How to Write a Professional CV

A CV is the most important document during your search for a new opportunity, especially within the private staffing sector. You are going to be working very closely to the homeowners, and potentially other members of staff. For this reason, your CV should highlight that you are an excellent team player who is able to remain professional and polite at all times. 

A CV is a principal’s first impression of you, so make it count! A CV must inform and sell, this is your shop window! At the top write a short but clear profile so that the reader can see the benefit of reading on. Never put what YOU want but what YOU CAN GIVE to the employer.

What should you include in your CV?

There are some general rules which all CV’s should follow, particularly when working within a private household as a butler, housekeeper, nanny, couple or any other domestic role:

  • The CV should be no longer than 2 pages long (3 maximum if you have a lot of year of experience!)

  • The CV should be written in a clear font, at text size 12 to make it easy-to-read

  • Use bullet points to emphasise and describe your employment history 

  • The design of the CV should be simple, effective, and easy to scan through

  • You should modify your CV to fit the role you are applying for. i.e. If you're applying for a housekeeping/chef role, make sure you emphasise your experience within this role.

It’s also worth remembering that in the family office and private household recruitment process, you may undergo an entire interview process with a PA or chief of staff before the principal gets involved. This makes your CV twice as important, as it can make or break your chances – after the interview process!

You want your CV to be quick and easy to read, so the recruiter is able to gather necessary intel. While the bullet points should be short and simple, make sure to make each point as in depth as possible. You can do this by cutting out unnecessary information and focus on your key skills and experience. Don’t generalise, you need to outline what you actually did in the role to ensure you stand out from the crowd.

For example, if you’ve experience as a housekeeper, you may want to include the following examples of your duties:

  • Assisted in the planning and preparation of meals, including grocery shopping, meal prep, cooking, serving, and cleanup.

  • Provided personal care to residents as needed such as bathing, dressing, grooming

  • Maintained a clean environment by performing light housekeeping duties such as dusting furniture and surfaces; vacuuming carpets; cleaning bathrooms; washing dishes; etc.

Housekeeping, for example, will differ from role to role depending on the residence, the principals and the size of the team. This is the same for every household role and so make sure you specify your duties so that those in charge of hiring know what you are capable of.

Confidentiality

You should maintain confidentiality when writing your CV, especially as a member of private staff. You can do this by refraining from including any personal information regarding your previous employment, as the only information you should include is the dates of employment, a summary of your duties, any specific achievements and your strengths. 

You should not criticise your previous employer, as this will reflect negatively on yourself. 

When it comes to providing references, it is likely you will be asked for them as it is as important part of the vetting for any role, but even more so when you are working in someone’s home. You will be asked for a minimum of 2 references but you do not have to provide them up front on your CV< you can provide them later.

When writing your CV the most important thing to remember is what the employer will be looking for. If you can keep that in mind it will help your chances of getting that dream job.

Beauchamp Partners Private Staff Agency have some great roles; everything from live in housekeepers to live out nannies, butlers to couple jobs. Contact us on info@beauchamppartners.co.uk or call us +44(0)207 259 6999.

If you’re looking for housekeeper jobs or nanny jobs, then look no further than Beauchamp Partners.

To talk to one of our team about hiring a member of private or domestic staff for your home contact us on +44 (0) 20 7259 6999 or email info@beauchamppartners.co.uk

Debbie Gray