The Top 4 Mistakes I See in Change Management CVs

I originally posted my blog post “The 4 Most Common CV Mistakes I See” in May 2020. It is by far my most popular blog post and has been read by HUNDREDS of people worldwide. But back then my Leading Successful Change program didn’t exist, my latahamilton.com blog didn’t exist, and I was still doing general Career Coaching rather than specifically helping women make the career change to Change Management. So I thought I’d republish the blog post with more of a Change Management focus.

A CV (or resume) is a super important document because it is often the only thing standing between you and securing a Change Management interview. This little slip of paper or digital file has a huge role to play because it's still the primary method that most recruiters or hiring managers use to decide if a candidate might be suitable for a Change role. As someone who moved from Career Coaching to Executive Coaching and now specifically Change Management Career Coaching, I've seen my fair share of client and student CVs and it's such a surprise to me that so often they are missing some critical items that can really be limiting the chances of getting to an interview. So, I wanted to give you practical advice to stop you getting in your own way for your Change Management dreams.

Here are the top 4 Change Management CV mistakes I see (and examples of how to do yours better for your next Change role!):

CV Mistake #1: You have a half-baked Executive Summary

I've seen one-liners and I've seen half-pagers but it all doesn't matter. An Executive Summary needs to be a mini-version of your whole CV and written very specifically. Being the foodie I am, think of it like the tasting menu of the restaurant. It should include your qualities, your years of experience, your expertise and the type/level of role in Change Management that you are seeking. Then briefly list roles and companies you've worked for, your qualifications and certifications, your top key skills (which should mostly match the transferable skills for Change Management), a few more qualities, and your availability. That's it. It's not hard. These recruiters and hiring managers are seeing HUNDREDS of CVs so you need to win them over quickly by showing all you are and all you can do ASAP.

Live example: 

Innovative and creative Communications professional with 5 years' experience seeking a Change Management position in a customer-focused culture. Previous roles in Communications, Customer Experience, and Process Improvement at Company A, Company B and Company C, with a foundation of Marketing at Company D. Qualified with a Bachelor of Economics (Marketing) from University Y and a Customer Experience Strategy and Design Certificate from Institute X, and recently completed the Leading Successful Change program with Passion Pioneers. Key skills in: communications, process improvement, digital transformation, customer experience, team leadership and development, journey mapping, persona development, and Design Thinking. Collaborative and positive with a passion for helping teams deliver future-focused solutions for better customer outcomes. Available 4 weeks' notice.

CV Mistake #2: Your Key Skills are miles long

When this section isn't completely missing, it can be completely wrong. As I share in my Leading Successful Change program, the way we take in information has changed. Broadsheet newspapers have been replaced by bite-size posts on social media feeds. Trust me - I studied Media and Communications. I can see the difference. So we have to adjust everything we write to cater to this new habit of readers. Including your hiring managers and recruiters. Chunk your skills up from the tasks you do in your specific role, to the transferable skills you have that could be used in any role, any company, any industry or any country. Then bullet point these (please - a few words, not long random sentences). Yes - you might have a few role- or industry-specific skills there, too. But most should be transferable - highly adaptable to new situations. If you want to be ready for Change Management, you need to realise that 80% of the skills you need you already have and then go learn the other 20% of technical skills (my LSC program is a good place to start!).

Live example:

Instead of saying your key skill is "Insurance policy sales training", you could chunk up and say “Training and capability design, development and delivery”.

CV Mistake #3: You're missing Achievements

When I've asked for Achievements, I've had clients and students say they don't have any. And I'm like... please tell me you are joking. If you think you have no Achievements, there are two things happening:

• You've never measured the outcome, result or quality of your work, OR
• You don't know how to reflect and celebrate the successes you've had.

As a coach, I find this incredibly sad. One of the best parts of work is the pride that comes from a job well done. And verbatim feedback in the moment is all well and good, but it's the hard results that really matter when you're trying to explain that you did more than just a "good job" to someone who's potentially going to be paying you hundreds of thousands of dollars per year to work for them. It's not your boss' job to track your achievements - it's your career, it's your job to do this. What’s an achievement? It could be a fantastic result such as a sales % increase or a cost $ amount decrease. It could be an external award or an internal recognition. It could be the scale of the project or the speed with which you delivered. Either way, it has to be measurable in some way and be beyond the scope of your role. You are paid to do your work and do it well. An Achievement is above and beyond. And you need to have them articulated clearly in your Change Management CV, especially if you’re trying to break into the profession, because when you're being compared against someone with the same or more experience than you, it's your Achievements that could tip you over to the "In" pile for interview.

Live example:

Achieved a 30% reduction in operating costs through process improvement over 2 months.

CV Mistake #4: Your CV is too long

I write long blog posts. I do. I have so much fantastic information and ideas that I want to share and so I write write write. Your CV is NOT the place to do that. And I don't write write write with my CVs. Once, I saw a 7-page CV. In the past I've seen 14-page CVs!!! Remember my comment earlier about broadsheet versus social media feed. This is too many pages. If you've got loads of experience, your CV can be between 3-5 pages. More than 5 pages, and I'd be wondering what type of work you're going to deliver to me in the Change role. Your CV doesn't have to tell me everything you've ever done and the name of your cat in Year 2. Just select the 3-4 most recent, relevant roles to Change Management to expand out, and then list the rest. And with these 3-4 most recent roles, you also need to write the responsibilities of those roles up in a succinct and clear way. The number of times I've seen clients copy/paste the text from the internal Job Description (JD) or Position Description (PD) of the role is frustrating. That can be a guide, but is often longer and more information than required in your CV and also adds no flavour, lacks detail, and may not be what you actually did do in the role. So balance quality and quantity here, keep it relevant, and keep it to 3-5 pages and you're well on your way!

Live example:

Obviously, this is impossible. Just keep your CV to 3-5 pages, mate!

And there it is. My top 4 tips to really nail your Change Management CV and use it as the launchpad to get you to interview. Now's not the time to be shy - your dreams are too important. You have to get this right, for yourself, your family, our community and all the teams and leaders and organisations you’re going to help. I could have the best Change Management course in the whole, wide world (and in my view, I do!). But if no one knows about it - it's not going anywhere! You have the skills. You have the experience. If you have gaps, go get some training. And then write your CV with purpose, write it with pride, write it with passion and enjoy the clarity and confidence that comes with showcasing who you are, what you've done and what you want from a career in Change Management in the best possible light.

Anything is possible when it comes to a career in Change, and I share all this and more (especially how to grow in any gaps in Change) in my upcoming free Change Tools Masterclass. 

We kick off on Tuesday 10 September and it will be a week-long immersive experience into all things Change Management tools and templates.

Register your free spot today: CLICK HERE to register for my free September Change Tools Masterclass

And if you've already registered, be sure to jump into the private and exclusive VIP Group and introduce yourself!

Lata xx