How to Optimise Your Executive CV for Covid-19 Job Hunting

In this guest article from TopCV, the experts explain how to optimise your executive CV for Covid-19 job hunting.

Covid-19 has disrupted the UK jobs market. Whilst many struggling businesses have placed staff on furlough, many that closed their doors had no option but to let staff go.

Rest assured that even though the unemployment rate is on the rise, the jobs market is moving and there are many industries still thriving. If you’re looking for a new role, here’s how to optimise your CV for a Covid-19 job hunt.

Consider the role requirements

We understand that you can’t afford to remain out of work for long, but we heavily advise that you don’t apply for every vacancy that looks marginally appropriate, especially with c-suite roles.

You need to show prospective employers that you are the person they are looking for. With this in mind, read the job description thoroughly to ensure you are a good match. If so, extract keywords and phrases and pepper them naturally throughout your CV. The inclusion of relevant terminology will show the recruiter that you are a fit and tailoring your CV in this way will give you an immediate advantage over your competition.

Add a Key Skills section

Since you are senior-leadership level, you will have plenty of desirable skills in your arsenal worth shouting about. To make an immediate impact, consider adding a Key Skills section underneath your personal statement.

Bullet point between six and 10 of your most impressive selling points, including skills, abilities and achievements related to your industry, level of seniority and, of course, the vacancy. Since recruiters spend an average of six seconds reviewing an application, introducing a section for core skills to the top third of your CV packs a punch that will persuade them to keep reading.

Give weight to your abilities with quantifiable evidence

As you delve into the experience section of your CV, avoid writing it as a job description by simply listing your main duties and responsibilities. Instead, use achievement-based statements that demonstrate your accomplishments. This is incredibly important for executive professionals as the stakes are even higher for you – the recruiter has lofty expectations.

To make the sell, support each achievement with tangible evidence. Prospective employers love when applicants use numbers and statistics on their CVs because they are easy to digest and instantly quantify one's abilities. For example: 'Developed and implemented a contract renewal workflow that increased client retention by 66%'.

Highlight your management and leadership skills

Chances are businesses are hiring for senior management during Covid-19 because they desperately need support. You need to show the HR manager that you are the person they need to swoop in.

Demonstrate your solid leadership and management skills throughout your CV. Core management skills are derived from five main areas: planning, organisation, coordinating, directing and oversight. Touch on these skills where possible and you’ll stand a stronger chance of beating other applicants because you’ll prove you’re a safe and reliable pair of hands.

Stakes are high during a Covid-19 job hunt, and there is no room for errors. So, it may be worth investing in the help from a professional CV writer to assist with your CV production. Plus, if they can free you from writing your CV, you then have more time to invest in other elements of your job search, such as networking.

Laura Slingo is a regular contributor to TopCV, the leading CV-writing service in the world. TopCV offers a range of CV-writing services including expertly written and keyword-optimised CVs, cover letters and LinkedIn profiles. Request a free CV review today  to find out if your executive CV is worthy of a leadership role.