CV tips for interim management

Interim managers are often very experienced and over qualified for roles, so it is important to make your CV stand out from the others and to highlight your talents. Remember that the client is not recruiting for a permanent position, so they are looking for someone who has the skills to immediately make a difference, as opposed to someone who will develop into the role. Put yourself in the client’s shoes – they may be looking at 10 CVs, so do what you can to make your CV stand out and easy to read.

1. Make it clear. Write your key skills at the top. If your experience is in housing and ALMO stock transfers then make sure you spell this out as it gives you the advantage over those who have written ‘project management’ and ‘team building’.
2. Sequence of items – top of the CV should be your strengths not address / DOB / education.
3. Be honest – clients may pick up on a key achievement, such as ‘project managed the introduction of a kitchen waste scheme’ which may be a task they want you to deliver. If you haven’t actually done this it will lead to embarrassment for you and APSE, as the client will expect you to be able to complete it efficiently with minimal supervision.
4. The client authority will be looking for your experience in other local authorities, so make sure you include work that you have done in local government – either as an interim or permanent.
5. Examples – you need to qualify your experience and achievements.
6. Concentrate on the most recent, most senior and most complex functions in your employment history.
7. Avoid long paragraphs or blocks of text as clients do not want to have to read an essay to draw out your skills and achievements. You need to do the hard work for them!
8. Use a maximum of 4 pages
9. Use a font size no less than 11 point so that it is easy to read and avoid complex formatting.
10. Check your spelling and grammar.

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