How to write a board CV

Key takeaways:  

1. Focus is on your Governance and Board Leadership experience
2. Keep your board CV to two pages and no longer.
3. Focus on highlighting specific skills, knowledge, and past board experience and achievements.
4. Include your name, contact details, and LinkedIn profile at the top, but leave out irrelevant social media handles.
5. Keep the layout simple and straightforward, without using playful fonts or coloured text.
6. Avoid including a photo to prevent unconscious bias and ensure the focus remains on the words.
7. Add a short summary of 4-5 lines that highlights your top skills, personal attributes, and experience headlines, after you have finished writing the CV.
8. Only include relevant details that pertain to the boardroom and demonstrate how you can add value to the boardroom.

Board CV not Career CV

As a Non-Executive Director, you may have wondered about the need for a board-specific CV. Well, the answer is yes! At Boardvisory, we have a few tips to share with you for crafting an outstanding board CV that demonstrates your governance experience. A Board CV is different from a regular career CV in that it focuses on highlighting your specific skills, knowledge, and past board experience and achievements. It is carefully crafted to demonstrate how you have added value in the boardroom as a Non-Executive Director.

Layout

Let’s start with the layout. It is best to keep your Board CV to two pages and no longer. Remember, it is not a summary of your entire career, so only include relevant details that pertain to your boardroom experience. Your name and contact details should be at the top, with your address and LinkedIn profile, but leave out any irrelevant social media handles.

Although some Boards may do a social media audit on you nonetheless. Keep the drafting of your Board CV simple and straightforward, and avoid using playful fonts or coloured text.

Photo or no Photo

We recommend not including a photo, as it could lead to unconscious bias or detract from the words, or translate badly from screen to paper when printed.

Key focus

Instead, focus on including a short summary of 4-5 lines that highlights your top skills, personal attributes, and experience headlines. Include a statement about the value that you would bring as a Non-Executive Director. Provide a summary with the most recent, of your board subcommittee and board experience (relevant to the position you are responding to, or if a generic Board CV then summarise the experience) Also include any relevant executive experience relevant to demonstrating working with or on boards. Briefly list your qualifications, professional memberships, and any relevant personal interests.

Check for typo’s

If possible, ask a few people to review your board CV, including an editor who might pick up typos or clumsy grammar, and an experienced board director who will know exactly what to look for. Save it as a PDF to ensure the formatting stays exactly as you left it.

AI filters

With the evolution of technology, there is the possibility that Artificial intelligence software may be used to filter Board CVs so using certain words such as Board, Board Experience, Sub-Committee, Corporate governance, and Boardroom may be helpful in setting your Board CV apart.

Good luck and remember, if you would like to expand your knowledge and skill set to make you even more board-ready, we are just a click away!

Written by Joy-Marie Lawrence, Founder of Boardvisory