As you would imagine, Artisan deal with an incredible number of CV's and talented individuals on a daily basis. From that, we've been able to come up with a list of hot tips that will help you land that perfect job next time you find yourself looking.

Make sure your CV does you justice

As a document, your CV is going to be the most important piece you have in order to get your foot in the door and you in front of your potential next employer. With this in mind, it is always important to make sure that your CV is as up to date as possible. However, you also need to be careful to ensure that your CV doesn't run too long. Keep in mind that, especially in an environment where an employer may get hundreds of CV's daily, they won't read ALL of your CV. The key details need to stand out - your achievements need to be highlighted - you need to ensure your CV sells what YOU can do for YOUR new role!

It goes without saying however start with your most recent work and work backwards from there. Amazingly, people still seem to list their employment history from the beginning working to now. Start with what you've just completed and move backwards - it gives a stronger impression of your current level of work.

Some people may also do a one page summary to give a quick overview. Others may also tailor their CV based on the job that they're applying for.

Update your folio

As a creative, you need to also ensure that your folio is up to date, containing some examples of your recent work. Your folio is an opportunity, as a creative, to show how creatively you can present yourself.

If you've been a freelancer for many years, this can prove to be a challenge. We've often explained to people who freelance full time frequently have folios that don't truly represent their work because they've been too busy working in a variety of places to worry about collecting work; it's worth keeping this in mind and asking, where possible, to include a piece in your folio.

Look back over our articles and you'll find several articles on how to get your folio just right.

Use your agency

Once you've registered with your agency, feel free to use them! If they can't provide you work upfront, feel free to call them and chat about what the current trends are out in the industry and what you might be able to do to improve your chances of getting more work.

They may also be able to give you feedback on your CV or your folio if you're in the process of updating them.

If you've only registered with one agency, it may be worth registering with a handful. Artisan is certainly not precious about you registering with a few agencies just to ensure that work keeps coming through for you.

Applying for jobs

When you're applying for your job, make sure that you include a cover letter that presents why you think you're the best person for the role. Look through the job ad and match up your previous experience with what they're asking for. Once you've finished, make sure you've addressed each point from the job ad; this will give you an even greater chance of ensuring you get shortlisted to go in and meet with them.

Make sure you keep note of what jobs you've applied for and who with. We've often contacted people only to find that they don't recall even applying for a position with us. Placing yourself in an employers shoes, would you consider getting someone in if it feels like they've just applied to the world with no thought about their suitability for a role?

Of course, the team at Artisan are always available to assist you in updating your CV or Folio. Additionally, if you have any other tips or suggestions that you would like to share (as either an employer or someone looking for work), then feel free to drop us a line and we'll publish them with future Exposed.