I have read thousands upon thousands of CVs over the past 25 years as a recruiter, so I wanted to share some practical tips on how to write a CV that is informative, clear and concise for Organisational Change practitioners.
The market is competitive. You need your CV to cut through and clearly demonstrate your experience so you can secure an interview.
Not all recruiters review CVs the same way
It is important to understand who is reading your CV.
I specialise in change management. I can look at a CV and quickly determine how much real change experience someone has.
However, you may be applying through an internal recruiter. They often have 20 plus roles across multiple disciplines and business units. They are not deep specialists in change. They are scanning for:
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job titles
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years of experience
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keywords that match the position description
Your CV may also be scanned by AI. If the wording does not align, you may not get through.
That is the reality.
A simple test for your CV
Give your CV to someone outside of your field. Not your mum. A friend who does not work in change.
If they cannot clearly tell:
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what you did
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what the project was
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what the outcome was
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what the benefit was
then your CV is not clear enough.
This is one of the biggest issues I see.
Get to the point
The key is the right information, not more words.
Avoid opening with a paragraph full of soft skills. Statements like:
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great stakeholder engagement
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people person
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strong communicator
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enjoy taking people on the journey
These are expected. I would be concerned if a Change Manager did not have these.
A CV is not where you prove personality. It is where you demonstrate what you have done.
CV length. Keep it practical
One page CVs do not work in this space. They simply do not provide enough detail.
A good guide:
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4 to 7 pages is appropriate
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current role and last 5 years in detail
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earlier roles summarised with company, title and dates
I do not need a page per project. But I do need enough information to understand your experience.
There is a place for a one pager, such as a consulting tender. This advice is for those applying for permanent, fixed term or day rate roles.
Keep the layout simple
Plain is best.
Avoid:
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graphics
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columns everywhere
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icons, arrows or emojis
These can break when submitted through systems and make your CV harder to read.
Use spacing well. White space between roles and projects makes a big difference.
What to include
Your CV needs to clearly show the work you have done in change.
If you have been in one organisation for a few years and worked across multiple initiatives, do not list everything. Focus on the more complex and relevant programs.
Show variety where possible. For example:
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operating model change
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large technology programs
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process transformation
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cultural or behavioural change
For each project, I want to understand:
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what the project was and why it was happening
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who was impacted and at what scale
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what your role was
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what you actually did
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what the outcome was
If you managed a team, include it. Be specific about size and roles.
Give context and scale
This is often missing.
Tell me:
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how many stakeholders were impacted
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whether they were internal or external
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size of the program
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level of complexity
Without this, it is difficult to assess the level you have operated at.
Show outcomes, not activity
This is critical in the current market.
Clients are looking for people who have delivered outcomes, not just supported activity.
Where possible, include measurable results:
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adoption rates
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engagement outcomes
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training completion
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efficiency improvements
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business benefits
Even directional outcomes are better than none.
Use STAR in your CV
Most people use STAR in interviews, but it works just as well in a CV.
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Situation – what was the project and why
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Task – what were you there to do
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Action – what did you actually do
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Result – what was achieved
This structure helps you stay clear and focused.
Example
Mar 2020 – Sept 2021
Client – Asgard
Organisational Change Management Lead
Stakeholders impacted: 5000 (national)
Change team: 3 (Change Analyst, Training Manager, Communications Manager)
Project Thor – ERP implementation
A complex program replacing multiple legacy systems with a cloud based ERP aligned to the organisation’s strategic objectives. The program covered supply chain, sales, product lifecycle and finance capabilities and was one of the largest ERP implementations in Australia at the time.
Led the end to end change management scope from business case through to go live, impacting approximately 5000 employees including national warehouse and distribution networks.
Accountable for delivery of communications, training, stakeholder engagement, business readiness and change measurement. Managed a cross functional change team and established a change network across the business.
Outcomes:
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100% positive feedback across 100 internal communication activities
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100% positive feedback across 350 training artefacts
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Established and managed a 70 person change network
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High employee satisfaction at go live
Final point
This advice is specific to Change practitioners.
Recruiters in this space typically manage a small number of roles and will take the time to read a well structured CV.
If you are a Project Manager or Business Analyst, it is a different dynamic. Recruiters may be managing 20 to 40 roles at once. In that case, you may need a shorter version of your CV as well.