Anyway, as a result of all this status updating activity I have noticed,  I began to wonder how much direct business people found they have gained from using their Linkedin status, as I have noticed candidates, recruiters, and consultants beginning to  use  it in a very direct way .  I ran a short poll ( using Linkedin of course) and though not statistically significant by any means the results were interesting.  The question was ‘Have you ever been offered  a consultancy project or other business as a direct result of updating your Linkedin status bar’.  75% said no, and 25% said they had.  Commentators on the poll noted that there was also a ‘sort of’ answer as the general reaching out, brand building and connecting they were able to achieve via Linkedin status had more indirectly led to business.

  At any rate, this is quite something… 25% said yes!!!!!  So I guess the message is, give it a go.  Some great ( anonymous!) status updates I’ve seen include :’ x has successfully completed an assignment in Geneva, and developed great understanding of area Y’  ‘ ‘Y’s new product is showcasing at the Z leading industry exhibition next week’ .  The key seems to be to keep it positive, informative and consistent with your personal identity.

1) Time to dispel a myth here…  You will not automatically receive a £100 penalty.  Any penalty which you do get is limited to either the tax that you still owe HMRC on 31st January, or £100 whichever is the LESSER of these two amounts.  Therefore if you owe 50p, you will be fined 50p.  If you owe £250 then you will be fined £100.  If HMRC owe you money, then happy day because you cannot be fined anything, even if you are late filing your return.  ( They will still issue you a letter telling you have a £100 penalty but this will be reduced when you do file your return and the actual amount of tax unpaid as of 31st January is established.)  Feeling any better?

2) OK, let’s assume you owed money last year, will probably owe money this year but haven’t yet got round to doing your tax return.  It’s still not too late to pay an estimate of what you think you’re likely to owe.  This will help to limit any penalty. You can do this in a variety of ways for it still to be allocated before the deadline including via their online billpayment system, http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/payinghmrc/selfassessment.htm .  I also hear, though don’t hold me to this that if you pay tomorrow 1st February by BACS or CHAPS then it will be deemed as having been received the previous working day, ( Friday) therefore you would not be penalised for late payment of your tax.

3) If you still have the inclination to try and file online by midnight tonight, but have not got all your paperwork together don’t despair.  You can file your return based on estimates, making sure you check the box which informs HMRC that it is estimated and file an amendment as soon as possible.  Again, this will help to limit any penalties.

Of course, this is all hypothetical as I’m sure we’ve all got this done months ago. Ahem.  ( Please note , no advice intended with this blog, just sharing a few tips picked up along the way..)

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

Liz