Tips for writing Board resumes

By Kerry Chater
August 2009

The key purpose of a Board resume is to get an interview. It is a marketing tool – to sell yourself to the Board of an organisation.

Many senior executives have an existing CV or resume, but it is often old-fashioned and not up-to-date, and rarely includes the critical information needed by a Board to make a decision. It can be used as the basis for a Board resume, but usually has to be re-focused, re-written, re-formatted and condensed.

Strategies for writing a Board resume

It is important that your Board resume focuses on what you offer a Board – your achievements and the particular skills and strengths you will bring to a Board.

To help with this, ask yourself the following questions:

  • What have been my outstanding achievements over the last 5-10 years?
  • What are my key skills?
  • What are my strengths (and weaknesses)?
  • Which of these will be most useful in applying for a Board position?

Ask the help of people who know you well in answering these questions. They will often come up with skills, strengths and achievements you haven’t thought of.

The information on the first page is critical, so make sure it includes:

  • Your contact details
  • An overview of what you offer a Board
  • Your key achievements, strengths and skills

Only include information about you that is relevant to obtaining a Board position. For example, you do not need to give a complete history of yourself – your early work roles, interests and hobbies are rarely of interest to a Board.

And keep your Board resume brief – aim for a maximum of three pages.

What to include in a Board resume

  • Your name and contact details
  • An overview of what you offer a Board
  • Your key achievements, strengths and skills – focus on current and recent achievements and make these as specific as possible.
    Eg: Over 20 years’ financial services experience, including 15+ years in management and CEO roles and six years’ executive experience on not-for-profit boards. Proven ability to develop strategic networks and effectively foster working relationships with key stakeholder and customers.
  • An overview of your work history
  • Your Board/committee experience
  • Relevant qualifications
  • Membership of relevant organisations, eg Women on Boards, Australian Institute of Company Directors
  • Relevant ongoing professional development, eg the AICD Company Directors Course (CDC)

Other tips

  • Good layout makes resumes easier to read, so keep formatting simple and consistent – use headings and bullets, and be generous with white space.
  • Use bullets rather than sentences under each heading, and start bullets with an action verb, eg:
    Developed ...
    Led ...
    Increased ...
    Negotiated ...
    Researched and implemented strategy for ...
  • Show your achievements, work experience, qualifications, etc in reverse chronological order – that is, most recent first.
  • Keep jargon and complex words to a minimum.
  • Make sure your name and the page number are on each page – a good place is in the footer.
  • Don’t forget to check your spelling, grammar and punctuation – typos create a bad impression with the reader!

And finally ... remember to write a targeted cover letter/email for each Board position you apply for.

Do you have any questions or would you like some help with your Board resume?
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Contact Kerry Chater on:Mobile: 0417 228 393Email: kerry@kerrychater.com