How to perfect your managerial CV
If you’re already a manager, or are looking to take the next step up the career ladder, perfecting your managerial CV is essential. As a management professional, you need to possess a core set of skills and these need to be clearly outlined on your CV.
It can be difficult to know where to start. But a well thought-out CV can boost your chances of securing the job. Below, we offer our practical advice on getting it right.
Write a strong personal profile
Your CV needs to open with a short, succinct paragraph, introducing yourself to the reader. Here, you should outline how many years’ experience you have, summarise your key skills and provide a brief overview of your current position and your success so far.
Try to keep this section brief and to the point, aiming for around 50-200 words in total. You’ll then be able to go into more detail in your skills and experience section below. Remember, this is your opportunity to market yourself and grab the recruiter’s attention.
Use a clear structure
Following your personal profile, you should include a career summary or section about your employment history. As a manager, it’s likely that you’ll have a lot of experience and skills to shout about, so it’s important to use a clear structure to showcase this.
You should include a high-level overview of your successes so far and outline any core responsibilities you’ve held in your previous positions. After this, you can include information on your education – but you don’t need to go into too much detail. One line on the institution, dates attended, and qualifications gained is enough.
Give evidence of your skills
Like any CV, you need to bring your experience to life by giving evidence of the key skills you perfected in each role. As a manager, you will be required to demonstrate that you are able to successfully lead and motivate a team. Alongside this, you’ll need to be well organised.
Provide practical examples of where you have showcased these skills within your employment history section. And don’t forget to cross-reference this with the key requirements in the job description. You should tailor your CV to every role you apply for. This will give you a better chance of landing an interview.
Stick to two pages
While you may have a wealth of experience to shout about, you should always try to keep your CV to two pages or less. Try to strip back as much text as possible, but ensure that you include the key information needed to apply for the job.
After all, it is reported that recruiters only spend around 30 seconds scanning through a CV, so keeping it as concise as possible will help you to stand out.
In summary
Overall, perfecting your CV doesn’t need to be a stressful process. As a manager, you’ll possess some great skills which can easily be outlined within this document. Take on this advice and you’ll be able to find a management job that’s right for you.