Business CV samples (and tips for writing a corporate CV)

If you want to pursue a rewarding career, with many different role options, you might want to work in a business-related role. Having a good business CV is essential, as it can allow you to reach the interview stage and improve your chances of securing a new role. Looking at examples of business CVs can help you to create your own, which you can then use to apply for corporate roles. In this article, we explain what a business CV is, look at some business CV samples and review some tips for writing an effective corporate CV.

What is a business CV?

A business CV is a professional document that candidates use to apply for business-related roles. Business roles are positions within an organisation that take their name from the particular function that they perform. In most cases, candidates submit CVs for these roles alongside a supporting document, such as a cover letter or recommendation letter. In a business CV, you'd typically find the following information:

• contact details

• professional summary

• work experience

• education, including any relevant certifications

• skills

Business CV samples and section explanations

Below are some business CV samples, which include an explanation of each CV section and an example of how you can write it:

Contact details

In the CV's header, ensure that you include your contact details so that hiring managers can contact you when there's an update on your application. Including these details in the document's header is a great way of maximising the space in your CV, which allows you to include as much relevant information as possible. When creating your header, make sure that you include your most recent telephone number and email address, along with your location. You can also include a link to your portfolio or website if it's relevant to the role to which you're applying.

Example:
John Smith
0712345678 | john.smith.engineer@email.com | London

Professional summary

After writing your contact details, effective business CVs normally then have a professional summary. The aim of this section is to summarise your career, key achievements and professional ambitions in a short paragraph. This allows the hiring manager to quickly establish what your skills are and whether you have sufficient experience for the role.

When writing a professional summary, the most vital part of this process involves focusing on information density. This means ensuring that you convey as much information as possible within a very tight word limit. To do this, focus on the keywords and skills in the job description, as this demonstrates that you have a clear understanding of what the position entails and how your existing career is appropriate for the role's responsibilities and requirements. A professional summary is the hiring manager's introduction to who you are, so getting this section right is key to creating a positive first impression.

Example:
Professional Summary
A professional technical engineer with over 10 years of experience in engineering. Has experience in electrical and mechanical engineering, alongside having received training in mechanical design. Possesses a portfolio with over 150 completed projects in the past five years.

Work experience

This is arguably the most vital section of a business CV, so it typically comes after the professional summary section. In this section, write the job title for each role you've held, followed by the employer's name, location and your employment start and end dates. Then, list your responsibilities and key achievements for each position. When doing this, aim for five points for your most recent or current role and three points for your other experiences.

Alongside this, start each point with a verb and write in the present tense for your current or most recent role and in the past tense for your other positions. In your bullet points, aim to write as concisely as possible. It's also a good idea to look at the job description for the role that you're applying for, as this can help you to phrase your responsibilities in a similar way, alongside indicating the appropriate tone to use when writing these sections.

Example:
Work Experience

Project Leader
Functional Systems Ltd, London, Oct 2018–Current

• Lead liaison with key clients and customers

• Manage a team of engineers on larger projects for multinational clients

• Select project team members

• Negotiate with suppliers and contractors

• Ensure projects progress on schedule and within budget

Mechanical Engineer
BANAT Engineering, London, Apr 2010–Oct 2018

• Designed components and completed fabrication processes

• Worked closely with clients, including airports and airlines on briefs

• Led several engineering projects

Related: Writing a CV with no experience

Education

When writing a business CV, it's equally vital to include a section that outlines your education and any relevant certifications. While having plenty of industry experience is great for business roles, some of these positions require specific qualifications as this ensures that the candidate has acquired the necessary skills and knowledge to perform the role. In this section, ensure that you mention the names of your qualifications, alongside the institution's name, the date you obtained the qualification and your grades.

Alongside this, it's a good idea to place your most relevant qualification at the top of this section so that the hiring manager can quickly assess your suitability for the role. If you have several years of industry experience, alongside advanced postgraduate qualifications, you may want to omit your secondary education to save space, unless the job description states any GCSE and A-level requirements.

Example:
Education
GCSEs (12 A*-C) and A-levels (3 A-B)
The Mitchell Academy, Loughborough

BSc in mechanical engineering, first
A.S.S.T.E University, Geneva

MSc in mechanical engineering, merit
A.S.S.T.E University, Geneva

Skills

In this section, it's vital that you mention the skills that are relevant to the position to which you're applying. To ascertain this, consider looking at the job description to see what skills they're looking for and mention the ones that you possess.

You can also think about speaking to other professionals that work in this role, by reaching out to them on professional social networking sites, to gain an understanding of the required skills to succeed in this role. When presenting this information on your CV, try to write it in a way that enables hiring managers to skim read, such as by separating each skill with a pipe.

Example:
Skills
Teamwork | Communication | Understanding of engineering concepts | Problem-solving | Creative thinking

Related: 11 top job skills: transferable skills for any industry

Business CV example

Here is the completed CV:

John Smith
0712345678 | john.smith.engineer@email.com | London

Professional Summary
A professional technical engineer with over 10 years of experience in engineering. Has experience in electrical and mechanical engineering, alongside having received training in mechanical design. Possesses a portfolio with over 150 completed projects in the past five years.

Work Experience
Project Leader
Functional Systems Ltd, London, Oct 2018–Current

• Lead liaison with key clients and customers

• Manage a team of engineers on larger projects for multinational clients

• Select project team members

• Negotiate with suppliers and contractors

• Ensure projects progress on schedule and within budget

Mechanical Engineer
BANAT Engineering, London, Apr 2010–Oct 2018

• Designed components and completed fabrication processes

• Worked closely with clients, including airports and airlines on briefs

• Led several engineering projects

Education
GCSEs (12 A*-C) and A-levels (3 A-B)
The Mitchell Academy, Loughborough

BSc in mechanical engineering, first
A.S.S.T.E University, Geneva

MSc in mechanical engineering, merit
A.S.S.T.E University, Geneva

Skills
Teamwork | Communication | Understanding of engineering concepts | Problem-solving | Creative thinking

Tips for writing an effective corporate CV

Below, you can find some helpful tips that can help you to write an effective corporate CV:

Consider your career

Before writing your CV, carefully consider your career path. During this process, examine your previous roles, including your responsibilities and achievements in each position, and the key skills you used to perform these roles. This allows you to gain a comprehensive understanding of your career and present the most vital information to the hiring organisation, which helps you to effectively demonstrate your suitability for the role.

Related: 6 universal rules for writing your CV

Read the job description

As with any CVs, it's vital that you read the job description and similar job descriptions before applying for a business-related role. This allows you to understand the specific responsibilities of the role you're applying for and the typical skills that those who work in this role possess. By doing this, you can also identify the keywords and phrases to mention in your CV, which improves your chances of hiring managers taking an interest in your CV and increases the likelihood of your application passing any automated screening tests.

Select the most relevant points

Ideally, you want your CV to be no more than two pages long, with the most vital information presented on the first page. When writing your CV, aim to present your most relevant career information clearly and concisely. This is vital as hiring managers often read through hundreds of CVs for a single vacancy, so you want to make it as easy as possible for them to skim read the document and find the relevant details.

If you submit a CV that's too long and unclear, a hiring manager may overlook your CV, even if you have the correct credentials and experience.

Related:

• Guide: what type of paper should a CV be printed on?