CV headline (99 examples + guidance)

You’ve probably heard that your CV needs a good headline in order to impress recruiters and encourage them to read your CV.

But what exactly is a CV headline, and how do you write a good one?

This guide will explain everything you need to know, and also includes 90 CV headline examples to help you get started.

 

 

What is a CV headline?

A CV headline (or title) is the very first sentence of your CV, and is intended to be a one line summary of what you can offer an employer.

 

 

It is a short punchy line that demonstrates your most important skills and experience, to reel readers in and make them notice your CV.

 

CV templates 

 

Why write a CV headline?

Recruiters and hiring managers see hundreds of CVs every day, and sometimes they will miss the good ones if they don’t capture their attention immediately.

So having a short sentence that proves your suitability for their vacancy at the  top of your CV, is the perfect way to ensure nobody skips past your CV.

A good CV headline will prove that you are a strong candidate within seconds of somebody reading your CV, which will lead to more responses and interviews for you.

 

CV headline examples

Summarising all of your skills and experience into one powerful sentence can be very challenging.

So, check out these example CV headlines for all industries and experience levels for inspiration and guidance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to write a CV headline

The job market can be competitive, and when you’re up against a lot of talented candidates, you need to do everything you can to stand out. A punchy and engaging headline is the perfect way to show the reader you’re the ideal candidate.

To do this, you should do the following…

 

Research your target jobs

You need to start by identifying the type of role you’d like to pursue. The job titles may vary slightly from company to company, but you need a good understanding of the job role you hope to secure.

Then, you can begin carrying out some research on the key industry and job requirements.

Looking at online advice and similar job descriptions, you can start to make a list of the most desirable skills, qualifications and experience that your particular role requires. You can then use these keywords in your headline (and throughout your CV) to highlight that you’re a good fit.

 

Keep it short and sweet

Sitting within your profile or personal statement, your headline plays a very important role early on in your CV. If done right, it will grab the recruiter’s attention and encourage them to keep reading the rest of your application. It gives the reader a chance to start building a good first impression of you within seconds, and given that recruiters are busy people, this is crucial.

Though it may be tempting to try and cram in as much information as you can about why you’re so great, the perfect headline must be informative whilst also being short and sweet. So, our advice would be to keep your headline to just one punchy sentence, ideally no more than 10-12 words.

Quick tip: You can save space and add some design flair to your CV by adding some icons to symbolise the contact details in your header (These are automatically added in our quick-and-easy CV Builder)

 

Tailor to your applications

Tailoring your CV to each job you apply for helps to highlight how your key skills and experience match the specific role being advertised. It also shows employers you’re serious about working for them.

And the same rules apply to your CV headline.

No matter how many jobs you’re applying for, you must create a new headline for each role. This is so that it carefully reflects the skills, qualifications and/or experience the employer is asking for.

This shows that you’re a good fit for the position and that you’ve done your research, boosting your chances of securing an interview.

 

Highlight your highest level of achievement

Your achievements are testimony to your skills, abilities and commitment to your career. Therefore, including your highest level of achievement in your headline gives recruiters an early indication of your impressive skills and accomplishments.

This can also be a great way to stand out from the crowd and differentiate yourself from other candidates.

Remember, your headline is your chance to grab the recruiter’s attention, so don’t water this down with any old fact about yourself – shoot for the stars! Put your biggest and best accomplishment first to really grab their interest and encourage them to keep reading.

 

Add some numbers

Showcasing your achievements by including figures helps the recruiter to understand in a quantifiable way how you’ve added real value to businesses in the past.

This applies throughout your CV but can be particularly attention-grabbing in your headline.

For example, you can quickly prove you have the required amount of experience by saying ‘over 6 years in the industry’. Or perhaps you can show your results by adding ‘proven track record of surpassing monthly targets by 45%’.

So wherever you can, you should try to use specific figures to showcase your skills, but definitely try to get some in your headline.

 

Avoid clichés

Finally, as we’ve said multiple times, your headline is your chance to stand out, so if you resort to using cliché CV terms, it will be a big mistake.

Recruiters are bored of the same overused phrases that don’t really provide any information about you or your skills.

After all, anyone can write that they are a ‘hard worker’ or ‘team player’, but it’s far better to demonstrate why you are these things through key achievements, skills and figures.

This makes it much easier for the recruiter to see why you’re a strong candidate and means they won’t be bored by your application.