Stop Underselling Yourself: A Practical Guide to Writing a Stronger CV
By Akriti Ghai, Founder, M&A Talent Scout · 9 June 2026 · 8 min read
A CV isn’t a list of responsibilities — it’s a test of judgement.
In Finance Transformation, Core Finance, and increasingly Tech‑enabled roles, your CV is often the first indication of how you solve problems, communicate value, and create impact. The candidates who stand out aren’t always the most experienced — they’re the ones who present their experience with clarity, relevance, and commercial impact.
The sections below outline what strong CVs include, what weakens them, and how to position your experience more effectively in today's market.
Your experience may open the door, but how you present it often determines whether you get through it.
Build the Foundation: What Every CV Should Include
Before focusing on specialist skills or career progression, every CV should get these fundamentals right.
1. Clear Job Titles
Internal job titles don't always translate well externally. If your title is unique to your organisation, consider adding a market-aligned equivalent to provide clarity.
💡Example: If your internal title is Finance Partner II, consider adding a more recognisable market title such as Finance Business Partner (Finance Partner II).
2. Quantified Achievements
Numbers cut through noise.
💡Example: Replace "Improved controls" with measurable outcomes such as "Reduced control exceptions by 30% through redesigned reconciliation processes" or "Delivered €1.2m in annual savings through a P2P process improvement initiative."
3. Technical Depth
IFRS, GAAP, financial modelling, controls, audit, SOX and consolidation tools - If it’s not listed, we assume you don’t have it.
💡Example: Highlight specific expertise such as "Advanced financial modelling, IFRS 15 and IFRS 16 reporting, SOX controls testing, and OneStream consolidation and reporting."
4. Stakeholder Influence
Show where you influenced decisions, challenged assumptions, or or helped drive alignment — not simply that you "worked with stakeholders".
💡Example: "Partnered with Finance, IT and Transformation leaders to shape the automation roadmap, influencing investment decisions and delivery priorities across multiple workstreams."
5. Role Context
Include company size, sector, reporting lines, team structure - Without context, achievements lose weight.
💡Example: "Finance Analyst within a €3bn multinational retail business, reporting to the Head of FP&A and supporting budgeting, forecasting and performance reporting across multiple business units."
Think of these as the building blocks of your CV. Everything else becomes more effective when these foundations are in place.
Level Up: What to Add If You Work in Tech or Digital Finance
This section is for candidates whose roles involve systems, automation, data, cloud, analytics, or digital transformation. If technology plays a role in your work, make sure your CV reflects it.
1. Automation Experience
UiPath, Alteryx, Power Automate, RPA. Show what you automated and the impact.
💡 Example: "Designed and implemented an automated reconciliation workflow using Alteryx, reducing manual effort and improving the accuracy and consistency of month-end reporting."
2. Data Skills
SQL, Python, Power BI, Tableau, Snowflake. Even foundational proficiency is valuable.
💡Example: "Developed Power BI dashboards for senior leadership, providing real-time visibility into financial performance and reducing reliance on manual reporting packs."
3. ERP Implementation Exposure
SAP S/4HANA, Oracle Cloud, Workday. Include phases: design, testing, UAT, data migration.
💡Example: "Supported the implementation of SAP S/4HANA across finance workstreams, including requirements gathering, UAT coordination, defect resolution and cutover activities."
4. Digital Risk and Controls
Access management, segregation of duties, system controls.
💡Example: "Enhanced system control frameworks by reviewing user access, segregation of duties and approval workflows to strengthen governance and reduce operational risk."
5. Cloud Familiarity
Where relevant to your role, include exposure to cloud platforms such as Azure, AWS or GCP, particularly if you've supported reporting, systems, data or transformation initiatives.
💡Example: "Collaborated with technology teams on the migration of finance reporting and data processes to Azure, supporting improved scalability, accessibility and reporting performance."
As finance functions become increasingly digital, candidates who can combine financial expertise with technology and transformation experience are often the ones who stand out.
What to Delete: The Fastest Ways to Undermine Your CV
These are the things that weaken a CV instantly — and the examples show exactly what they look like in real life.
1. Responsibility Lists That Read Like Job Descriptions
We want outcomes, not tasks.
💡 Less Effective: "Responsible for preparing monthly reports."
💡 Stronger Alternative: "Produced monthly reporting packs for senior leadership, providing insights into performance and key business trends."
2. Soft Skills With No Evidence
“Team player”, “self‑starter”, “strong communicator” — these are opinions, not achievements.
💡 Less Effective: "I am a strong communicator."
💡 Stronger Alternative: "Presented financial performance updates to senior stakeholders and supported decision-making through clear analysis and recommendations."
3. Long Paragraphs
If we can’t skim it, we won’t read it.
💡 Less Effective: A lengthy paragraph describing every responsibility and task.
💡 Stronger Alternative: Short, focused bullet points that highlight achievements, impact and key responsibilities.
4. Irrelevant Early‑Career Detail
Earlier career experience can often be summarised unless it remains directly relevant to the roles you're targeting.
💡 Less Effective: "Customer Service Assistant – full list of duties and responsibilities."
💡 Stronger Alternative: "Earlier career experience in customer service and administration roles (2010–2014)."
5. Personal Information
Not needed in the Irish/UK market.
💡 Less Effective: "Married, two children, full address, date of birth."
💡 Stronger Alternative: Name, phone number, email address and LinkedIn profile.
6. Buzzwords Without Substance
If you can’t prove it, remove it.
💡 Less Effective: "Experienced finance professional with a proven track record of success."
💡 Stronger Alternative: "Finance professional with experience supporting budgeting, forecasting and performance reporting within multinational organisations."
What Makes a CV Stand Out to a Specialist Recruiter
1. Commercial Intelligence
Hiring managers buy outcomes, not activity. Your CV should show how you improved accuracy, speed, controls, decision‑making, or cost.
2. Progression
We look for increasing scope, complexity, and influence. Progression doesn't always mean promotions — it can also mean larger projects, broader responsibilities, or greater stakeholder exposure. A flat CV raises questions.
3. Structured for Speed
Recruiters skim first, read second. A strong CV is easy to navigate, clearly structured and designed to communicate key information quickly.
4. Positions You for the Role You Want
Your CV should sound like someone ready for the next step — not someone stuck in the last one. Focus on demonstrating the skills, responsibilities and impact that align with where you want to go next.
A Recruiter‑Approved CV Structure
There is no single "perfect" CV format, but the strongest CVs are typically built around these core sections.
Final Word
A CV is a strategic document.
It should be intentional, commercially aware, and aligned to the roles you want — not a historical archive of everything you’ve ever done.
The goal isn't to tell people everything you've done. It's to make it easy for them to understand why it matters.
Exploring your next finance move in Ireland? Submit your CV for a confidential conversation.
Building your finance team? Get in touch to discuss your hiring needs.
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