If I want to emphasize leadership experience, is it OK to highlight jobs outside my functional area where I was a leader?

Question

I am applying for middle/senior management positions at younger companies (avg employee age 30) in a function where I am manager since only 2 years. Is it OK to give a lot of weight also to roles I had in the past that were not in the same functional area - so that I can emphasize my leadership experience rather than my technical experience?

e.g.
2012-2014 IT Analytics Manager(write many details)
2011-2012 IT Solutions Assistant
2010-2011 Junior Analyst
2008-2010 Business Development Manager (write many details)
2006-2008 Customer Care Team Manager (write many details)

Answer 1

Of course.

Your CV is meant to give an overview of what you have realised during your life, but you're free to stress certain aspects (things you did really well, things you want to continue doing) over others.

Focusing on your last job is a logical consequence: if you liked that job, and you want to continue doing it, that job is "more relevant" to who you are and what you do, then the 6 months you spent waiting tables when you were 18.

Do be prepared for the question during the interview why you stressed certain aspects more, but there are many good answers:

• I really enjoyed that particular position (because I like managing complex teams / because I like taking responsibility / because I like long-term thinking...)
• That's the job where I picked up many different skills / my most recent skills, which I'd like to use in my further career
• ...

The default advice for a resume is still valid here: let your CV show what you accomplished, your "added value" for your employer. Work with concretes: how many people were in your team, did you report to the CEO, how much million dollar was your project, ...

Answer 2

If you have acquired the experience, by all means, mention it. You've earned the right to mention it. When it comes to management experience, nobody is too particular about where you got it from, as long as it is legit and you can talk about it as if you learned something valuable about it.

Management is anything but genius work and in fact, it's not supposed to be genius work. Because if management were genius work, we'd all be in serious trouble since maybe 1 in 1000 people is a genius, and that's too few geniuses for our management needs. Having said that, good managers who actually get things done are still hard to find.

Answer 3

This is where the cover letter is your friend. While those prior jobs may not get as much page space as more recent positions in your resume, your cover letter should help the interviewer understand how that other experience demonstrates qualities that would be beneficial for the company in this position.