CVs, Bios, Motivation Letters

Crafting your CVs, Bios & Profiles, Motivation Letters

Your CV

A unique, strategic statement of who you are, where you’ve been, and where you want to go.

The stakes are high and you only have one shot: Your CV has to cut through the crowded job market, and stand out among all the others competing for the same job. It should be a concise narrative of your professional life, that tells the story of your achievements and strengths, and your goals.

Whether you are starting out, upskilling, reskilling, or doing a wholesale pivot, you're at a turning point in your professional trajectory. Your message needs to land. And you only have one shot.

What’s wrong with most CVs

Complaints from busy recruiters: boring lists, generic, impersonal, inauthentic, fake….

‘It’s too long and wordy and difficult to navigate'

The CV has not been properly structured to foreground the most important messaging and effectively summarise key achievements.

‘I’m reading a very boring list of tasks and duties’

The CV is largely a long and undifferentiated bullet list of tasks or deliverables that don’t answer to the job description.

'But where’s the person here?'

AI-generated CVs fail to communicate an authentic voice. The effect is a fake, generic, and often inaccurate document that is likely to land on the reject pile.

What recruiters want to see

Concise and convincing person-to-person communication

They want to sense the living, breathing human being that you are.

A sense of the impact you made in a particular position

Not what you did, but the effect of your contributions in the workplace.

An accurate and targeted response to a job description

This captures your suitability overall to meet specific requirements.

What’s wrong

Complaints from busy recruiters: boring lists, generic, impersonal, inauthentic, fake….

How I help you find your unique edge for your CV to land

I’m an accomplished writer and editor; and an excellent listener, and reader of people. I can help you transform your CV into a polished and professional product that you send out with confidence and pride.

I can help you to craft your CV so that it:

reads as a vibrant and concise narrative

conveys your authentic voice and personality

showcases your strengths and articulates your goals

demonstrates the impact of your achievements and expertise

How we work together: It’s simple and efficient

1 I prepare

I read your existing documents and prepare for the most important part of the process: the call.

3 I write the first draft

I integrate what emerges from our conversation into a new version.

5 I do the fine-tuning

You now have an authentic and impressive-looking document that gives you the edge recruiters are looking for.

2 We talk

During a 45-60 minute conversation, I find out who you are, where you’ve been, and where you want to go. It’s amazing how something you might have omitted or glossed over may turn out to be an impressive selling point! (A past internship or voluntary activity can say a lot about you.)

4 You give me feedback

I incorporate your feedback into the final version.

Related products

Sharpening your profile

This is a concise summary of your professional and personal trajectory, where you have some freedom to express your wider goals and interests. You craft strategic and targeted messages and invite engagement with others.

Bio

Making it flexible for different platforms

Your bio is a snapshot of your key professional achievements and impact. It shows where you fit into the company structure and the value that you bring. You can also use it for other platforms and purposes: job boards, conferences, podcasts.

Motivation letter

Talking to the job description

This complements your CV and is equally important. It must be a well-crafted, granular response to a job description. It demonstrates your understanding of the specific requirements and how you are able to meet them.

What my clients say

"I thought the process and outcome were great overall! Catherine gave me several excellent ideas to improve the language of my website bio and CV, rethinking (and helping rewrite) existing language that was long overdue for a revamp (notably, the description of my achievements in my present job) —not something I had been paying any attention to …. I greatly appreciate Catherine’s prompt responses and her willingness to engage in a little bit of back and forth around the thornier parts of the work. Thank you so much!"