How should a marketing graduate craft an effective CV for entry-level roles?

Tailor the CV to the job, lead with a clear value proposition, use keywords, and quantify results; highlight relevant skills like budgeting, SEO, analytics, and copywriting. Add portfolio or social links, keep the layout clean, and proofread.

So you’ve been to uni and got the t-shirt, now what?

As soon as you leave uni, you’re in a race against everyone to try and get a grad job, but how do you make sure you have the best chance in securing a top-level marketing career when you enter the UK job market?

Here, we are guiding you with some effective steps to build a Marketing Graduate's CV as a beginner. The fundamental stpes include:

Know the Job

Before even considering your CV, make sure you can read everything you need to about the available job. Before a marketing campaign, you will want to find out as much as you can about the audience, and this is just the same for a job application.

What areas of marketing does it cover and is the company even suitable?

After all, there is no point in applying if you later find out you have to work in a country on the other side of the world if you don’t want to move!

Once you have determined what the employer is looking for, you can work out what will be the most interesting and relevant information to cover.

Make your Brand stand out

Of course, if you are looking for a marketing role, you know the importance of a good brand. This all starts with making your name the title of the CV.

You will also need to work on your value proposition to work out why you are different from any of the other marketer CVs.

Start with a clear and concise introduction, and make sure it shows off who you are in the first sentence. Learn from your knowledge of SEO (search engine optimization), and what works to catch people’s attention!

There are plenty of other ways to create our personal brand - keeping up to date on social media and carrying business cards with you may become handy.

Writing Style

Like any CV, you need the reader to want to carry on reading to find out more about yourself. The best way to do this is to make your CV easy to read with your points in concise and accurate sentences.

Numbers are a great way to grab the attention as they are easy to understand and stand out as it appears as a measurable achievement. Stats are also great for hard evidence; whether it is traffic growth due to optimization of SEO from past marketing jobs, or volunteering funds you helped achieve, these will help your CV stand out.

Nowadays, a lot of CVs will be scanned by an Applicant Tracking System, meaning you could get instantly rejected as the system will rank your application against the target profile for the job. Hence, it is important to use keywords strategically to maximize your chances of getting to the next stage.

Make sure you get a friend or tutor to read over your CV. The worst thing you could do is see an amazing job opportunity and rush your application. If you have even one spelling or grammar mistake, then that could mean that your CV is thrown in the bin without even being given a chance. So make sure this isn’t you!

Job Experience

The golden rule for any CV is to make sure your past employment history is relevant for the job.

That doesn’t mean you need to rewrite the job specifics, just show how your past experience relates to why you are interested in the job. For a marketing role, it is often perceived that your work experience is more important than your qualifications.

Essential skills for any marketing CV include budgeting, SEO, analytics, and copywriting. So if you can include any skills relating to these areas, then you are well on your way to nailing the application!

If you have minimal marketing experience other than your marketing degree, then this doesn’t mean you need to worry.

There are still plenty of other ways to make a CV stand out without a wealth of experience; after all, you are a marketing graduate and haven’t been in the job market for that long! Focus on why you would fit the company and the job role.

Do you have a passion for creativity? or love working in a team?

If you do, then it looks like marketing is the profession for you.

One of our tips is also to link your social media. That is, if they reflect your marketing skills.

Maybe you have set up a blog page or are an active Twitter user. Even including your LinkedIn profile is bound to improve your employability as the recruiter can understand more about you.

If you have a portfolio, including the relevant links to your online profile is a great idea. This makes it easy for the recruiter to access your work and see samples of what you are capable of!

Presentation

Last but not least, the presentation of a CV goes a long way.

To make sure your CV gives a good impression, you will need to arrange your CV in a clear and organized way.

Recruiters can look at hundreds of CVs which may lead them to glaze over some as they all look the same. As a marketing graduate, you know the best ways to grab people’s attention.

You can show creativity in your CV using visuals, but that being said, make sure that you don't overdo it as this may end up overshadowing the key communication points of your resume (and you don't want that).

Following these tips will help you produce a clear and structured CV to make the perfect first impression. If you still lack inspiration, then check out these extra CV tips.

Author Bio:

Written by Rebecca Hart, an Online Marketer at StudentJob UK. If you are looking for a job but not sure where to start, then check out StudentJob. Our application tips will help you create an effective CV, cover letter, and help you smash interviews!

Key Takeaways

Making your first marketing resume might not be easy but you can use these steps to craft a professional marketing graduate CV in 2023:

  • Read the job description to know about the job inside out.
  • Use a professional CV template to outline your marketing graduate CV.
  • Use one-liner bullet points to write your CV details to improve readability.
  • Highlight essential information, metrics and skills in your CV.
  • Proofread twice before sending it to the recruiter.

You can use Hiration's Career Activation Platform to build your marketing graduate CV in easy steps. This AI-powered platform comes with 24/7 online chat support for a smooth user experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How do you tailor a marketing graduate CV to a specific job?

    Read everything you can about the available job, identify what the employer is looking for, and cover the most relevant information. Treat it like researching an audience before a campaign.

  • How do you make your personal brand stand out on a marketing CV?

    Make your name the CV title and craft a clear, concise introduction that shows who you are in the first sentence. Define a value proposition that differentiates you.

  • How should you write and format your marketing graduate CV?

    Make your CV easy to read with concise, accurate sentences, and use numbers and stats to show measurable achievements. Use keywords strategically to match the target profile and help pass Applicant Tracking System scans.

  • What work experience and skills should you highlight as a marketing graduate?

    Prioritize relevant employment history and connect past roles to the job. Emphasize budgeting, SEO, analytics, and copywriting.

  • Should you add social media and portfolio links to your CV?

    Yes, add them if they reflect your marketing skills, including your LinkedIn profile. Include portfolio links so recruiters can access your work and see samples.

  • How can you present your CV to make a strong impression?

    Arrange it in a clear, organized way and use visuals sparingly. Creativity helps, but overdoing it can overshadow key communication points.

  • What common mistakes should you avoid on a marketing graduate CV?

    Do not rush your application, and avoid any spelling or grammar mistakes. Proofread twice before sending it to the recruiter.

  • Is work experience more important than qualifications for entry-level marketing roles?

    It is often perceived that work experience matters more than qualifications for marketing roles. Focus on relevant experience and why you fit the company and role.

  • How can you optimize a marketing graduate CV for ATS?

    Use keywords strategically so your CV ranks against the target profile and reaches the next stage. Expect Applicant Tracking Systems to scan many CVs.

  • Can a platform help you build a marketing graduate CV?

    You can use Hiration's Career Activation Platform to build your marketing graduate CV in easy steps. This AI-powered platform comes with 24/7 online chat support.

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