Updating my CV

I am fast realising that writing a CV at 45 is very different than writing one at 19 or 20. My employment history covers 27 years and I have a clearer idea of what I want to do although that doesn't mean to say it is set in stone. Having interviewed over 300 creative people in the past five years, I know that to work in the creative industries, one has to be flexible and adaptable.

I have been reconsidering my CV and have got a couple of versions to play with. My strengths are the fact that I can write and illustrate and it is these two skills I want to push forward so I have based my CV on this. But I also have one for just art purposes as well, concentrating on exhibitions and illustrative work/commissions before broadcasting and media experience.

Before I revamped my CV. I looked at what examples there were that were creative and stood out in a good or bad way. These are some that I found.

 

Personally, although I like the creative thought, there is a danger of over doing the design at the detriment of the content. I also looked at some websites and advice concerning CV writing. Some of the key tips I picked up were these:

• You never get a second chance to make a first impression. 
• Most employers prefer the chronological CV eg. 

Personal Details
Name, address, telephone numbers, preferred e-mail address, date of birth and nationality - I would argue DOB is not necessary.

Profile/Introduction
This should be a few sentences or short paragraph describing your key skills and experience. Tailor it to the position applied for. Detail professional status and career development along with immediate ambitions. Keep it short and to the point.

Professional and Academic Qualifications
List most recent achievements first. 

Employment History
List all previous employment in reverse chronological order. Start with details of  current employment. Use bullet points to outline main responsibilities of the role. Account for any gaps in employment history.

Hobbies/Interests
Unless they specifically relate to skill requirements of the position applied for, it is worth considering omitting the rather dated tradition of listing personal interests. 

Portfolios
Some applications may be supported by a portfolio of your work. State on your CV that a portfolio is available on request. 

References
It is not necessary to include details of referees at this stage. However, you may want to state that references are available on request.

• Do not hand write a CV.
• Use good quality white A4 paper to print CV 
• Use clear typeface.
• Ensure layout is evenly spaced and easy to read, using subheadings
• Keep all information on CV concise and clear. Short simple sentences.
• Check spelling and grammatical error
• Keep CV up to date

(Available at http://creativepool.com/articles/winningcv/accessed April 4 2014)

With this in mind I looked at my original CV - which was this:

I then rewrote it as an artist. This CV went to the Museum in the Park when I handed in my professional proposal for my art residency. I condensed it into one A4 sheet which with hindsight meant the font was too small and it does look squashed.

Having redesigned my business card, I decided to incorporate this into my CV to make it look more unified. This first version doesn't include a full account of my employment history and emphasizes my art experience.

Then I redid it with a full account of my employment history. This version I will send out for work in the creative industries where writing is a skill employers are looking for, as well as illustration/art design