Many of my executive-level clients have aspirations to serve on a corporate board, either in conjunction with their current role or as part of their career transition into an active retirement. Board seats are exceptionally competitive, and the process for sourcing these roles differs in some ways from the strategies the executive may have used in a previous search. Below are several suggestions for optimizing your board search campaign.
Understand that a board resume is different than other resumes.
Your current C-level resume may reflect how you grew revenues, reduced costs, improved margins, launched new products, or optimized business operations, but to land a board role you will have to show more. In order to be relevant to a board, you need to be able to show what activities you participated in that are most similar to the work you would do on a board. Board member responsibilities are more aligned with strategic planning, M&A activity, financial oversight, governance and compliance, executive compensation, and succession planning. In recent years, board have also become more involved in cyber-security initiatives.
Showcase your current interactions with boards.
If you don’t have any corporate board experience, focus on interactions you have had with the board. Did you present at board meetings or prepare notes or reports for others that did? Did you help set the agenda or take the board notes? Think about how you have interacted with boards to prove that you are aware of the temperament necessary to be a board member and the culture that surrounds the post.
Highlight your non-profit board experience.
If you have served as a volunteer board member, you have most likely developed skills that are transferrable to a corporate board role. Develop stories of success around some of your responsibilities such as setting the five-year plan for the organization, overseeing the budget process, or managing a brand transformation,
Activate your network.
Most board seats are filled through networking. Be sure to stay top-of-mind with your network and let them know about your board aspirations. Develop a pitch outlining your top three skills as they relate to potential board roles.
Seek out board education partners and affiliations.
The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) offers board education, credentialing, and networking events to individuals serving on boards of public, private, and non-profit organizations. This is a great way to meet others in the corporate board space and become on insider regarding potential opportunities.
Be Patient.
It typically takes about two years to land a corporate board seat, and if you are currently in a full-time executive role, the trajectory could be longer. Create a plan for pacing yourself and committing to professional development and networking opportunities that keep you on track.
