How to write a board CV with no board experience

9 Key takeaways:         

1. The focus is on Governance oversight, not Management insight.
2. Focus on your experience with reporting to Boards, engaging with Boards, engaging with Executive Committees
3. Keep your board CV to two pages.
4. Focus on highlighting specific skills, knowledge, competencies and experience with Executive committees, Boards, Policies, and oversight.
5. Include your name, contact details, and LinkedIn profile at the top, but leave out irrelevant social media handles.
6. Keep the layout simple and straightforward, without using playful fonts or coloured text.
7. Avoid including a photo to prevent unconscious bias and ensure the focus remains on the words.
8. 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.
9. Only include relevant details that pertain to the boardroom and demonstrate how you can add value in the boardroom.

Board CV, not Career CV

As an aspiring Board Director, you may have wondered whether you need a board-specific CV. Well, the answer is yes! At Boardvisory, we have a few tips to share with you on preparing a Board CV that highlights your readiness for the Boardroom. A Board CV is different from a regular career CV in that it focuses on your ability to provide governance oversight. Therefore, it needs to be intentionally and thoughtfully crafted to demonstrate how you can add 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 in length 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.

Some Boards may do a social media audit on your profile as a matter of course. 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

Include any executive committee or executive board roles, and any involvement in committees, policies, or programmes. If you don’t have any formal board experience, you should focus on demonstrating that you have obtained some informal governance experience and are primed for a formal board role! Next, you can list your executive career roles, in descending order. Don’t cut and paste this section from your career CV. Take out anything that’s not relevant and focus on strategic and governance-related roles and responsibilities, as well as any successes. It isn’t helpful to merely state that you were a senior executive; rather demonstrate that you were successful in your role as a senior executive and in what areas. Focus on the expertise you will add to a board, rather than just providing “laundry lists”. Pull out the main benefits to the board, using words like ‘led’, ‘initiated’, ‘steered’, and ‘developed’. In other words, focus on successes rather than responsibilities. Learn about our online course: How to Read a Board Pack.

Include 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. 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 Executive Committee, 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