Senior executives not selling their accomplishments enough in their CVs, say headhunters
Top 3 most common CV mistakes by senior executives, reveals InterExec report
A new report compiled by InterExec has revealed the top three most common mistakes made by senior executives on their CV, according to headhunters, with executives apparently not selling themselves enough on their accomplishments.
Being duties-driven rather than accomplishments-driven; having a CV too long; and putting in irrelevant information have all made it to the top of the poll. In addition, the number of headhunters that said using too much jargon and lack of attention to detail were common mistakes on the CV was also significant.
The report, which was conducted by InterExec, the Confidential Agent that represents senior executives seeking positions paying £200,000 to £1m+, surveyed 100 of the top senior executive headhunters across the UK
The headhunters were asked ‘what are the top three most common mistakes made by senior executives on their CVs’:
- Duties-driven rather than accomplishments-driven – 63%
- CV length too long – 54%
- Irrelevant information – 51%
- Too much jargon / abbreviations – 35%
- Lack of attention to detail – 25%
- Lack of depth – 24%
- CV is skewed when sent as an email attachment – 11%
- Being overly arrogant – 10%
- Incorrect information – 2%
Kit Scott-Brown, managing director of InterExec, commented: “Getting your CV absolutely right is key to getting recruited into the top roles. The resumé is typically the first point of contact between the executive and the prospective employer, so it is incredibly important that it outlines the key skills and achievements clearly and to the point. Composing a CV is the first hurdle to jump before getting recruited, but many senior executives still get it wrong, which is why we are here to help.”
