At senior level a CV is read by a person, usually against a specific role, and in well under a minute. These notes cover what reviewers across the built environment tell us they look for, and how to make the document easy for them to read. The short version is also available as a six-slide guide to download.
What to include
There is no page rule. Let the career set the length, and always include scale, value, project type, job title and responsibilities. Organise each role around the key skill groups, such as stakeholder management, business leadership and functional leadership, and show how you carried them out and what you delivered. Reviewers are reading for scale: team size, budget or revenue held, divisions covered and the overall value of the projects you worked on.
How a reviewer reads it
Reviewers make three passes, in this order. The first is for clarity: roles, employers and dates should be unambiguous at a glance, and overlaps or gaps left unexplained invite the wrong questions. The second is for the detail that interests them. They want answers rather than more questions, so if there is a gap in your career, say why. Explaining the reasons behind your moves shows your trajectory and tells your story. The third is relevance. They are matching you to the role in front of them, not to your whole career, and a short cover letter makes that connection for them.
What to send alongside
Two documents carry most of the weight. For project-based careers, a single page listing projects says more than any summary: the type of project, the employer you delivered it under, duration, value and your role. Name the employer on every line so nobody has to cross-reference the CV. The cover letter should be short and written for the one role in front of you, because generic or clearly generated copy reads as disinterest.
Where AI helps
At this level your CV is read by a person, not filtered by an automated screening or applicant tracking system, so write it for a human reader rather than for keywords. AI is useful for structure. The strongest prompt is to ask it to interview you about a specific job, then have it build your CV from your answers. Then check the result three times: verify every figure, date and claim, and rewrite anything that sounds generated. Reviewers notice the voice before the content.
Key takeaways
- Write for scale: team size, value, budget and division.
- Go deep on recent roles and keep the earlier ones brief.
- Make roles, dates and reasons impossible to misread.
- A project list and a short letter carry the rest.
- Let AI interview you; never let it speak for you.
If you would like to talk your CV through, connect with us on LinkedIn or email George Dobbins (george@arcaviaconsulting.com) or Karabo Maruping (karabo@arcaviaconsulting.com) for a confidential conversation.