Find out how to write a winning resume for a mature career

Many people believe, somewhat unfairly, that it must be much easier for a person who has 15-20 years of work experience to write a winning resume than it is for a graduate or someone just starting their career. In fact, just the opposite is true. With a wealth of work experience under your belt, it can be difficult to decide what information should be included in your CV and what skills and achievements to display.

For people with a mature career, recruiters generally look for resumes that demonstrate successful and varied managerial skills, potentially spanning a variety of industries. While you may not have held a specific managerial role before, you must be able to demonstrate that you have used successful managerial skills, in some way, in the past. Often the roles that appeal to people with a mature resume focus on developing business plans and strategies, building teams, and motivating others to achieve successful results. Technical skills and knowledge learned in your previous career tend to be less important than managerial skills, reputation and ability to influence.

Part of the challenge for some people in creating a winning, mature resume is showing that they are ready to move from a smaller “technical” approach to a larger “big picture” approach. This includes being able to demonstrate political astuteness, business awareness, and strong interpersonal and ‘people’ skills.

So let’s take a look at the key aspects needed to put together a fantastic mature CV:

The checklist

* Personal contact data: name, address, telephone numbers and email address.

* A career goal: One or two short lines stating your overall career goal.

* A strong competency statement – ​​two to three paragraphs that focus on your skills, experience, and personal attributes. These must be supported by real examples of your skills and must demonstrate leadership or managerial skills, business savvy, and interpersonal skills.

* Complete educational qualifications.

* Details of all relevant jobs you’ve held, omitting low-level positions from your previous career – make sure you’ve listed your key responsibilities and achievements for each position. An emphasis on sustained achievement is key, along with demonstrable energy, enthusiasm, and strategic thinking.

* Full details of two appropriate referees.

What the bosses say…

“When I read a candidate’s CV, I want to see their experience demonstrated through the CV…I want to see examples of their skills, not just be told they exist” – Lara, Associate Director

“I believe that the presentation of a CV reflects the presentation of the person. So I am looking for a CV that has a good and consistent design that shows clear and concise information” – Marion, General Manager

“I want to see a strong track record of managerial skills or experience” – Henry, Managing Director

“A mature CV should highlight a strong and logical career progression, with a clear demonstration of drive and motivation to progress” – Catherina, Director

“Spelling, punctuation, and grammar, along with sentence construction, must be near perfect” – Carl, HR

“Even in a mature resume, you’d like to see enthusiasm, understanding, and interest articulated” – David, Sales Manager