How to write a CV for the Film & TV Industry
Breaking into the Film & TV industry is notoriously difficult. There’s a huge amount of competition for entry level roles, so what can you do to give yourself the best chance of getting those roles?
One of the most important things to do is to create an engaging CV that sells your skills and experience to get you through the door. However, putting together a CV for the media industry can be difficult, especially as they look very different to a CV used in any other industry. So here are my top tips:
How long should my CV be?
Ideally stick to 1 – 2 pages long. If you’ve been in the Film & TV industry for a while with a lot of relevant experience then you could push onto 3 pages, but don’t make it any longer than that. Employers may have upwards of 50 applicants for one role, so they won’t have the time to read everyone’s CV in detail and will disengage with the information if it’s any longer than that.
What should I include on my CV?
Below is what is essential to include on your media CV. It needs to be entered in the order as below.
Contact details:
Name, email, mobile number, where you are based/have bases, either your website/imdb/Talent Manager/Linkedin link.
Personal profile:
3 – 4 sentences describing what you’ve done so far, highlight some key skills and what you want to do next.
Key skills:
In bullet point format. Include personal skills (organised, work well under pressure etc) as well as any computer programmes you know, cameras you can use, languages you know etc.
Relevant employment:
With your most recent or most relevant role first going down in date order.
Training & education:
We only need to know your highest education level, e.g A-Levels, College course, Degree etc.
References available on request:
I prefer not to include names & details of your references on your CV. They can change dependent on the role you’re applying for, they need to be aware that an employer is going to contact them and there are also data protection issues around including their details. However, do make sure you include the heading above, to show that you do have references and these can be provided on request.
Due to data protection laws in the UK you will need to include a GDPR statement on your CV. This can go below your contact details on your first page or at the very bottom of your CV. The wording to use is as follows - “I consent to you keeping my details on file and distributing for employment services.” This allows an employer to forward on your CV to anyone else in the company and to store it within their recruitment database.
Should I include my hobbies and interests?
I get asked this a lot and it tends to be very subjective. Personally, I don’t think it’s worth eating into precious space on your CV, as the employer won’t be focusing on your hobbies and interests. The only time I do advise including them is if it is relevant to the position you are applying for. So you may take part in a medieval re-enactment group in your free time and you are applying for a medieval history programme, so including this shows you have a keen interest in the subject.
Should I include a photo?
CVs are very subjective. Some employers may like a photo and others may not. Personally, I think having a photo on your CV is a disadvantage as it can encourage unconscious bias. The employer may look at your photo where you may not be smiling fully and they unconsciously think you may be difficult/not very fun to work with so they think you won’t fit into the team. So give yourself the best possible chance by not including one. It will also give you more space to include key information on your CV which is going to be much more relevant to the employer.
Make it easy to read!
Make sure your formatting isn’t out and everything looks neat and easy to read. Your CV should contain the same font throughout. If you use a particular date format for your roles, it needs to stay the same throughout your CV. You could extend your margins in Word, but don’t push them too far as it will look too cluttered and will be hard to read.
Make sure when you have finished writing your CV, that you save it as a PDF file. This will mean when the employer opens the file up it will look exactly the same as it appears on your screen. Word has a habit of knocking the formatting out if the employer is on a Mac and you’re on a PC or if they have a newer/older version of Word. So saving it as a PDF file will mean it looks exactly as you want it to.
Print your CV out and looking at it from an employers point of view. Get a friend or family member to read it. At any point do they disengage with what’s written or find it difficult to read. If so change it accordingly.
What should I name my CV?
As I mentioned, employers may have lots of CVs in for a role. To help them sift through the CVs and if they want to keep your CV on file, make sure you name it as follows:
Name – Role – CV
e.g – Hannah Gosney – HOP – CV
This will make it so much easier for the employer to search through their emails for the attachments and will also be easier to search if they keep your CV on file in their database.
Once you’ve put together/updated your CV or if you’re struggling to know what to include, then we can go through your CV in detail during a 1hr one to one online session. This is an in depth session where we go through what to include or what to remove, any layout changes and I can answer any questions you may have, so you have an engaging CV that will help you get the Film & TV role you want!
I also help with cover letters, interview techniques, negotiating skills and general career advice.