Building Teams and Leading Growth: Why the Strongest CV in the Pile Is Rarely the Most Polished

This week, I am sharing a few thoughts on CVs and applications across LinkedIn.

This is written mainly for candidates, but if you are hiring, it is a useful window into what actually separates a strong application from a polished one.

The CV: polish no longer sets you apart; evidence does

AI has changed what a CV looks like. Anyone can now produce a clean layout, tuned to the exact keywords in the job ad, with all the right phrases in all the right places. That is genuinely useful, and you should use it: a CV that does not get past the filters never gets read.

But here is the consequence. When every CV looks the part, looking the part stops being a differentiator. What separates candidates now is what sits behind the words.

The strongest CVs I see are built on evidence:

•     Numbers, not adjectives. Not “led commercial strategy”, but “grew the pipeline from X to Y in 18 months”.

•     Outcomes, not responsibilities. Not “managed stakeholders”, but “secured board sign-off on a multi-million investment case”.

•     Specifics a reader can weigh, not claims they have to take on trust.

Use AI for what it is good at: keywords, structure, tightening the language. But it cannot invent your track record.

A CV full of the right words with nothing behind them reads as exactly that: empty.

A simple test before you send it. Go line by line and ask of each one: have I backed this with something real? If you cannot, cut it or prove it.

The cover letter: it is not dead; the generic one is

A tailored cover letter is more work. That is the entire point. It proves you are genuinely interested in this role, at this company, not that you are firing the same document at twenty other roles. AI-generated cover letters can be spotted a mile away; they show neither passion nor intent.

Too many cover letters focus on the candidate: their background, their ambitions, what they are looking for. A stronger approach is to focus on the employer: show how your experience and achievements will deliver on the role's objectives and add value to the company.

Flip it. A cover letter that earns a read does three things:

(1) shows you understand this specific role and company, what they need, not just what you want;

(2) connects your experience and achievements directly to those needs; and

(3) makes clear the value you would add, not the job you are looking for.

Less “here is my background.” More “here is the challenge you are facing, and here is how I would help”, supported with real examples of where you have met similar challenges before.

For the hiring managers reading this

The same lens works in reverse. When you are shortlisting, look past the polish for the evidence. The candidate who quantifies their impact and ties it to your objectives is usually showing you how they will operate once they are in the role. The one whose application is immaculate but generic is telling you something too.

Principles that underpin a strong application

•     Evidence over polish

•     Specificity over volume

•     Relevance over reach

•     Contribution over credentials

Whether you are hiring or considering your next move, Hummingbird works both sides of this. If you are planning a move in clean energy, or building a team this year, get in touch.

Thanks for stopping by.

Take care, stay safe, and be well. 

Warm regards, 

Mariken O'Donnell,

Founder, Hummingbird Recruitment & Consulting

July 6, 2026