Healthcare and Academic Leaders: Don’t Downplay Your CV—Reframe It

If, like me, you have spent years in senior roles in healthcare delivery or education, as Clinical Leaders,  Directors, Head of School, Pro-Vice Chancellor, or Deans, you’ve likely built a CV filled with achievement, change, innovation, leadership, strategy, and impact.

But in today’s new job market, you might be wondering:

“Should I tone this down to avoid seeming overqualified?”

You're not alone. I hear this question from coachee’s, colleagues and leaders a lot.

And the answer isn't to downplay, it's to reframe.

So I find myself reflecting on this question and wonder why high-level leaders feel the urge to shrink

In healthcare and academia, roles are evolving. Structures are evolving into a much flatter leadership approach. Budgets are becoming tighter and we hear from our leaders that they are  are exhausted.

This can lead to real doubts. As they face today's changing health care environment, they may also find themselves moving into the job market or exploring what's next. With this often comes self-doubt and beliefs that they may not be able to fulfil the expectations of those shortlisting or interviewing. Often, they don’t even get that far, with the first appraisal of their skills and abilities being undertaken by AI and Bots working through pre-programmed skills and knowledge shortlisting programmes. We often see the most competent and confident leaders query their plans, questioning their next steps in their career with :

• “Am I too senior for what’s out there?”

• “Will they think I’m not hands-on enough?”

• “What if I just want something with less political noise or pressure?”

  
  

That’s completely valid. But shrinking your experience doesn’t solve this. It hides your value and may lead you into roles that don’t fit at all.

The challenge isn't that you're too much. It's that your brilliance needs translating for the audience in front of you.

Hiring panels, especially in health and higher education, want:

• Leaders who understand systems and complexity

• People who can stabilise and transform

• Visionaries who also get the operational grind

They just need to see that in your story and hear that from you.

You can move into a role that better fits your energy and ambition without diluting who you are.

In coaching, I help academic and healthcare leaders to:

✅ Articulate leadership in ways that land with hiring panels

✅ Align senior experience with roles that offer meaning, not burnout

✅ Shift from survival mode into purposeful following chapters

Your CV Is Not the Problem. Your Framing Might Be.

If you're trying to find the next role, contract or step and are experiencing challenging conversations around your application or interest don’t downplay your CV, ask instead:

• What if I could reframe my experience around my values?

• What would it mean to lead with clarity instead of compromise?

• How can I demonstrate that being present as an authentic leader can enhance the delivery of the role?

This is where transformation begins.

Let’s make your next role one that recognises your values, knowledge, and skills, and respects your impact, not one that requires you to hide them.