How To Construct A CV – And Secure The First Interview Part 3: Fine Detail

I finally got around to writing the final instalment of this guide to CV writing. So, to recap: in my first instalment of this series, I gave you some pointers on the overall impression that your CV should exude. In the second post, we looked at the structure and content for the CV in a handy ten-point plan. In this final instalment, we’ll consider the finer details of your present and last roles (in particular).


So, when a recruiter, an MD or hiring manager looks at your CV, chances are it’s 26th in the pile of 150 CVs. Much as we don’t like to consider ourselves box-tickers, the requirements of the particular role will have created a shortlist in this hirer’s mind and when they look at the CV, they will be mentally scanning the page to find evidence of these skills and experiences quickly.


This is the reason that, rather than covering your CV with glitter, bells and whistles to try and make it stand out, it’s actually better to go for simple styling and let your skills speak from the page. It’s also part of the recruiters’ practice to alter the CV and make the most important skills for a particular role speak loudest on the CV, not something you’d necessarily have a feel for if applying directly and a good argument for using a recruiter. So this is another reason it’s important for a recruiter to meet you, or at least conduct a thorough interview, so that they understand your best skills, the nature and depth of those skills and can bring these to the fore. After this, they will also be able to advise which roles are more suited to you.


So the CV needs to be tailored, but for your model CV, there are 12 essential skills that will apply to all roles:

• Media Relations – Full breadth of media experience and coverage, plus areas where you have a particular strength. Three examples of coverage highlights would be good. Selling in over the phone and success stories
  


• Writing – Press releases, features, articles, reports, marketing copy, brochures, internal magazines etc. Writing for different audiences. Proof reading
  


• Research – Target client background research, competitor analysis, target audience research, researching journalists and bloggers
  


• Analysis – Tracking, analytics, measurement and reporting back to client on effectiveness
  


• Creativity – Taking a new angle for a client, coming up with creative story ideas, creative launch campaign ideas, brainstorming participation. Couple of examples would be good. Creativity is the most over-used term in PR for a reason
  


• Client Management – Great relationships with clients and at what levels within the organisation. Maybe you’ve handled difficult relationships well and turned round the fortunes of an ailing account. Maybe you persuaded a skeptical client to seek coverage in media outside their comfort zone. Good to put down any client praise and creds also
  


• Events – Helping set up and manage events, planning, logistics, inviting journos and bloggers, acting as a spokesperson, manning and running the stand at shows. Photo-shoots and stunts, experiential initiatives etc
  


• New Business – Planning, lead generation, putting pitches together, responding to RFIs, presenting at pitches
  


• Crisis & Issues – Were there any? How did you handle them? Were they planned for. You won’t necessarily be asked about this, but it looks impressive if you have experience of any crisis or issue that arose
  


• Online and SM – An essential point to address. Give all your exposure and experience handling online tools and social media channels, whether its managing a client’s twitter feed, or simply blogging for your agency
  


• Team Work – Do you work in a team? How many and do you have responsibility for anyone?
  


• Practice Breadth – Good to note if you have had most experience handling corporate or consumer PR, or if you have work fully across these areas
  

So, to put this into an example, and using the EMPLOYER – CLIENTS – ACTIVITIES – HIGHLIGHTS structure outlined in the last post on this, it might go a little something like this:


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ANONYMOUS PR


Account Manager: Jun 07 – May 09


Anonymous PR is a b2b and consumer specialist PR consultancy. As an account manager in a team of four, report into an account director and oversee two account executives, line managing one. My activities are a consumer PR focused, while working closely with the b2b team on some aspects of the Jane Dowe account.


Clients: Joe Bloggs Ltd (Male Grooming products), Jane Dowe EMEA (Market Research Firm, specializing in consumer and b2b financial services)


Responsibilities:

• Media Relations – Writing and selling in press releases and features, strong contacts with male lifestyle press and bloggers and national supplements for Joe Bloggs (GQ, FHM, Loaded, Times Telegraph, MadeMan.com, Brandish.com ), as well as consumer, national and EMEA level business media for Jane Dowe EMEA including Moneysavingexpert, Money Matters, FT, Economist, Wall Street Journal Europe, International Herald Tribune. Author opinion pieces and features and conduct proof reading for all Joe Bloggs output. Create new story angles for Joe Bloggs grooming products and distill market research papers into digestible copy for the consumer and business audiences to raise the profile of Jane Dowe
  


• Client Management – Strong relationships with clients. First point of contact for Joe Bloggs, work closely with the Head of PR UK. Weekly reporting to senior marketing manager within Jane Dowe EMEA including briefing senior clients executive and the CEO before interviews and roundtables. Help position the COO of Jane Dowe as the leading voice on post recession financial services trends
  


• New Business – Responsible for growing business from existing clients as well as assisting account director with lead generation as part of a new business team. Contributed to three consumer pitches, two successfully (including Joe Blogs) with background research, competitor analysis and presenting slides at pitch on consumer trends in key areas.
  


• Campaign Development & Analysis – Six to twelve month media plans including launch events, handling budgets and assisting account director with resource allocation. Pre-campaign measurement planning, through-campaign tracking, analytics and measurement and post-campaign reports for clients to demonstrate ROI and lessons leaned for the team
  


• Events – Help set up and manage events such as Mens’ World in Germany 2008 and annual International Market Research Expo 2009 in London, attended by over 2000 trade visitors, for Jane Dowe. Prepare speeches for executives and help manage the stands at events. Create copy for post- event brochure and e-shot campaigns by client marketing departments


• Crisis & Issues – Crisis planning and handling. Handled the Joe Bloggs Morning Boost shower gel recall and subsequent media frenzy. This included manning phone lines at the company’s press office for two days, issuing statements and assisting with consumer enquiries to the helpline
  


• Online and SM – Avid blogger and social media user. Manage Joe Bloggs twitter feed and assist marketing department with Facebook fanpage. Conduct outreach to online influencers in male lifestyle trends. Also helped set up a LinkedIn group for Jane Dowe, gaining 1,200 members in the first year.
  

Highlights:

• Exceeded stiff targets of 85 pieces of coverage per quarter for Joe Bloggs including hitting all key target media, online and broadcast (Sky News)
  


• Gained two double page spreads and a mention on Radio 5 Live for Joe Blogg’s Clean Sweep shaving foam. Organised the first bathroom tweet-up for the Clean Sweep and worked on a fully traditional and online marketing campaign for the launch with a minisite featuring shaving games. This has been nominated for a Sabre Award 2010
  


• Helped Jane Dowe to gain a wider audience in more general consumer pages
  


• Single handedly secured 12 interviews for the COO of Jane Dowe at IMRE ‘09
  

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…so, hopefully you can now bring all these tips together and weave your skills and experience into a format that truly communicates your skills and experience. And once you've done that, get in touch!


Happy typing…