Module 1: Task 1a - A View into the 'Perfect CV'

A Curriculum Vitae (known as a CV) is most widely used as a way of informing potential employers of your experience, skills and other personal information. But what makes the perfect CV? Is there such a thing? 

I personally have two different CV's. The first being my performance CV which I see as an advertisement for myself, almost like a product. This CV includes my professional headshot which is vital in the performance industry as the hard truth is everything is based on looks (a point that I'm sure I will expand on at a later date). That same photograph is the first thing a casting director sees before anything else. They make their first judgements based purely on that photograph and in some cases, that is as far as they get before they make a decision as to whether they invite you to an audition or not. The CV also includes personal details such as height, hair and eye colour. This is again building up an image of you, before the casting director has met you or seen your performance abilities in person. If the person reading your CV gets past this initial information, it is important to note any relevant performance experience and extra skills. It's short and to the point, as casting directors will have hundreds of CV's to get through in a very short space of time. A CV of very similar layout is also used on my Spotlight page (a website that I will be explaining in more detail during Task 1b). This version has even more personal details, photos and even voice clips.
(Link to Spotlight CV: www.spotlight.com/2414-4538-7063)

My second CV is more general and I use this for other work such as retail or teaching. There are many aspects of this CV that differ to my performance CV. One example of this is that I do not use a picture. This is optional and I have come across many general CV's that have made use of a photo. However, the various jobs I have applied for using this CV have not specified a photo. It is my personal opinion that these said jobs are much less likely to base employment on looks. I do not include any of the same personal details (height, hair and eye colour) as again, these are irrelevant in most cases unless specified. On this CV, I mention my academic grades (GCSE and A Levels) and any other vocational qualifications and exam results. I generally go into detail about a few relevant experiences, which I change depending on the job I'm applying for. As well as this, I list any other experience without detail to show versatility and extra skills. Finally, I include a short list of reference contacts. 

Performance CV Pictured Below: 

General CV Pictured Below:

As you can see, the two CV's are completely different and these differences demonstrate how versatile a CV can be. But is there such a thing as a perfect CV in any case? After reading over various different examples of other blogs and comparing my CV to friend's, every CV really is completely different. Obviously, the same ideas apply of making everything clearly laid out without spelling mistakes and making sure information is up-to-date. But it really seems to be a matter of opinion. Both my CV's have brought me success but I'm always willing to keep improving, so please leave any constructive criticism below. 

To Be Continued...

Interesting Reads:

An insight into how Casting Directors manage CV's and the insane capacity in which agents submit their clients. It also touches on the frustrating fact that only a handful of agents are trusted by Casting Directors meaning a lot of talented performers are immediately brushed aside. http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/may/21/casting-directors