As we all know, a CV is your first impression to a future employer. If you’re a marketer looking for your next role, whether you’re an experienced marketer or new to the industry, a brilliant CV is essential. Not only do you need to prepare something clear and easy to read but you need to highlight your assets and qualifications effectively.
You should keep in mind that employers spend mere seconds looking at CVs. So, it is essential that you capture the reader’s attention and convince them that you’re worthy of an interview. Preparing an effective CV can seem daunting but although it takes time and effort, you’re likely to get your dream job if you stick to the tips we’ve put together below.
1. Highlight your specialisms and experience level
The digital marketing industry is notably complex. This results in available roles becoming more and more particular and specialised. To build a successful career you’ll need to specialise in one or two areas of the digital marketing industry. However, if you’re new to the industry, include your future aspirations and career plans with a couple of sentences of your knowledge and education in your chosen area of expertise and this will demonstrate that you’re perfect for entry-level positions to employers instead.
2. Keep relevant experience at the top of your CV
Most people fall victim to placing their academic and professional qualifications at the top of their CV’s, with the impression that these are the most important assets for securing a job. In some roles, this could be the case, but it is not always essential. Additionally, if web design is your preferred area of expertise and you happen to have a computer science degree, you should make this very visible on your CV. On the other hand, digital marketers often have degrees that don’t necessarily relate to their chosen career path. Even though qualifications are important, you don’t have to place them at the top of your CV, halfway down works better for this industry.
3. Note your successes and be specific
When it comes to writing about your work experience, remember to highlight your successes and more importantly your methods and results. Providing a brief list of your responsibilities and nothing else will probably alienate the person reading your CV as they will find it difficult to determine how effective you were in the roles you’ve listed. If you have huge successes like driving traffic to a company website or you’ve previously secured a valuable contract, be sure to put this in your CV. Remember, your CV is not a place for modesty.
4. If you don’t have paid work experience, create a portfolio
We all have to start somewhere, so don’t worry if you’ve just left university with little to no work experience. Creating a portfolio will prove you have essential skills for your potential employer and help to get your foot on the ladder. If you’re seeking a job with no work experience and no portfolio, you are likely to struggle with securing interviews in today’s job market. If this sounds like you, make sure you spend some time honing your skills in your own time, before applying for vacancies.
5. Create a digital-friendly CV
Nowadays not many people will ask for or read a hard copy of your CV. So, this calls for a digital-friendly CV. You should make sure that the layout of your CV remains clear and legible across a range of different document formats. Creating a website based CV is a good way to ensure your CV is digital-ready. Not only does making your CV digital-ready ensure you stand out from other candidates, but it will also show that you have a strong handle in digital technology.
Note: Keep in mind that website CVs can be trickier to tailor for specific vacancies as they’re usually publicly accessible.
Stick to these 5 steps and your digital marketing career is bound to take off. As a final step, be sure to keep your CV between 1 or 2 sides of A4. If you go over this amount of pages, you may have included too much information that employers are likely to skip past. If you have to cut out any information, remember that a good CV is an advertisement of your marketing skills, not an autobiography.
If you’re looking for your next marketing role, head over to our jobs board to see the roles we have available.
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