For all the freelance journalists, writers and copywriters
When did you last update your CV?
If you’ve clicked this open it’s likely that you are a freelance writer of some kind. You might be an ‘old hack’ or a newbie graduate. Or somewhere in between. You might work for newspapers, magazines, or clients who want website copy. You might be a solo writer, or work the occasional contract or shifts.
Whatever stage of your freelance writing career, I have a question for you: When did you last update your CV?
It’s one of those things that you kind of ditch when you go freelance, isn’t it? Who needs a CV when you’re freelance - the joy is NOT listing all your jobs on a sheet of paper, right? Well, it turns out, that in my freelance life, I found I needed a CV a lot. Whether I was introducing myself to a new editor with a pitch, responding to a shout out for writers to collaborate with a new publication or brand, or applying for a fixed-term contract, a CV was very much needed.
The panic moment when I would see someone post saying they needed a writer, and I had to wonder where my CV was and whether it was up to date was REAL.
But this wasn’t about a CV in the old-fashioned sense. For me, a freelance CV became a highlights document, a one-page shiny ‘best bits’ to showcase my work in a niche to the person I was sending it to.
Rather than ‘all the jobs I’d ever done’ my freelance writer CV was about the best jobs I’d done, the newest and the most engaging for the reader. It included information about my skills and education, but not things like my a-levels.
CVs began to crop up in conversation with other freelancers - either those I was coaching one one one, or in groups for freelancers. So I decided to test the water with CV workshops. They were a success (you can read the recommendations on my LinkedIn - and do connect if you’d like to, too).
As 2024 gets underway, I have decided to run some more workshops - they’re on Jan 26th and Feb 2. Both on Zoom. We’ll work on your CV in real time, and you can fire all your questions at me. I don’t record the session because people share personal info but you get notes afterwards and you can send me a draft of your new CV in your own time afterwards.
That can be a day later, a week, a month or six months. (Sooner the better though, right?)
As a writer, you’re probably used to bigging up other people with your words - this workshop will turn the tables and see you bigging up yourself. It can feel ick, but then it also feels amazing when you have that one-page CV of wonder to send out at a moment’s notice.
We’ll cover:
Whether or not you should have a photo on your CV
One page vs two pages
Why adding hobbies is a no-no (unless they’re job related)
How your CV then ties in with your socials and LinkedIn
Want to sign up? Click here to get your ticket
Got any questions? Feel free to reply and ask!
I’d love to see you at the workshops. And if you can’t make them but want to work on your CV another time, you can also book a 1:1. Email me to book in.
Jenny x
Useful, thanks