by Naike Moshi
Are you an accomplished entrepreneur or experienced leader looking for board opportunities? Here are the seven strategies on how you can position yourself for board opportunities if it is one of your career goals.
Start on a smaller scale
This was one of the best strategies that worked for me as I was building my board experience. It provided an opportunity to learn, network, serve and grow. There are many startups, non-profit organizations that looking for board members, you can always put yourself forward.
Prepare a board cv
When I first started applying for board opportunities, I did not know that you have to prepare a board resume. I was sharing my standard cv. This was a mistake. It's not surprising that I did not receive callbacks. Board CVs slightly differ from the standard CVs. The board CV highlights your leadership skills/experience, board experience, industry knowledge, professional networks.
Identify your value proposition
My background in human resources and expertise in talent and passion for gender landed my first advisory board role. It’s important to identify what you bring to the board table or your value proposition. Cover who you are and what you can bring to the board with a focus on your leadership and strategic abilities, collaboration skills, and industry expertise.
Showcase your skills and knowledge
Do a skills assessment and find out what are your areas of expertise and knowledge. Review your board-relevant experience and look at the skills that are specific to the board member roles advertised or shared. Showcase what you do.
Have an online presence
I was surprised to learn that personal branding, thought leadership and online presence are critical aspects when looking for local and global board opportunities. I remember my mentor asked me, “Naike have you tried to Google yourself? Do you come up in a search? When looking for board member roles, it’s crucial to build your brand, visibility, and thought leadership. If you Google yourself, does your name come up? Is your LinkedIn profile optimized for recruiters to find you? The world is moving to a digital space, opportunities come to those who are known for what they do.
Invest in yourself
Improve your knowledge and expertise in the areas of directorship and governance. There are many resources/training available online or offline, use them to learn and increase your expertise and capacity to contribute to the board. The best investment you can make is in yourself.
Network, network, and network
Many board roles are never advertised. You can tap into the hidden job market by networking and let the right people know of your board aspirations. Board appointments are still offered based on recommendations.
Have the confidence to put yourself forward. Own your journey and don’t give up at the first rejection.
What are other key strategies you can add to assist in securing board roles? Please comment below?
Naike Moshi is the Country director of CVPeople Tanzania and founder & CEO of Women in Management Africa (WIMA). She is an MBA graduate and holds a dual degree in Human Resource and Business Management from Tennessee Wesleyan University in USA. She started her professional career in a US Tax Consulting firm and has enjoyed challenging, diverse assignments in the management consultancy industry.