In the first of our new series for portfolio NEDs in the public sector, Rosemary Baylis-West, who advises central government organisations and independent schools, was joined by Carys Williams, Lead NED at Welsh Government, and Manish Joshi, Board member at Scottish Government, to talk about their different experiences of portfolio life in the public sector.

Carys and Manish shared their insights and highlights from varied portfolio experiences, and their tips for moving into a portfolio career, taking on new roles within a portfolio, and finding a good balance between roles. Rosemary shared some practical tips on CV writing and engaging with GatenbySanderson.

Top tips for applying for roles:

Be discerning in what roles you pursue

• Having a genuine interest in the work of the organisation is so important to ensure you stay engaged and interested over time if you’re appointed.
• Consider carefully whether and how your values align with those of the organisation.
• Find out what you can about the Chair and existing Board members, as well as the organisation you’re applying to, to check whether the mutual fit feels right. What can you bring that’s different / additive?

Consider the practical factors:

• What time do you have available to give to the organisation?
• Are there any geographical constraints?
• Are you looking for a paid role?

Preparing your CV

Lead with a strong profile paragraph at the top of the CV; four or five sentences in the first person that highlight qualities you’re valued for; for example, providing balanced critique, tenacity, asking value-adding questions. This is also an opportunity to draw together the experience that you offer; either existing Chair and NED experience or transferable experiences and strategic skills developed in your executive career if you’re a first-time applicant. Draw out any geographical connection or connection to the organisation, and of course any lived experience.

The bulk of a non-executive CV should be impact and achievements in non-exec life and then a brief section detailing your executive career, followed by qualifications and referees:

• Start with non-executive experience, ensuring that you explain the organisations, their reach, size (headcount), turnover, with executive career briefly on page 2 or 3.
• For NED roles it can be helpful to draw out the structure of governance (e.g. I was on a Board of six NEDs), particularly if there are levels of governance and the skills and experiences that you bring from that role.
• Make sure you evidence impact in bullet points under each NED role held – where possible use metrics/ numbers to bring it to life
• First time applicants need to draw out the transferable experiences that you bring from executive life – the board level skills that you offer. If you’re not yet at board level, outline your team-building skills, stakeholder skills or any strategic work you have led or been a key part of.

Preparing your personal statement /letter of application

1. State clearly why you are applying for this board role, Differentiate yourself from other applicants by showing you’ve done your research. Leave the organisation in no doubt about why you’ve applied to them specifically; what’s excited you, what’s surprised you, what are some of their challenges?
2. Be clear that you can make the time commitment, if you’re already in a portfolio career, explain why you can make the time commitment for this one, what are your other commitments, are any roles about to come to an end?
3. Give tangible examples of impact against the person specification, use the star model if helpful (situation, task, action, result), what impact did you personally have, what did your insights or actions lead to? If a first time applicant, what transferable examples can you share?

Once appointed, your ability to be organise your own diary and manage your time in portfolio life is essential

The best NEDs bring insight, integrity and influence between the formal meetings.
You need to schedule time for formal meetings but also allow sufficient time for pre-reading, as well as the informal work that happens in between.

Consider finding a buddy on your new Board to offer NED to NED support and insights.
Set your boundaries so you can balance the time you give to each role, and you do not over commit to a board that you have a particular passion for.

You need to manage the balancing of different roles: swapping from one role to another as a portfolio NED means changing the tone, tempo and terminology for the different board roles. Colour coding the different board roles in the diary can help define actions and meetings.

The importance of building relationships

Building relationships with fellow board members is vital, and also within the organisation for depth of understanding of the personalities, culture and operation. It will also help you be more motivated and engaged as you hear the stories of how the organisation is changing the lives of people in their communities, and feel part of a bigger team.

Ready to take the next step in your non-executive journey, and either start a portfolio career or take your next step in portfolio life?

Whether you’re just starting out or refining your board-level ambitions, expert guidance can make all the difference.

For personalised mentoring, CV and statement reviews, or strategic advice on your next application, reach out directly to Rosemary Baylis-West: rosemary.baylis-west@gatenbysanderson.com