The "Why Hired" Hook: Contextualising Your Role

## The "Responsible For" Trap Most CVs start a job entry like this: > **Marketing Manager (2019–2023)** > Responsible for email marketing, social media, and managing a team of three. **The Problem:** This is a job description, not a career history. It tells me what you did, but not why you mattered. Any candidate could write this. It reads like a template. It gives no sense of the challenge you faced or the stakes involved. ## The Fix: The "Mandate" Paragraph Before you list your bullet points, write a 2-3 line introductory paragraph that answers one question: **Why did they hire you?** - Was the department failing? - Was it a new role created to launch a product? - Were you brought in to cut costs? - Did you inherit a crisis? This context transforms your bullet points from duties into achievements. ## Examples of "The Hook" **Instead of:** > "Managed sales team." **Write:** ```copy Recruited to turn around an underperforming sales division in the EMEA region. Tasked with restructuring the compensation model and regaining 15% market share. ``` **Instead of:** > "Led marketing function." **Write:** > "Brought in post-acquisition to integrate two marketing teams and rebrand the merged entity within six months." ## Why This Works It sets the stakes. Now, when I read your bullet points, I understand the difficulty of your achievements. "Grew revenue by 20%" means one thing in a growing market. It means something entirely different when you were hired to rescue a failing division. Context is the multiplier. Use it. --- *For more on CV writing strategy, explore our [Writing & Content](/writing-and-content) insights.*