I’ve looked at hundreds of interim management CVs, and advised many interim managers on how best to improve their most important marketing document. These are my top 5 tips, specifically related to preparing the very best CV to showcase yourself as an interim.
1) Understand that permanent CVs and interim CVs are different
This may seem obvious, but remember that the purpose of a permanent CV and an interim CV are different, and this naturally reflects in the document. Even more than a permanent CV, the interim management CV is a marketing document, designed to demonstrate your core functional skills and attributes and the benefits of hiring you on a temporary basis for this temporary assignment. A permanent CV will tend to demonstrate a natural progression over time, an up-curve which has led to this specific role. Remember that you’re not seeking to become a permanent member of the client’s team, or their next Sales/ Marketing/ Medical Director. Your CV should show the client that you’ve got experience of getting this particular type of job done in the past, and you’re happy, willing and able to get the same type of job done again. If you’re a first-time interim, you need a new CV for your new market. Getting that first interim assignment will be made easier if you recraft your CV to highlight the skills and attributes which make for a great interim manager, rather than a great permanent employee.
2) Keep it Fresh
Your CV is your key marketing tool and you need to make sure that it is business-ready at all times. You should review your CV at least every 6 months , or at the end of every assignment(whichever is sooner) to make sure it still accurately reflects your focus, skills and key capabilities. For example, you may be working on an assignment working in a therapeutic area you have never worked in before. You need to update your CV to reflect this, particularly if it is a high-demand therapeutic area such as Oncology. As you review your CV, think about your recent experience in the light of changing market conditions. If a particular area of expertise seems to be more in demand than others, you may wish to give these areas more prominence in your CV. Don’t just add completed assignments into your CV without considering how this fits into the context of the whole document. If you don’t constantly refresh the whole CV, you will end up with a CV which is too long and clunky.
3) Use a personal profile ( and spend time getting it right)
A personal profile is best practice in all CVs. However for the interim manager, it’s perhaps even more important- after all you’re selling yourself to potential clients. The personal profile is a fantastic sales tool, which all too often is underutilised. The process of crafting the personal profile is incredibly useful in creating your own, unique proposition in what has become a much more competitive marketplace. The personal profile should draw out your key experience, skills, capabilities and last but far from least, personal qualities. For an interim manager, the qualities of adaptability, flexibility and the ability to ‘hit the ground running’ are highly valued by clients in any market, but particularly when market conditions are sluggish. The personal profile is an opportunity to tell your potential client exactly who you are, and how you will be effective from day one.
4) You don’t need to list every assignment
For many executives who have been career interims for many years, the process of writing a CV can feel overwhelming. Some interims may have completed as many as 15-20 assignments in a 5- 10 year period. It is certainly not necessary to include every assignment you have ever worked on. This is a common error, and one which can make a CV confusing to read and lacking in impact. A good route to take is to divide your work history into two sections. This method would summarise your corporate work history in a traditional, reverse chronology format. Your career as an interim manager could simply draw out the key assignments which are most substantial, and which best illustrate the breadth and depth of your experience.
5) Highlight your key achievements as an interim manager
Interims often neglect this important area of CV development, perhaps because of the feeling that there are many assignments to include, ( see above) and there is a shortage of space. It is extremely important to highlight the achievements for key assignments, and not simply provide a shopping list of tasks undertaken. For example, ‘Led negotiations with CRO resulting in overall cost savings of X’ is a more powerful statement than ‘ Responsible for negotiating with CRO’. You should include facts and figures related to budgets, timelines , inspections, drug approvals, etc where possible. The focus must be on illustrating the value that you are able to bring to an assignment.
There are two final points not specific to interim CVs but are worth mentioning:
- Make sure you spellcheck and proofread. Many very senior, highly educated people still submit CVs with spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and formatting mix-ups.
- Don’t include age. Your recruiter will very likely need to remove this information before submitting your CV to a client due to changes in Age Discrimination legislation. Don’t make additional work for them.
Why not take some time over the holidays to sit down with a coffee and a box of Quality Street, get that CV out, and look at it with fresh eyes!
Liz
