senior role applications, while still providing a complete career record.

The best CV format for senior professionals is one that is hyper-targeted to the role and highlights achievements that demonstrate real impact.

Open with a clear profile paragraph that positions you directly in line with the type of role you are pursuing, whether that is CTO, CFO, or Senior Director. Use this space to outline your value proposition and make it clear what you bring to the organisation.

Follow this with three key strength statements that align with the requirements of the role.

Add a Key Skills section, presented in two columns, using sector-relevant keywords taken from the job description.

Include a Career Highlights section, ideally with case studies structured around results, showing evidence such as driving revenue growth, delivering a successful transformation, or achieving regulatory compliance.

Next, detail your Career History, focusing on the last 10 years in reverse chronological order. Ensure each role highlights specific achievements rather than a list of duties.

Close with Education and Professional Qualifications, along with optional extras such as non-executive positions, published work, or brief recommendations.

1. Never lie
It can be tempting to exaggerate your responsibilities or qualifications, but if you are hired on false information and cannot deliver, it can end abruptly and leave a short, unhelpful role on your CV. This can damage your professional reputation. Always promote your strengths honestly.

2. Avoid adding personal interests
Listing hobbies may seem harmless, but they can create the wrong impression. For example, something like combat sports could be viewed as overly aggressive. Unless the interest is genuinely distinctive and paints you in a universally positive light, such as raising significant funds for charity, it is best left out.

3. Do not include bland or generic hobbies
Entries such as “reading” or “walking” add no value. They are common, unremarkable, and take up space that could be used for something more impactful.

4. Eliminate typos and grammar errors
At senior level, attention to detail is expected. Mistakes in grammar or spelling suggest carelessness and can undermine your professional image. Use spell check, proofreading tools, and ideally ask a trusted contact to review your CV.

1. Not tailoring your CV
This is the biggest issue. Your CV must be precisely aligned with the role you are applying for. Your profile should connect directly to the job title, your value proposition should reflect the organisation’s priorities, and your skills should mirror the key requirements in the specification. These points should then be backed up with achievements and case studies. Yet most candidates still submit generic CVs that leave recruiters and boards doing the guesswork.

2. Failing to evidence achievements
Many CVs focus only on responsibilities and duties, without proving the individual made an impact. Recruiters and decision-makers want evidence. They want to see commercial results, transformations delivered, growth achieved, and major projects led. Without this, a CV reads like a job history rather than a compelling case for appointment.

3. Minimal effort in presentation
Too many professionals throw together a CV without considering their audience. They write for themselves rather than the recruiter or hiring panel. A strong CV reflects what the reader needs to see. At senior level, this usually means two to three pages with a clear, well-structured narrative. Despite the stakes, many candidates spend less time on their CV than they would on a short report. Poor effort leads to poor results.

Bonus tip: Accuracy matters
A significant proportion of CVs contain errors. Typos and grammar slips undermine your credibility. Always proofread, use tools if needed, and have someone else review your CV. At senior level, precision is expected.

In short, no. At least not on its own.

While using AI might feel like a convenient shortcut, most hiring professionals now view it as a red flag. A survey of 625 US hiring managers found that 53 percent were less likely to hire someone who used AI in their application. In fact, 80 percent of hiring managers dislike seeing AI-generated CVs or cover letters, and 74 percent believe they can usually spot them.

Some recruiters are already filtering out AI-written CVs. Employers such as the Big Four and FTSE 100 firms have reportedly banned AI-generated applications for certain roles. Detection software is already being built into hiring systems.

The issue is that AI-written CVs typically mimic the job description. They may look tidy, but they lack substance. They often recycle generic value statements and rarely showcase authentic achievements. Even if they tick keyword boxes, they do not demonstrate real impact.

Recruiters are already voicing frustration about receiving hundreds of near-identical CVs, many generated by AI.

The only way to stand out is with a CV built on meaningful examples and tangible outcomes. Our methodology, which highlights real experience, measurable results and strategic positioning, consistently outperforms AI and DIY approaches.

One client had been struggling in the market with an AI-written CV. After adopting our approach, he secured an interview with his very first application for a senior role.

1. Contact details
Start with your name at the top, followed by your email address and telephone number.

2. Profile or summary
This should be a short paragraph of no more than eight or nine lines explaining who you are, your value proposition, and around three key strengths that are aligned with the role.

3. Key skills
Include two columns with six to eight relevant skills in each. These should mirror the requirements of the role as outlined in the job description, for example transformation, governance, stakeholder engagement, or P&L management.

4. Career highlights
List three major achievements on the front page using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Actions, Result). These should demonstrate the measurable impact you have delivered in senior roles.

5. Career history
Begin this section at the bottom of page one. Provide detail on up to four recent positions, including job title, employer, dates, responsibilities, and achievements.

6. Earlier career
Any roles older than eight to ten years should be summarised in a section called Earlier Career with only the job title, company, and dates.

7. Education and qualifications
List your academic qualifications and any relevant professional certifications or executive training.

8. Personal details
This might include languages, licences, or availability.

9. Recommendations
Instead of writing references available on request, include a short selection of recommendations or testimonials taken from your LinkedIn profile.