Prospective Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) often ask me if career gaps or career issues will affect their chances of being appointed as a Non-Executive Director. These concerns include failed business ventures, time out of the workforce, career gaps, political stoushes, sackings, redundancies, and even erratic work histories.
If any of these reasons are preventing you from pursuing a NED or governance role, there is good news. As long as you have never been barred from acting as a Director, these blemishes are rarely something that can’t be overcome and even more rarely impact your potential appointment… if you address them properly.
Here is what I suggest
Don’t avoid the elephant in the room
My first piece of advice is not to ignore your history. In fact, why even try? I can assure you that those reading your application or interviewing you will quickly identify any areas of concern. So, if you have a gap or blemish, address it head-on, usually this is best done in your board cover letter. It is going to come out sooner or later. The later it comes out, there will be more assumptions that you are hiding something. And that something will likely be interpreted to be much worse than the reality.
Avoiding the issue will generate a level of distrust and potential risk to the board or Chair when considering your appointment. It will offer an easy reason to reject your application. It’s just not worth it.
Be honest
Don’t attempt to add a spin to your history by portraying it as something it isn’t. If it was a failed business, don’t try to pivot the experience into something that would be of value to the board. Even if some of what you learnt may be of value, from my experience, trying to convince people of the positives will rarely be acknowledged. Instead, own the situation and move on. I advise addressing the blip and refocusing the conversation instead on examples where your success can be demonstrated.
Prepare for the questions & objections
Be prepared to answer inevitable questions about career gaps or blemishes. When doing so, avoid unclear or vague answers, which create an exaggerated fear that you have something to hide. Again, just own your history and don’t try to hide the challenges. Be upfront and as detailed as you can be. Then, pivot to examples of your success. Addressing the issue early on will mean that you have more control over the questions asked of you and head off any objections you are likely to face.
Focus on what they need and how you can help
Most board appointment processes focus on what the organisation and board needs, so you should focus on this. You need to know your value. This is what you must be able to articulate in your board profile. You must demonstrate that your experience, skills and passion far outweigh any concerns they may have. To do this, you must conduct thorough research. Once complete, you will know what issues the organisation and board are facing and be able to articulate how you can help. You will also show that you are a proactive, intelligent, connected, informed, committed and appointable candidate. In doing so, any gaps or blips in your career are more easily overcome by decision-makers.
There is no such thing as a perfect board candidate
Of course, chairs will always favour candidates who are not seen as a risk to the board, themselves, or the organisation. However, while they may want one, boards and chairs know there is no such thing as a perfect board member or candidate. Instead, they want to appoint someone they are confident can do the job asked of them and fill the skill or knowledge gaps they currently lack.
At the end of the day, gaps, blips, or blemishes are rarely as big a deal as you think they are. Board candidates assume others expect them to be perfect. They are not. They never are. They never will be. Don’t get in the mindset of expecting perfection from yourself and that you will not be appointed if you aren’t. This simply isn’t true.
Dare them not to appoint you – blemishes and all
Focusing on your achievements, adding value, and developing authentic relationships will work towards eliminating career gaps and blemishes.
A recent study found that a strong recommendation from one current or past board member counts more than fulfilling all the appointment criteria. So, you should also focus your attention on building strong relationships and connections.
Become a notable candidate by getting to know the organisation personally, the board members, past board members, their clients and partners – anyone and everyone connected with the organisation you would like to be appointed to. Not only will this level of research and connectedness alleviate any fear that might be connected to your career issues, but it also has the potential to unlock the 80% of board opportunities that are never advertised. This is just one strategy that we teach our Executive Members to pursue.
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About the Author
David Schwarz is CEO & Founder of Board Appointments – The UK’s leading board advertising and non-executive career support firm. He has over a decade of experience of putting people on boards as an international headhunter and a non-executive recruiter and has interviewed over one thousand non-executives and placed hundreds into some of the most significant public, private and NFP roles in the world.