The Graduate Screen Writer

First Career Role

As a graduate job coach, I recently had the pleasure of working with a screenwriter graduate who was starting to look for his first career role. He’d been sending out multiple applications with no response and was feeling discouraged.

During our first session, we started by identifying what his goals were. First, to find work within script writing. Second, finding a job in the industry to keep him going while he looked for screen writing work.

I reviewed his existing CV and cover letters and identified areas that needed improvement. We discussed the importance of tailoring his CV and cover letter to the specific job he was applying for. I offered advice on using more active language and avoid generic phrases.

We went through the different roles he had had, and told him what I thought he’d done. He then told me what he actually did do. I then helped him rephrase these jobs to make clear the skills he’d picked up.

Additionally, we worked on formatting and layout to ensure that his CV was clear, concise, and easy to read.

Covering Letters

When it came to his cover letters, I encouraged him to use an approach where you anticipate what it is they’re looking for in a candidate. I go through this in detail in my Clearly Creative CVs Course. This enables you to show how you can add value to the production company, and shows you’re a problem solver, something all employers want!

After our coaching sessions, the graduate implemented the changes we had discussed and started receiving more responses to his job applications. He went away fired up, and feeling that the sessions had given him plenty to work on. He gave me a five-star review which said:

“Incredibly helpful and a great insight into the industry. Highly recommend!”

You can benefit from these techniques

The techniques I used have been refined over the past ten plus years I’ve been recruiting freelancers. They’re proven to be effective in helping individuals secure more interviews and subsequently more work. By tailoring CVs and cover letters to specific job requirements and using active language, graduates can increase their chances of standing out in a competitive job market.

If you are a recent graduate struggling to secure a job, consider seeking out a graduate job coach to help you refine your CV and cover letter. With the right guidance and techniques, you can increase your chances of landing your dream job.