If you want to land your next exciting role as a musical composer, then you need a CV that will score you points with the recruiter.
So, for an application that’s as carefully crafted as your last piece of music, check out our detailed guide below.
You can also make use of our music composer CV example to boost your chances of securing an interview.
This CV example illustrates the ideal structure and format for your Music Composer CV, making it easy for busy hiring managers to quickly identify your suitability for the jobs you’re applying for,
It also gives some guidance on the skills, experience and qualifications you should emphasise in your own CV.
Recruiters and employers are busy, and if they can’t find the information they’re looking for in a few seconds, it could be game over for your application.
You need to format and structure your CV in a way which allows the reader to pick out your key information with ease, even if they’re strapped for time.
It should be clear, easily legible, well-organised and scannable – check out some simple tips and tricks below:
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When writing your CV, break up the content into the following key sections, to ensure it can be easily digested by busy recruiters and hiring managers:
Now you understand the basic layout of a CV, here’s what you should include in each section of yours.
Make it easy for recruiters to get in touch, by heading your CV with your contact details.
There’s no need for excessive details – just list the basics:
Your CV profile (or personal statement, if you’re an entry-level applicant) provides a brief overview of your skills, abilities and suitability for a position.
It’s ideal for busy recruiters and hiring managers, who don’t want to waste time reading unsuitable applications.
Think of it as your personal sales pitch. You’ve got just a few lines to sell yourself and prove you’re a great match for the job – make it count!
CV profile writing tips:
Innovative and versatile Music Composer with over 15 years of experience creating music for films, TV shows, commercials, and video games. Expert in orchestral composition and DAW digital production, with extensive knowledge of sound design and ProTools. Acclaimed creative professional, winning Best Original Score at the 2019 UK IFF and working on the music team at Emmy Winning series, ‘The Sister’.
Quick tip: If you are finding it difficult to write an attention-grabbing CV profile, choose from hundreds of pre-written profiles across all industries, and add one to your CV with one click in our quick-and-easy CV Builder. All profiles are written by recruitment experts and easily tailored to suit your unique skillset.
To ensure that your most relevant skills catch the eye of readers, create a core skills section below your profile.
This section should be presented in 2-3 columns of bullet points highlighting your applicable skills. Before crafting this section, carefully examine the job description and create a list of any required skills, specialisms, or knowledge.
Use this list to include the necessary information in your section and present yourself as the ideal match for the position.
Composition – Creating original musical works.
Arranging – Creating new musical pieces by reorganising or adapting existing ones.
Instrumentation – Selecting the right instruments to produce a desired musical sound or effect.
Music Theory – Utilising a deep understanding of music notation, chord progressions, and harmony.
Sight-Reading – Reading sheet music fluently and accurately without prior practice.
Digital Audio Workstations – Utilising knowledge of and proficiency with music software like Logic, Ableton, or Pro Tools.
Collaboration – Working with other musicians and artists to produce high-quality musical works.
Creativity – Creating unique and innovative ideas for musical compositions.
Industry Knowledge – Utilising knowledge of the music industry, including copyright law, music licensing, and marketing.
Quick tip: Our quick-and-easy CV Builder has thousands of in-demand skills for all industries and professions, that can be added to your CV in seconds – This will save you time and ensure you get noticed by recruiters.
By now, you’ll have hooked the reader’s attention and need to show them how you apply your skills and knowledge in the workplace, to benefit your employers.
So, starting with your most recent role and working backwards to your older roles, create a thorough summary of your career history to date.
If you’ve held several roles and are struggling for space, cut down the descriptions for your oldest jobs.
If you don’t pay attention to the structure of your career history section, it could quickly become bulky and overwhelming.
Get in recruiters’ good books by creating a pleasant reading experience, using the 3-step structure below:
Outline
Start with a solid introduction to your role as a whole, in order to build some context.
Explain the nature of the organisation you worked for, the size of the team you were part of, who you reported to and what the overarching purpose of your job was.
Key responsibilities
Next, write up a punchy list of your daily duties and responsibilities, using bullet points.
Wherever you can, point out how you put your hard skills and knowledge to use – especially skills which are applicable to your target role.
Key achievements
Lastly, add impact by highlight 1-3 key achievements that you made within the role.
Struggling to think of an achievement? If it had a positive impact on your company, it counts.
For example, you might increased company profits, improved processes, or something simpler, such as going above and beyond to solve a customer’s problem.
Outline
Compose original music and supervise music production for films and TV episodes at one of the largest UK film production studios, delivering high-quality music for up to 10 projects per year.
Key Responsibilities
Quick tip: Create impressive job descriptions easily in our quick-and-easy CV Builder by adding pre-written job phrases for every industry and career stage.
Although there should be mentions of your highest and most relevant qualifications earlier on in your CV, save your exhaustive list of qualifications for the bottom.
If you’re an experienced candidate, simply include the qualifications that are highly relevant to Music Composer roles.
However, less experienced candidates can provide a more thorough list of qualifications, including A-Levels and GCSEs.
You can also dedicate more space to your degree, discussing relevant exams, assignments and modules in more detail, if your target employers consider them to be important.
Although this is an optional section, it can be useful if your hobbies and interests will add further depth to your CV.
Interests which are related to the sector you are applying to, or which show transferable skills like leadership or teamwork, can worth listing.
On the other hand, generic hobbies like “going out with friends” won’t add any value to your application, so are best left off your CV.
When putting together your Music Composer CV, there are a few key points to remember
Always tailor your CV to the target role, even if it means creating several versions for different roles.
Additionally, remember that the structure and format of your CV needs just as much attention as the content.
Good luck with your job search!
