Writing a CV for PA, EA and household roles: what we look for
We read hundreds of CVs a month. The ones that get a call share a few habits that take an hour to adopt.
A CV for a support role has one job: to make a consultant or principal want to talk to you. It is not a record of everything you have done. Here is what works.
Structure
- Name, location, contact details, right to work. Put right to work at the top; it is the first thing we check for international roles.
- A four-line profile. Who you are, the level you support at, the sectors you know, what you want next. No adjectives you could not prove in an interview.
- Experience, most recent first. Employer (or “UHNW family, Mayfair” for private roles), dates, title, and four to six bullets per role.
- Skills and languages. Software, languages with fluency levels, licences and certificates.
- Education and qualifications. Briefly.
Two pages is right for most candidates. Three is acceptable at Chief of Staff level.
What to put in the bullets
Describe scope and outcomes, not duties. “Managed the diary” tells us nothing; “Managed the diary of a CEO across London, New York and Dubai, including a 40-person leadership offsite and quarterly board cycle” tells us everything. For private roles, describe the household without identifying it: number of residences, size of the team, travel, children’s ages.
What to leave out
- A photograph, unless the role is in a market where it is customary
- Your date of birth or marital status
- Referees’ names and numbers; “available on request” is fine
- Generic skills lists (“team player”, “hard-working”)
- Anything that identifies a previous principal
Discretion on paper
Candidates from private households sometimes worry that they cannot say anything. You can. “Private PA to a UHNW family with homes in London and the Riviera” is both discreet and informative. If in doubt, ask your consultant before you send.
One CV, lightly tailored
Keep a master CV and adjust the profile and the order of bullets for each role. Do not rewrite your history to match a job description; interviewers notice, and so do we.
When you are ready, register your CV. We review every one and will tell you honestly how it reads.