By Cassy van Eeden

While a standard CV might land you an interview in other industries, when it comes to marketing, your CV and cover letter need to be your own personal campaign.

Identify a target

You wouldn’t start a marketing campaign without knowing what your target is right? This is exactly the mentality you should have when putting together your CV. Know who you’re aiming to reach and what you want your message to say to them.

“Consider who will be reading your application,” Monster, a job advertising platform, advises on their blog. They add that employers often spend as little as 30 seconds reading a CV; just like the audience you are marketing to.

Tailor your CV so it meets the specific targets the job will require you to meet and match your abilities with that the employer is looking for. “The key to writing a successful marketing CV is to always link your achievements with the requirements of the job you are applying for and demonstrate how you have used their skills in your career to date,” they write.

Highlight your Unique Selling Points

As a marketer, you know all too well that the best way to promote something is to identify its Unique Selling Points (USPs) and then align your messaging accordingly. Your audience doesn’t want to know the entire story, what they want to know is why they should buy into what you’re marketing. When it comes to applying for jobs, your audience is your potential employer.

Vera Romano, marketing manager at Everlytic, suggests that job applicants refrain from telling the whole story. She says when she looks at a CV, she wants to see your achievements not your primary school and high school accolades.

When it comes to writing about your USPs, use short, snappy, summarised sentences. “You need to use active language that jumps out from the page and adds meaning to what you are saying,” Monster writes on their blog.

Have a strategy

Marketing without a strategy is risky business. A strategy helps you define goals, it determines how your message will be packaged and it specifies who will be targeted. The same can be said for your job search: if you don’t have a plan, how are you going to get results?

Something that should be central to your strategy is getting yourself out there and getting noticed by the right people. A great way to do this, explains Romano, is to create a mini website about yourself. This is where you can really demonstrate your creative flair, she says, especially when it comes to digital marketing.

“Get noticed through commenting on industry blogs, following agencies on Twitter and attending seminars and meet-ups,” says Clare Whitmell, business communications trainer. She explains companies are more likely to hire people who have used their spare time to immerse themselves in digital marketing. “So start a blog to show off your ideas and enthusiasm, analyse campaigns and strategies or provide tips – particularly on new technologies,” she says.

Are you a marketing recruiter? What do you look for in a good CV? Share your tips with us in the comments below.