10 years ago, I wrote 2 articles called ‘The Do’s and Don’ts of Sending Me Your CV’.
They were blunt. Slightly ranty in places. And very clear.
They also didn’t land…
A decade later, people are still sending me any old rubbish.
So I thought I’d try again with a refreshed version for 2026, and a few new additions that didn’t exist back then.
Let’s start with the one that refuses to die:
DON’T send me your CV if you’re copying in 10 other recruiters and opening with “Dear Everyone”.
That email tells me you’re looking for any job, anywhere, no thought behind it.
Treasury careers don’t progress like that.
DO send me your CV if you want a proper conversation about the next step in your career…
Send your CV directly, explain why you’re reaching out, and tell me what you’re actually looking for. Or better yet, go that step further…
Call Me!
Give me a buzz, we can have a chat.
The next one is still painfully common…
DON’T send me your CV if it’s completely generic, along with a generic cover letter.
How do you know it’s generic?
If I can lift your opening paragraph and paste it onto someone else’s CV without changing a word.
Overused phrases like “motivated”, “flexible”, “team player” have been meaningless for at least twenty years.
They tell me nothing about how you operate in treasury or what problems you’ve solved.
Which brings me to personal statements…
DON’T send me your CV with a personal statement.
I hated them ten years ago. I still hate them now.
The amount I read “I am a flexible, motivated individual who has great attention to detail” is genuinely shocking.
It’s even more shocking when I see detail spelt detal…🤯
Personal statements split opinion down the middle. Some readers tolerate them. Others bin the CV immediately. So that’s not a risk worth taking.
THIS IS WHAT YOUR RESUME IS THERE FOR……
It’s been my experience that whilst 50% of your readership don’t mind a Personal Statement, 50% dislike or in many cases hate it!
Great let’s flip a coin!
Heads 🪙 they think I’m OK.
Tails 🪙 I’m in the “NO” pile of paperwork
Greatttt, you’ve applied for 10 jobs in the past 3 months.
Now you know why 5 never called you for interview.
Also please note I don’t think I have ever had a client ever say.
“Mike I wish the candidate had told me a bit more about some of their generalised attributes and why they were an all-round good person!”
Your resume is there to tell me your story
DO send me your CV with a short, specific summary that makes it clear why you’re relevant to this role. Not who you are in general, but how you will solve the problem in front of the hiring manager.
Another one that hasn’t changed: tailoring.
DON’T send me your CV if you are applying for a specific role and it isn’t tailored to a role…
If you haven’t read the job description and adjusted your CV to reflect what the role actually needs, it shows.
DO send me your CV if you have read the job advert and tailored your CV to it.
Highlight where:
- Your experience relates to the position
- Your achievements intersect with the role
- You are a match to the role!
The person reading your CV wants to find the right person for the role – make it easy for them to say yes to you!
Now for 2026 onwards…
AI.
Used properly, AI can be genuinely helpful.
I’ve seen candidates use it well to review structure, tighten language, check whether their CV actually reflects what a role is asking for.
They add their CV (without personal address and contact info, of course!) and ask AI to tell them to match their CV to the role and create a list of the top 3 areas where they align. It makes it easy for the reviewer to say yes and send them through to the next round.
But used badly, it’s obvious within seconds.
DON’T send me your CV if it reads like it was written entirely by AI.
You might think it’s “polished”, but more likely it’s filled with empty language and no real substance. It gets ignored just as fast as a bad cover letter.
AI should help you clarify your experience, not invent it or smooth it into something generic.
And one important rule once again if you are using AI: don’t upload anything you wouldn’t be comfortable putting on a public noticeboard.
Strip out your contact info and confidential information. If you wouldn’t hand it to a stranger, don’t feed it into a system you don’t control.
Now, to finish up, a couple of quick-fire irritations while I’m on the topic:
- Seventeen-page CVs still land in my inbox. War and Peace has already been written. Your CV doesn’t need a sequel.
- Spelling still matters. Comb through; just hitting spellcheck isn’t always enough.
- Listing “Microsoft Office” as a skill in a senior treasury CV does you absolutely no favours. In treasury, it’s assumed. Calling it out is like saying you know how to open an email.
- If you don’t have the right to work where the role is based, or you’re applying for areas we don’t cover, no amount of clever wording will fix that.
The CVs that stand out haven’t really changed much in ten years. They’re clear. They’re targeted. They show impact. And they respect the reader’s time.
I’m still here to help people move their treasury careers forward. That part hasn’t changed either.
But if you’re going to send me your CV in 2026, please at least give it a fighting chance before you hit send.
Best regards,
Mike
P.S. If you want a look at the kind of CV I’d be happy to see land on my desk, we’ve got CV templates for six different treasury roles you can access for FREE here.
