Compliance Resume - 6 Elements Hiring Authorities Should Look For

The most effective resumes follow a certain formula. Maurice Gilbert, Executive Compliance Recruiter, offers insight into how to quickly spot top candidates when reviewing resumes.

Having recruited compliance professionals for 20 years, several of my hiring authorities ask me what they should look for in reviewing a professional’s resume (CV). I have penned this article based on the review of thousands of compliance CVs.

The first thing to note: This article is brief, which is consistent with an element outlined below.

Because the CV will be your first touchpoint with the professional, treat this presentation by the candidate with the following rule of thumb: “When people show you who they are, you should believe them.”

Here are six traits to look for in a great resume:

1. Accomplishment oriented

Listing accomplishments is important, because the only reason to hire someone is to create value for your organization. The professional should be able to present two or three specific examples of how he/she created value for current and previous employers. A specific example can read as such: “Did ABC that resulted in XYZ.”

2. Evidences an ability to educate and partner with the business

Compliance professionals must be strong communicators. To position oneself to effect change, a professional must demonstrate his/her ability to develop relationships of trust, educate the business and work in tandem with business owners to manage risk. Look for specific language and illustrations in the CV as to whether and how the candidate has built partnerships and successfully collaborated on projects.

3. Demonstrates the candidate is plugged in to continuous learning

The regulatory landscape is continuously changing, and compliance professionals are required to stay on top of regulatory and industry pronouncements. Top candidates will note on their CV their involvement in professional compliance associations and events as attendee or speaker. Also look for experience authoring articles.

4. Personalized to the employer’s requirements

It will be obvious to you if the candidate presented a CV that directly speaks to your open position or is a generic CV that is designed to try to address the needs of several companies.

5. Short and concise

The resume should not exceed two typed pages. If a professional provides too much detail, it is a red flag that they don’t know how to effectively communicate to senior management, and that is what they are required to do. I advise professionals to write a CV as though it were a glorified business card. “Show the red sports car, not how it’s made.”

6. Formatted for easy reading

The CV should:

• Be on white paper with black type face
• Contain adequate white space
• List current employer and work backward accordingly
• For each employer, provide a short, two-sentence summary of overall scope of work, followed by several bullet points detailing accomplishments

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Maurice Gilbert? is Managing Partner of?Conselium Executive Search and founder and former CEO of Corporate Compliance Insights.