Here's how you can craft a standout resume for a video production job application.

It's important that your CV fits on one page. So only select experiences relevant to the company you're applying for. If you're a PA wanting to get hired on a commercial, then make sure that resume includes your commercial experience. The list should be concise with the name of the spot, the client, and the production company per project. If your formatting makes it hard to tell those three things, or if it's unclear what role you played in each project, the hiring producer is probably going to move along to the next one in the stack. If you don't have experience explicitly related to the job you're applying for, choose experience that is similar and add three sentences at the CV's top instead talking about your character, work ethic, etc.

If you are a senior professional, try to offer a big picture of your career and education while highlighting what matters for the job you are applying. Check the job post and look for keywords to determine what matters for the company. Don't underestimate the importance of talking to someone in the team beforehand if you have the chance. It is quite common for companies to include a wide range of activities you may or may not perform daily. But in the end, it is not rare to have a daily routine where only one or two main tasks may occupy much of your time.

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. People are hiring you for a job because they have a problem that they need fixed. If you can communicate that you can fix that problem, you’ll get the job. It’s a simple as that. A résumé doesn’t give you that much real estate to showcase your talents or your specific skill set so it’s important to get right to the point. Use action words to describe what you’ve done, why you’re good at it, and how you can bring forth repeatable results at a high level. Some of that might be wordsmithing, some of that is just pointing the recruiter to your portfolio. Whatever you do, obvious because the recruiter won’t spend that much time on your résumé if you don’t communicate quickly.

All of this is great advice. But it's worth noting that today your CV is most likely being screened by a bot before it reaches a human. Make a clear "Skills" section that not only highlights what you want the hiring party to know, but also *includes key words from the original job post.* This will ensure you don't accidentally get weeded out by AI.

This is a great time to showcase your work! Make sure to display only the best of what you have done. It's a good idea to feature your most recent projects first, as time is crucial in any industry. That's why it's important to consistently have at least two or three impressive projects every year. This will ensure that your portfolio is always updated and demonstrates that you are continually producing high-quality work. If you're a freelancer, it's essential to have a professional and polished website where potential clients can view your work. Remember, we work in a creative industry, so strive to create a beautifully designed website! =)

I hold a formal BFA degree, and while it is not essential, I believe it helped me a lot in getting interviews and getting people interested in checking my resume. If you don't have it, no worries! Focus on your work experience and other strengths, especially if you were part of great companies or projects. If you have it, include it for sure. Also, include any other certificates and training you might have done throughout your career. We usually don't know exactly what the company is looking for, and we never know what will catch the eye of a recruiter or director.

After you export your resume to PDF, check if you can select, copy and paste the text somewhere else. If you can do it, you're good to go. Some big companies tend to have systems that read your resume data and tag keywords for recruiters looking for potential hires, and some software creates PDF images that are not "readable". In my career, I have written wonderful cover letters that never had a single answer and got hired for jobs where my approach was: "Hey, I am available, wanna talk?" Don't put yourself under too much pressure. If a company doesn't check your resume because it is a .docx file or throws it away because of a typo, it tells a lot about them, not you. Keep doing your job, and things will work out.

I can't even count how many CVs my colleagues & I haven't opened because the initial presentation raises red flags. In the production office, it's all about attention to detail. If you sent a CV as a word doc (instead of a PDF), it's getting thrown away. If your CV has errors, it's getting thrown away. Conversely, if you send a "weak" CV, but it's accompanied by a STRONG cover letter, we might just hire you. I always go for the person showing up with the most enthusiasm and willingness to work. I understand when you're applying, you could be submitting to 30 different companies, so it's hard to tailor every application. In this case, going for volume isn't always effective. Divide your time and shoot for the roles you know you can excel in.