How to Write an Impressive Managing Director CV That Wins You The Job Interviews You Want

Given that the buck has to stop with the Managing Director, your MD CV therefore needs to reflect the key characteristics that are important to your role, for instance these could be innovative, inspirational and 'completer-finisher', depending on the type of organisation you work for.

Your role may be seen as a supreme commander and a shaker and mover at all times. There is nowhere to hide within the role, so your CV must show that you're accountable in terms of what you delivered.

Your Managing Director CV should show how you made things happen and delivered added value results.
It must include some examples of problem analysis, problem resolution and impact on business strategy and board level attitude, linked to inspiring those around you to both take action, follow through and be creative in their own right.
Hearsay will not be good enough - your CV must contain tangible examples of skill and expertise involvement that produced 'real' world results.
Clearly the MD of a SME will not have the same scope as the MD of an international conglomerate that operates in 50 locations, employs 10,000 staff and operates in diverse business sectors! That said, the principles remain the same but the numbers are likely to be smaller.
The language used in your CV will not be detail-orientated, but more of a snapshot that tells the reader instantly that you are person who is capable of making a significant difference to the organisation.
It will require senior management speak that quickly and simply demonstrates supreme competency - in other words the written word will need to be pitched at the appropriate level.
To ensure your Managing Director CV projects the right image and tells a compelling story, consider using a professional CV writing service to produce a first-class CV for you that will win you the interviews that you want.

Managing Director CV Profile

It is critical to sell the main ingredients of the job and whet the reader's appetite as early as possible when they begin to read your CV. This means a Profile Statement at the top of page one - this should be written in the third person and be a single paragraph about 7 lines in length.

If you are responding to an advert then ensure you 'mirror' all the requested skills and be sure to label yourself in the first line with the same job title as the one you're applying for.
An MD CV doesn't necessarily have to show you as a subject matter expert on all things - but, you'll need to show that you can recognise this and that you know who to pull in to assist you in rectifying problems and effecting improvements.
Effective strategic decision-making must be shown, but at your level this may or may not necessarily involve hands-on solutions, simply because talent becomes too thinly spread by doing so.
On a Managing Director CV, you need to ensure that you come across as a dynamic individual who can make it happen. Quickly demonstrate that you are such a person and this will serve to engage a reader in rapid time.
It's important to convey international experience (if you have it, rather than just UK or country specific experience), as we live in a connected world where actions in one country can have major implications for other countries.
If you need help with your CV, a highly-skilled CV writer will be able to paint a very effective picture of your key abilities, strengths and talents, making sure that you come across as someone that achieves agreed objectives.

Achievements Section for a Managing Director CV

The introduction via the Profile will serve to engage a reader and raise their interest if penned effectively. However, you will need to maintain and lift this interest to a higher level to retain the readers' attention.

This means some quick-fire examples of how you have used skills to add value with quantifiable outcomes. These will be labelled 'Key Achievements' as a section heading:

You'll need 4 or 5 bullet points that begin with a figure that is the quantifiable outcome of your actions - the deliverable in other words, which show the results of your actions and endeavours.
The figures on a Managing Director CV may not be precise, but try to keep them realistic and you must be prepared to justify them if required to do so at a job interview.
Beginning a bullet with a figure will draw the reader's eye to what you are saying and serve to make the point memorable. Some careful thought must be given to the subject and how it is to be simply explained.
In essence an achievement bullet should demonstrate how you added value by skill deployment with a tangible outcome which is the achievement itself.
If your achievements have impacted the organisation on a national or international scale, then make sure you are very clear about this on your CV, so that the reader is in no doubt about how wide your remit is.
A professional CV writing service will be able to produce compelling achievements that will instantly impress the reader and make them want to interview you.

Career History on a Managing Director CV

Next begin to describe your Managing Director work history in reverse chronological order.

Label this section 'Career History', start with the job title, then the employer name and the dates worked there on the right-hand side - include the months as well.

When you're writing a CV, there is little point in including duties and responsibilities as these will be self-evident from your job title. Also remember that this is your CV and not your job's CV.
It must be personal, skill-centred and achievement-orientated and describe actions you took that made a major difference to the organisation; weak achievements have no place on an MD's CV.
Ideally keep your Managing Director CV to 2 pages, any longer and it will be boring to read and turn the reader off you.
Do not give a lot of space over to 'older' jobs, they will be less relevant and influential, plus they will add to the length of your MD CV, remember you're trying to keep your CV to two pages.
Consider an 'Additional Experience' sub-heading to consolidate older jobs, perhaps a single bullet without dates - simply put 'previous roles have included'. This will also tell the reader that you have some consistency in sector or senior positions.
Taper the content as you go back beyond 7 to 10 years - for a senior position it is what you have delivered over the last 5 years that will be the real decider!

Education / Qualification section on a Managing Director CV

The Education section would normally fit in after the Career History for a Managing Director, as your achievements and career history are far more important than your education. It's only really recent college or university leavers who need to put their education earlier in their CV's.

Bullet point each of your qualifications and start with the most recent qualification first: list the qualification itself, where it was taken and if it was recent then you can include the date if you want to.
Don't let the Education section on your Managing Director CV take up too much space, it's far better to use the space for your work related experience and your excellent achievements.
There is probably little point in either including or dating old and irrelevant qualifications. They will not be part of the interview invitation criteria and simply give the reader even more turn-off content to read when their brain is at its least receptive.

Other Information Needed on a Managing Director CV

The final section will simply include important information that will complement your application, but does not logically fit elsewhere in your CV.

Always keep this section brief and relevant - you may not even need this section on a Managing Director CV.
People tend to list things like driving licence, IT software expertise and language skills, but only include these if they are relevant to what you want to do next.
Resist the temptation to put at the end 'references available on request' or list hobbies and interests - both will make the CV sound very junior and certainly will not influence the reader to invite you for interview.

Make Sure You Sell Yourself on Your Managing Director CV

Whatever level you're at, your CV must sell you to your next potential employer. This is supremely important on a Managing Director CV, as you are the figurehead for the organisation, so if your CV doesn't sell you, why would anyone want to employ you? With this in mind:

You must make sure that your CV exemplifies everything that you have to offer your next prospective employer and that it captures you and everything that you have to offer.
Show how you've led the overall organisational strategy, driven the organisation's corporate goals and led the management team to achieve ever greater targets and results.
Provide as many examples as you can on your Managing Director CV of how you've personally added value, and championed both improvements and change within the organisation.
If you're responsible for a lot of employees, then show how you've enthused and motivated them in everything you've done, how you've made a difference and improved the workforce and their capabilities.
If you're working for a large organisation, make sure you show how you fit into the overall organisational structure, so you can give the reader an understanding of your abilities.

Want to Improve Your Managing Director CV and Get More Interviews?

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Professional CV Writing Service - find out how our expert CV writers can transform your Managing Director CV, so that you'll get the job interviews that you really deserve.
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Example CVs - take a look at these expertly written CVs that show you how a CV should be written if it is to attract the attention of both recruiters and employers.
CV Writing Tips - check out our main advice section on CV writing, with lots of free articles that will inform you on a wide range of different topics relating to how to enhance and improve your CV, so that you get hired!