How to Write a Professional CV for Social Media Jobs in 2023? (with samples)
Your CV is your marketing document that shows prospective employers why you are the right fit for the company. Studies show that recruiters spend around 7 seconds to analyze CVs and determine whether or not you are a suitable candidate for the interview. It means you have only a few seconds to make your first impression.
This article will guide you on how to make a great first impression on your recruiter with a good CV for social media jobs.
What should you add to your CV?
Contact/personal information
The first part of your CV should describe your contact/personal information that the recruiter needs to call you for the interview. Write your name as the title of your CV and then write your professional title. Write the following details in the personal info section.
- Phone number
- Email address
- Home address
- Link to your professional portfolio (optional)
Your age, marital status, and nationality are not required, but you can add them if you have space.
Qualifications
In this section, you have to tell the recruiter why you are qualified for this post. You can mention how you have helped your ex-employers achieve their social media goals and what accomplishments you plan to make once you get hired by the company. Don’t forget to write the full name of the company and the job title you are applying for.
Keep this section short – 100 words maximum is the ideal length. Start with the attributes that the recruiter wants candidates to have.
Education
Name all the degrees that you have achieved so far. Write the most recent degree title first. Include the following information under it.
- Name of the institute
- Qualification type
- Date
- Dates you attended and completed the degree
You can also mention your grades if they are exceptional.
Work experience
It is one of the most important sections that can set you apart from other candidates. Here, you need to mention your previous roles, internships, and volunteering. Make sure each role that you add is related to the job title you are applying for. Write them in reverse chronological order.
Mention each job role as a subtitle (bold and larger font), and then add the following info under each subtitle.
- Employment dates
- Company name
- Your key responsibilities (maximum 3 to 4)
Write key responsibilities in bullet form. Start each point with an action verb. For instance:
- ‘Created’ and ‘executed’ social media campaigns.
- ‘Wrote’ engaging and informative content.
Skills
Make a list of all the relevant soft and hard skills. Such as:
Hard skills:
- Content writing
- Graphic designing
- Social media strategy
- Social media analytics
- Data analysis
- Tools or software (such as Photoshop etc.)
Soft skills:
- Data organization
- Creative thinking
- Written and oral communication
- Time management
Avoid exaggerating, as you will have to prove the mentioned skills during your interview.
Additional information
If there is space left on the page, you can also add the following sections.
Achievement
You can highlight all the significant things you have achieved so far. They should be related to the job role you are applying for. Experienced candidates can mention their professional achievements, and entry-level candidates can mention their academic achievements.
Certifications
If you have one or more certifications, you can include them in your resume under the “certification” heading. Make each item a subheading and add the following information under each subheading.
- Full name of certification (with its most common abbreviation)
- Name of the host organization
- The date you earned the certification
Hobbies
Try to add something unique that shows you are suitable for the position, such as writing, designing, learning about current events, etc.
References
Here, you can simply write ‘references available on request’ as sharing the name and details of referees is no longer expected. But if you want to fill the space, write the following information under the name of each referee.
- Job title
- Email address
- Phone number
CV samples
For entry-level/intermediate-level candidates
For senior candidates
CV format-related guidelines
- Don’t use ‘curriculum vitae’ or ‘CV’ as the title of your CV. No one uses it anymore. It seems very outdated now. Instead, write your name along with the professional title.
- Break your CV into different sections with the help of headings and subheadings.
- Use professional fonts that add a professional touch to your CV. Some examples of such fonts are Times New Roman and Arial.
- Your font size should be between 10 and 12. Make sure you use the same font type and size throughout your CV.
- Try to save the file in PDF form. For this, you can use a Word-to-PDF converter free tool available on the internet.
- Give the file a professional title that indicates what it is about, such as ‘Carol-Smith-CV.’
- Proofread your CV before you finalize it. Make your friend or colleague have its critical analysis and point out issues if there are any.
Tips and tricks to make your CV stand out
These tips will help you write an outstanding CV to catch your recruiter’s attention and get an interview invitation.
- In the US, the ideal length of a professional CV is 2 pages. So don’t add those little details. Instead, write concise points, use headings/subheadings, and keep sentences short.
- Your CV should be up-to-date. Don’t forget to add the certification, achievement, or other significant things you have recently received.
- Add power words such as achieved, implemented, etc., to highlight your accomplishments.
- Don’t just send the same CV to different companies for different roles. Instead, customize it according to the role you are applying for. Read the job description for each position. Write the CV accordingly. You will not have to change much. Just make a few changes to the ‘career objectives’ or ‘about me’ section.
Summing it up
Creating an outstanding CV can be challenging, but it is your marketing document that shows your worth. Study the industry type, company, and job description before writing a CV. Follow the tips and guidelines mentioned above to make your CV stand out.