My current surgeon client is ideally positioned for a board advisor and board member role. After 9 months of applying for board roles? Crickets. What we discovered in his marketing documents is that all of his experience is focused on his surgical roles and volunteer board roles. Given his experience in R&D, product development, and product commercialization, he is ideally suited for a VC-backed board role. The problem is that his resume falls flat with recruiters.

This week, I created an independent board strategy resource just for you, including board-level questions and 52 keywords you can use in your strategy.

Here it is:

Don’t dilute your board value proposition by doing this… 

The simplest success measure of an effective board of directors’ resume for an independent director is simple: are you getting calls from board recruiters? If you’re well qualified for the position and you’re not getting calls from recruiters or the board’s nominating committee, there may be an issue with your positioning to the board, personal branding, or your messaging. 

For starters, place your board experience at the very top of your board resume. Don’t use your CEO/operations resume for a board opportunity. See full blog for details. 

Next, know your audience. Your CV will be scrutinized among the board of directors, shareholders, and key investors. You must write to their concerns—what can you do to help the board lead its organization to success.

In this short blog post, we cover two issues relating to independent board roles (1) leveraging unpaid board roles and (2) the exclusion of certain language in your board resume. 

Read more dos and don’ts here.

If you’re seeking an independent board role, exit strategy, or assistance preparing for an upcoming board or CEO interview, contact us to review your strategy. 

If you’re a current CEO who is seeking a board role to raise your visibility in the market (perhaps your own board is encouraging you to seek outside board opportunities), we would be delighted to speak with you. 

If you are an aspiring CEO seeking assistance to build your career plan, we can help with that, too! 

We offer a complimentary and confidential discussion of your specific goals and would be pleased to sign an NDA in advance. 

This photo was taken at my late Mom’s home during April of 2020 during the Easter holiday. Hot cross buns are one of my favorite treats and my Mom only ever made them during the Easter holiday. The rooster in the photo was made by my sister, Sarah, and she made it to commemorate the two laying hens Mom had at her home. Fresh eggs from the hens were a staple in much of Mom’s baking. The hens’ names were Mable and Millie.

The 90-Day Brand Offer

In addition to supporting our corporate clients, we work with private clients one-on-one. Explore our 90-Day Brand program here.

Thank you for sharing your day with me, and enjoy the rest of your week!

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Westgate is a 100% independent firm.

Maureen is a performance optimization coach and personal branding strategist for next-level executives and board nominees.

Westgate Executive Branding and Career Consulting Inc. would like to acknowledge that we are located in Mi'kma'ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq People. We are all Treaty people.