What does greatness look like? Is it one or two skills that are so distinctive they edge others aside? Or more of an equilibrium: the fine balance between facts and imaginative qualities?
In our experience, you should show two sides to your application: logic and creativity. You should demonstrate how both halves of your brain work to lead a team, recognise their success, and then measure and improve upon the results.
Creative thinkers need an actionable plan. Likewise, an atypical strategy can be better than ploughing the same, reliable ground. Our clients want a balance in your CV. This is how to show it…
A career can mean many things to different people. In your case, it might be a social pleasure: getting to know staff, colleagues and peers on several levels, and achieving more with them than they ever thought possible. In another sense, you may have learned an awful lot about a certain industry thus far – there’s a constant flow of new knowledge to keep you stimulated.
Whatever it is, don’t shy away from speaking in emotional terms. Describe how previous or current roles have made you feel. Are you happy, and why? What’s been missing? Why does the role appeal to you? The personal summary should act as a concise introduction to your professional high points and motivators. It shows employers where your cultural values and theirs may overlap.
Saying you think differently is one thing. But making a success of those thoughts is another – you must explain how a plan grew from conception to reality.
Retain two or three examples of leadership for your CV. For each, take a single paragraph to walk the reader through what happened. Don’t spend more than five or six lines. Keep it as brief as possible, but include the relevant details, such as when a difficulty arose that you didn’t foresee and how you overcame it.
It’s worth explaining how your influence was maintained and strengthened after the idea was launched. Senior leadership means knowing your place in a brand. It also means tracking the progress you’ve made, in terms of how people, processes and customers respond to you. Discuss sales, digital impressions, click-throughs, reduced sick days, or any other KPIs.
It’s fairly hard to be an influencer unless you know how others have influenced you. Mention your inspirational figures over the years, where appropriate. They could be a former boss, teacher, business coach, team leader, or a client who changed your professional outlook – anyone who left you with some tangible life advice.
Art, politics, music, sport or any interests can feed into that too. Don’t go overboard, but some personality is very welcome: clients will be able to see how various qualities link up to reinforce their goals. Creative pursuits require dedication, skill and time-management. All of these traits are worth mentioning in your CV, especially if you can draw them back to bigger business concerns.
As executive headhunters, we’re used to guiding candidates to a role they deserve, even if they don’t know it yet. It’s the lynchpin of our service within hospitality, retail and private equity-backed companies. Once SPE Resourcing make contact, we will already have an idea of what you may bring to a client. Then we’ll coach and feedback on your journey to the interview room.
