When applying for a role, the ultimate goal is to create a CV that resonates directly with the hiring executive. This isn’t about following outdated norms or creating a generic document which conforms and is mediocre; nor is it about dramatic design. It’s about tailoring your CV's content to reflect your deep understanding of the vacant role’s purpose, the company’s needs, and the measurable impact you can bring. As an experienced manager and executive, you should have the skills to run a project, based on research and you'll have written hundreds of reports. A CV or resume is no different - it is a statement of your abilities based on evidence with a clear "Minto style" approach.
Below, we break down the process of writing a CV that doesn’t just land on a pile—it lands you on the shortlist.
1. Write Your CV as If You’re the Hiring Exec The first step is a shift in perspective. Whenever we were hiring for a senior role and picked up a resume, instinctively we thought about whether this candidate measured up to the incumbent. We wanted the candidate to be perfect and this meant we approached each optimistically, scanning the lines for familiar comments and terms. The biggest issue as a company leader is a missing functional leader - you lose sleep over a bad CFO or CTO, and your board will always ask progress. Consider your application a pitch to solve that problem.
Therefore, think like the hiring executive and allow them to imagine you in the role:
Why is this role being hired? What problem are they trying to solve? What outputs do they need from the role? What challenges do they face? Budget constraints, KPIs, market competition? How does this role fit into their strategy? For senior positions, it’s not just about doing tasks—it’s about delivering impact at a strategic level. Key Action : Play "opposition." Put yourself in their shoes and write your CV as a response to their biggest concerns. Don't answer the questions above directly, but allow your CV to address them and very little beyond them. We really didn't care if the CFO applicant loved Tolstoy and ponies, but we cared if he unlocked trapped profits from withholding tax in difficult jurisdictions. These were solutions he could bring immediately and even if we got the overall hire wrong in the long term, this benefit covered the cost of the mistake.
2. Ignore Old Rules: Content Over Convention Forget the old-fashioned “rules” that limit CVs to one or two pages. For senior positions, where achievements are critical, being concise doesn’t mean leaving out important details. A compelling three-page CV is better than a lightweight, overly simplistic one.
How to Structure Your CV :Page One : This is an advert for you. Define yourself.Skip the generic introduction or summary. Jump straight into your two most recent roles. Highlight the companies you worked for, their challenges before you joined, and your measurable achievements. Numbers, statistics, all should be directly applicable to the end result - cash. If you are applying for a role with serious people management, make sure that you recognise their concern about the size of the team or the culture or nationality under your potential remit. This is the only time you would need to highlight that you managed a specific number of people. Subsequent Pages :Detail earlier roles to show pedigree and best practices, but focus on relevance to the job at hand. Include only results-oriented descriptions. Avoid listing duties. 3. Make the Front Page an Advert Think of your resume’s front page as a billboard for your achievements. The hiring exec is likely skimming through dozens of applications. Grab their attention by leading with impact by which they can define you:
How to Lead with Impact :Highlight the Two Most Recent Roles :Provide context about the companies. Are they well-known? If not, explain their size, industry, and challenges. Don't presume that your former employer carries weight. Certain companies offer overweight influence on future careers (see the article on our catalyst score below). If you think that Google or McKinsey are impressive, remember that they are large enough now to make you a commoditized alumnus who has worked in a silo. Likewise, a direct competitor will come with reputational baggage. Focus on Transformation :What was the company’s situation before you joined? How did your work improve their position? Use measurable KPIs. Don't be scared of being confident and precise, and be prepared to answer detail when you get into the interview. This is the most important part of your CV: why did your former company hire you and what |lift and shift" successes can you bring? Don't be scared of saying you were hands on. Today's culture is less about forming strategy at the CEO level as it is about executing it. We all were involved in individual sales, marketing campaigns, PR, even the UX of our sites. Each impacted revenues and that's the C-Suite's only language. Eliminate Fluff :Avoid introductions and personal statements. Let your achievements speak for themselves. Be known as the "candidate who did X". Real example which landed the CEO role (names and data changed):
Chief Executive Officer, FinTech ABC December 2020 – May 2024
Grew gross revenue 30X from $5M in FY 2019 to $150M in FY 2021, and net revenue 40X from $2.5M to $100M in the same period.Expanded client base by over 4,000% between 2019 and 2023 across all group brands. I was involved daily with acquisition, retention, sales and expansion.Rebuilt the organization, scaling headcount from 100 to over 500, including directly hiring and onboarding the C-Suite: CFO, HR Director, Chief of Staff, CMO, and Head of VIP Sales.
Notes:
"headhunted" shows that a previous board had confidence in the candidate, who came from an even earlier success, and were ultimately proven right. Being very specific about "gross" and "net" revenue demonstrates intimate familiarity with two different KPIs, and allows the reader to fill in the gaps between the multiples of growth. The order of the points also reflects the CEO's priorities: revenues to save the business, client base to keep growing, and team to follow his lead.
4. Use Bullet Points Effectively Bullet points are your chance to present dense information in an easily digestible format. For each role, aim for no more than four tight bullet points that:
Quantify your results with specific numbers. Reflect the KPIs of the role you’re applying for. Demonstrate outcomes that can be directly tied to revenue or measurable success. Example for a more junior role (VP/director level):
Head of Digital, FinTech DEF (MENA) July 2023 – Present
FinTech DEF is a boutique brokerage specializing in tailored solutions for Arabic VIP clients. Headhunted to design and implement client engagement and retention strategies to improve long-term customer value, while keeping monthly cohorts on a positive ROI trend. I successfully managed to achieve this despite fierce competition from billion-dollar multinational incumbents.
Built the client lifecycle framework from scratch, integrating automated bonus systems, custom retention campaigns, and in-depth analytics tools.Drove a 2.5X increase in reactivated user numbers, with reactivations accounting for 25% of monthly active users (MAU) by Year 2.Achieved a 2X growth in active client numbers while cutting CPA by 30% and reducing the overall budget by 25%.Directed a newly established cross-functional CRM team of five, delivering high-impact communications across onboarding flows, market updates, and retention newsletters in nine languages.
Notes:
This CV is much more detailed and hands-on. It highlights a broad range of technical and marketing capabilities without jargon. The fact that the Head of Digital "built" a client lifecycle and "directed a newly established" CRM team indicates that they brought in skills and procedures that were absent or unused in the company prior to their arrival. The juxtaposition of increased growth with reduced budgets makes the reader double check the line, catching their attention after a long morning of bad meetings or another boring plane trip.
Tools to Build a Strategic CV Writing a CV for a senior role requires research and precision. Here’s how to make your CV stand out:
1. AI for Analysis, not AI tools write in the same way a BBC newsreader speaks English: perfect but unnatural. Don't expect a "press and print" CV to inspire anyone. Use AI tools to analyze job adverts:What are the KPIs? What pain points is the hiring exec trying to solve? Research previous holders of the role by using AI to search the web and summarize:What are they doing now? What successes or failures are highlighted on their profiles? Do they have any IP registered or have they written any papers? 2. LinkedIn Investigate the profiles of previous and current role holders.What do they post about? How do they describe their achievements? Look for patterns in their skills or measurable successes. Know the competition, because you're likely to see your competitors in the interview list. 3. Direct Communication Write the CV yourself to maintain a personal connection with the hiring exec. Write a CV for an audience of one - the person who needs the role filled. Tailor it to directly address the job’s needs. Avoid generic templates or language. Speak to the company’s unique situation and challenges.
Your CV as a Problem-Solving Document A compelling CV doesn’t just list your experience. It shows the hiring exec that you understand their problem and that you’re the solution because it's the start of a dialogue between you. By approaching your CV strategically, focusing on measurable achievements, and using research tools effectively, you’ll create a document that stands out—and lands a place on the short list.
Remember: your CV isn’t about you. It’s about what you can do for them.
.gif)
