Board letters & CVs

 

Your personal brand

Define your personal brand 

  • begin by considering your values, beliefs and what you stand for

  • What sets you apart from others and what skills and strengths differentiate you from others

  • Decide what you want to achieve with your personal brand

  • Remain genuine a cornerstone of your personal brand

  • Cultivate your online presence

  • Share thought leadership content based on a compelling personal narrative about your experience and expertise

  • Position yourself as a valuable part of the organization you work for or with

  • Present consistently professionally in actions, messaging on and in various platforms and places

Manage your reputation by doing what you say you’ll do and respond to feedback and perceptions as helpers not hinderers

What is your value proposition

 

Sukhinder signh cassidy’s bvp -

“Sukhinder Signh Cassidy has founded and successfully built and scaled technology companies at the intersection of media and commerce through her career.”

Deborah Rosati’s bvp -

“I have entrepreneurial, financial and governance expertise with high growth and tranformational companies in technolgy, retails, consumer and cannabis sectors.”

 

factors to consider in applying

 

the thing that women do - don’t do it!

The research that says that women won’t apply for a role unless they can do 8/10 of the requirements and yet men will apply even if they know they can only do 3/10 is well known

  • Don’t be someone who caves to your self-doubt

  • Bank on your strengths, your skills and all that you know and have done

  • Stand outside yourself and as far as you possibly can objectively assess your competencies and capabilities

  • If that’s too hard ask someone else to do so – and then believe what they say!

mentors + networking + initiatigves

Cover letters: make them easy & worthwhile reading

Tailor the letter to the PD and the organisation

  • Address the letter to a person or a position if a name isn’t available (I also try to include a mailing address)

  • Never address the letter to To Whom It May Concern

  • Ensure your name and contact info is clearly written on the top of the front page, and ideally on every page

  • Identify the position as per the advertisement in the “re” spot (but don’t use re)

  • The focus is on your initial value proposition and then your board profile in 5 or 6 sentences. It is about what you can offer the organization not what you’ll get out of being on the board: you need to provide comfort that you’re the right fit and should be appointed. Be confident.

  • Write in plain English and avoid adjectives

Include a photo too so name and image are connected in reviewer’s minds

Beware of self-serving and unverifiable statements about your character and personal qualities eg visionary, empathetic, trustworthy, caring. These are for others to judge

  • Avoid duplicating what’s in your cv, though highlights that then point to the cv can be informative for the person who is scanning your material

  • Don’t change the standard A4 page settings by narrowing margins at top or bottom, and don’t use less than 10 font, preferably serif. Use bold with care.

  • Write in short sentences (full stops are your friend) and short paragraphs with indents where appropriate; avoid blocks of text. Note that people read in an F.

  • Include a photo either at the end of the letter or on your CV to make the mental connections easier

  • Don’t include the list of your research and other papers; refer to them only

  • Remember that those who read letters and cvs spend less than 2 seconds on them first up so making an impression is essential

 

Forbes: coaches share key resume tips 10 sept 2023

  • USE STARRING LANGUAGE & QUANTIFY ACHIEVEMENT

Have a strategic message for the résumé, and use the STAR (situation, task, action, results) format. For example, instead of writing, “Responsible for managing social media accounts and increasing engagement,” rewrite the sentence as, “Successfully increased social media engagement by 40% within six months, driving more traffic to the company’s website and improving brand visibility.” - Shruti Parashar, GOALisB

  • BRANDED HEADERS

A résumé needs to tell a story, and every good story starts with a good title. Instead of using a generic header such as “Experience” or “Work History,” brand yourself with a more specific header as your story begins, such as “Tax Law Advocate and Advisor,” “Litigation Specialist,” or “Legal and Managerial Background.” That way, the reader can follow along and be impressed with your career from the top. - Kathy Morris, Under Advisement, Ltd.

  • FORMAT

Format matters, and so does leadership! The old, linear résumé format that runs top to bottom is passé and won’t stand out. Use a résumé format that highlights your focus and skills, emphasizing leadership strengths (the “soft” stuff!) on the left or right in a narrow column, then put work experience, certifications and education into a clean, summarized format in the larger space that remains. - Jennifer Wilson, ConvergenceCoaching, LLC

forbes cont

  • IMITATION IS THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY

I always advise candidates to look through LinkedIn to find people who hold jobs similar to the ones they are seeking. Review their profiles and make sure that your résumé (and LinkedIn profile) have similar keywords and language. Also, always talk about your accomplishments and not just your responsibilities. You don’t want your résumé to read like a job description. - Kathy Bernhard, KFB Leadership Solutions

  • ACCOMPLISHMENT VS EFFECT

The biggest mistake I see made on résumés is mistaking “accomplishments” for “impact.” It’s not enough to list what you did at past jobs—the key is to articulate why it mattered and how it moved the organization forward. - Randi Braun, Something Major

  • YOU ARE THE BUSINESS CASE

Make a business case for why you should be hired. When people give me a résumé, it’s tantamount to saying, “Here’s what I’ve done for other people. Go figure out if any of this is relevant to you.” When people make a business case, it says, “Here’s why you should hire me, and here’s what I’m going to do for you.” - Mark Garrett Hayes, SalesCoachr

how to address a cover letter

All my info in one place at the top of the page right aligned - Margot Foster AM BA LLB OLY

PO Box 584 Port Melbourne 3207

0414 230213 | email mf@margotfoster.com.au | linkedin


7 July 2024 – date goes first

Ms Sally Smith

title and name of person to whom responses are required/directed; find out if it’s not clear by calling org

CEO | JollyCo

address to show you’ve taken time to get the details right; most orgs have a street or PO address

2/116 Oakville St

Melbourne 3000

Dear Ms Smith – never To Whom it May Concern, never Dear Sally and never Dear Sally Smith

Associate Research Assistant – specify the position you’re applying for

I write to apply for the position of Associate Research Assistant recently advertised on LinkedIn… - a starting option

 

letters and cvs

The cv: how to show you’re the right person

interviews

Dress appropriately (which may mean overdressing) and arrive in good time whether in person or online

  • If virtual try to avoid having a bedroom background; there are plenty of virtual backgrounds available including making your own Prepare as best as you can for the questions you’ll be asked including about your behaviours and beliefs

  • Prepare questions to ask on the business itself and then about how the board operates (see question list to be sent to you) to show you know what being a director is about

  • You may not hear from the recruiter or entity again. A follow up is acceptable.

Don’t take it personally if you miss out: it might not be about you at all