Finding work as an Interim Manager

What types of roles are available?
Pretty much any role which you could carry out as a full time employee could be handed by an Interim Manager. However, interim managers are generally hired for middle to senior management type roles, right up to Managing Director or even CEO level, and in any industry sector.

What experience do I need?
Depends what the job calls for. Yes, bit of an obvious answer bit the range of opportunities available are huge and growing everyday. The most experienced and highly paid roles will often call for Board, Operating Board or Executive Committee level experience. Whereas a senior line or functional specialist, a senior management generalist or professional Project Manager or Programme Director will look for you to:

• Demonstrate a background of progressive achievement and clear success, especially with budgetary and personnel responsibility (clients love to hire successful people, so make sure your CV is covered in successful achievements).
• Be recognised as credible and a high performer when measured against your peers,
  show a track record of real and quantifiable achievements.
• Possess well-developed people management and communication skills.
• Be capable of contributing a wealth of knowledge and added value from Day One.

A common phrase which is often used in relation to Interim Managers is that they should be ‘suitably over-qualified’, and this is often a good description!

What personal strengths must I have?
It’s not just about experience, it’s also about having a certain working style and personality type. For example, as an Interim Manager you must be able to:

• Be happy with change or ambiguity, and be comfortable when moving from one organisational culture to another.
• Focus on your main functional discipline and be clear on what you have to offer to clients by way of your past experience, successes and track record.
• Have strong interpersonal skills, whether operating independently or as a team member, depending on the requirement.
• Quickly establish a rapport, building trust, and ‘selling yourself’ confidently.
• Hit the ground running in any situation.
• Get results fast, whilst adopting a diplomatic approach.
• Be perceptive, with the skills to quickly assess what’s going on in a totally new environment.
• Have the ability to analyse, develop solutions, influence and then deliver on time and within budget.
• Provide an independent perspective to the management team.

And lastly, you must also possess sufficient energy, drive and tenacity to secure a new assignment on average every six to nine months!

Creating an Interim Manager CV
Everyone who works in recruitment has an opinion on how to create the perfect CV, and many of these contradict each other! However, they do mostly agree on some key points, all of which are relevant for Interim Managers as well:

• Aim for no more than three pages unless you’re adding Case Studies.
• Outline the results you have achieved, giving greater focus and explanation to your achievements in the last three to four years, as Interim Managers are hired for their current knowledge.
• In particular, highlight any projects which have included Interim Management, project management or change management.
• Include as many relevant key words as possible, particularly focused on your specialist area and be sure to note any fluency in languages.
• Make it easy for the reader by being clear on what you have to offer, note dates of employment in chronological order and be prepared to add notes that will help illustrate your experience when pursuing a particular assignment.
• Create the document in a Word file, use an easy-to-read typeface and don’t use photographs.

Where can I get more advice?
It’s well worth talking to the Interim Management Association (IMA). The IMA is not a recruitment agency in itself, but instead it represents the majority of established and leading Interim Management recruiters currently operating in the UK market. One such IMA member is Archer Mathieson who come highly recommended by a number of our clients. You may also like to visit the IMA Institute's site which is the professional body for professional Interim Managers. 

Accountancy services for Interim Managers from SJD Accountancy
If you are already an Interim Manager operating through your own limited company, or if you are thinking of setting up as an Interim Manager or even working through an umbrella company and want to go limited, then SJD Accountancy can give you a wealth of information and advice - as well as providing a low cost fixed-fee accountancy service which has been developed specifically for Interim Managers, freelancers and contractors. 

SJD Accountancy is the UK's largest specialist provider of fixed fee, limited company accountancy services to Interim Managers, contractors and freelancers. We've been acting for clients across the UK since 1992 and have more than 10,000 already.

If you have any question about contracting or would like any further advice please call our New Client Services helpdesk on 0500 152 500 or email jaime.thorpe@sjdaccountancy.com.

We are the only national specialist firm of accountants with offices in all major UK cities, so you’ll never be far from your accountant. SJD also has more qualified staff than any other firm in our market, with qualifications from the following major tax and accountancy bodies - ATII, ATT, ACCA, CA, ACA, FCCA, ACMA. You’ll also be pleased to know that we are one of the lowest priced as well. All of our clients receive:

• Free face-to-face meetings. This is another unique service, only SJD offers free face to face meetings - tax is complicated and sometimes only a meeting will do.
• Unlimited access to your own dedicated accountant. No call centres, no outsourcing, no automated call handling. Simply telephone, email or meet your own dedicated accountant face to face.
• Money back service guarantee. All your telephone calls and emails will be answered the same day or we will refund your monthly fee.
• Outstanding reputation. We have won more awards for customer service and accountancy excellence than any other firm in our market.

We offer an all inclusive low cost monthly package which includes completion of accounts, payroll bureau, dividends and corporation tax computations, personal taxation, free bookkeeping software, unlimited access to your accountant and all company returns.

All this for a fixed monthly fee of £95 plus VAT, which is one of the lowest prices in the market.

Appoint SJD Accountancy and never worry about your tax or accountancy affairs again!

You may also find the following pages, guides and case studies useful: