What a headhunter actually looks for on your CV

As a headhunter, I do not select people from a CV. I shortlist by speaking to individuals, understanding their track record, motivations and the shape of their career. The CV is useful only after that conversation, when it becomes a document to support the discussion I have already had with the hiring client. Most other recruiters will work the other way round: they read the CV first to decide whether the person is worth a call. This article is written from that more common perspective, because it is still the process most candidates encounter.

The first pass

• Current job title and employer — does the level match the brief?
• Sector fit — housebuilder, contractor, housing association, consultancy or local authority. They are not interchangeable.
• Scale — units per year, turnover, team size, land bank, patch size. Numbers place you instantly.
• Tenure pattern — three moves in four years needs an explanation on the page, not in an awkward call later.
• Geography — where you actually live and how far you genuinely commute.

Write outputs, not duties

"Responsible for land acquisition in the South West" tells me nothing. "Acquired 7 sites / 640 plots in 24 months, 3 unconditional, average GDV £28m" tells me your level, your market and your credibility in one line.

Things that cost you interviews

• A personal statement full of adjectives and no evidence.
• Burying your current role on page two behind a skills matrix.
• Hiding gaps — I will find them, and the unexplained version always sounds worse than the truth.
• Ten years of early-career detail. Two lines each beyond the last decade is plenty.
• Sending a PDF named 'CV final v4 (2) updated.pdf'. Use Firstname-Surname-Job-Title.pdf.

Two pages for most roles, three at director level. If a hiring manager has to work to understand you, they move to the next CV — and there is always a next CV.