Giles O'Halloran shares some thoughts on CV content for management positions...
A good manager is someone who can lead effectively, whether in thought, action or through people. It is all very well to have the manager or leadership title on a CV, but it is about quantifying exactly what you were responsible for and what impact you had as a leader.
There are many ways to describe yourself when writing a CV and it is always good to use positive words such as pro-active, developed, increased etc, but as a manager you also need to think about what wording you use to describe the impact mentioned above. Some key phrases are: increasing staff productivity, empowering my team, encouraging team commitment etc - all these examples show where you become a catalyst for growth, not just in terms of the organisation but also through the people.
Highlighting the resources you have control over or sign off for is a simple way for an employer to get a sense of your capability. Initially, consider the value of the budget you control, or perhaps the assets that you are responsible for. You could provide details in terms of monetary value or actual numbers (such as how many vehicles in the fleet you manage). Either option helps the reader gauge your level of responsibility.
The same could also be said for the number of staff you manage. We all know that managing people is very different to simply managing a balance sheet. If you are the manager of a large number of staff then be sure to mention this. Not only will it give the reader an idea of the size of organisation you have been responsible for, but also it often shows a greater complexity to the role.
One of the first things we always make a list of when writing a CV is the tasks and responsibilities relating to the role. This is not something you should forget to do when writing a management CV, but it is the level of the responsibility that you need to consider. For instance, consider mentioning training/coaching/mentoring that you may have provided to help staff develop. This could help explain increases in productivity or help drive staff commitment and capability.
You may wish to consider projects that not only you managed, but that you sponsored/empowered, encouraging teams or staff to develop solutions themselves with your support. You may also want to think of examples where you have helped get projects back on track through effective leadership or management. This then gives some indication regarding you as a motivator and someone who is able to help guide staff in the right direction.
About Giles
Giles is an experienced HR and Recruitment professional who works as a freelance consultant, strategist, writer and coach. He also spent 12 years as a reservist with the UK's Reserve Forces, serving first with the TA and later with the RAuxAF.
Contact:
https://twitter.com/GilesOHalloran
www.linkedin.com/in/giles-o-halloran
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