5 Tips To Improve Your Marketing CV To Recruiters/Hiring Managers
Life Of A Marketing Girl is embarking on November Mentorship with our community girls. We think it is important to not wait for the new year to get our mindset right to achieve our goals. We can start now.
So with only limited spaces to see so many people in November, we want to ensure we are sticking to our mission. Which is to; encourage, inspire and educate young girls who desire to get into marketing and share tips to help you achieve your careers goals. Starting with your CV.
CV – Should my CV look creative?
Through emails and DM’s via our Instagram page, this has been a very popular question. The answer is simple. There is no perfect CV but we encourage CV’s for creative marketing jobs in, fashion, music and entertainment to have a creative look and feel to their CV. This could be from a distinctive colourful border, to a whole theme of a resume. What’s most important is that you are confident of what your CV represents in terms of experience and it looks how you would like to represent you.
This could be through various small improvements such as:
- Using CV template this is a really great way to stand out and helps you create a bespoke theme that no one else would have. It is a cool and creative change that can improve how you show off your skills. Have a look at this link to see examples.
- Simple and easy to read – Creative does not have to mean complex, remember it is quality over quantity. Ensure you write short simple sentences and is clear to read. Think job responsibility back up by an example of this.
- Infographics – Sometimes sentences can’t always explain the depth of knowledge or what you have achieved. we advise using infographics, which is a unique way to show off your skills and results in a creative yet professional approach.
- Create A Personal Brand – If you’re sending a portfolio, resume, and cover letter to apply for your dream creative role think about how you can make all the elements of your application look more unified and professional. Treating your job application as an exercise in branding is a great way to both elevate your application to the next level and prove to your future employer that you can be creative while working within a set of brand rules.
Highlight Key Achievements/Accomplishments
In reality, it would be great for HR managers to read through every CV that comes through their inbox, but unfortunately not all hiring managers do their Du-diligence. So we have to make it easier for them to see yours. You can do this by highlighting your key achievements within each job role previously. Whether it is a success you are proud of in university or even charity work. Use your CV to show off what you have achieved, so they have no choice but to look at your CV.
Including transferable skills
Another question we get asked quite often is about transferring from one industry into marketing and what their CV should look like to show they are eligible to be considered. All skills are transferable, as a business no matter what industry needs professionals equipped to do the job. If your background is finance, that’s great when dealing with marketing budgets that is a skill that is still relevant. If you are a strong writer then that is also a transferable skill as writing briefs and presentations is also required in marketing which is needed and useful. The key traits are the most transferrable skills you currently have that work best with the desired role you are looking at, that you can relate it too. In marketing, you have to be adaptable more than anything so giving examples of that is what will really stands out.
Should my CV be different if I am applying to marketing jobs in different industries?
You should have a standard CV which outlines all your skills. But when you are applying for a specific job or in a specific industry, use this template but adapt it so that it is accurate to align with the job role you are applying for.
Spelling and Grammer
Last but not least spelling and grammar are so important. We are all human and not perfect, but your CV is your first impression and it is imperative you show your best self. This will be the first chance a hiring manager will basically see you and your work history. Ensure it is easy to read, simple to comprehend from beginning to end and lastly shows off your skills and talents which will be of value to the role you are applying for.
If you have any questions you would like us to answer, please DM us via our Instagram page and we will do an article on it.