Your CV Shouldn't Look Like a Designer's CV.
Here's something that might surprise you: if you're a Project Manager, Studio Manager, or Account Director in the creative industry, your CV shouldn't look anything like a designer's portfolio.
We see this all the time. Talented ops people trying to prove they "get" creativity by using bold colours, experimental layouts, or fancy typography. But here's the reality: when you're applying for an operations, project management, or account role, hiring managers want to see one thing above everything else. Organisation.
Your CV is proof that you're the person who keeps everything running while the creatives create. So let's talk about what actually works.
Start With the Basics
This sounds obvious, but you'd be amazed how many CVs land on our desk without proper contact details.
Your name, phone number, and email should be at the top. Clear and visible. If you've got an up-to-date LinkedIn profile, include that too.
No photos. Not necessary for these roles in the UK.
And please, start with your most recent role. Not the summer job you had at 16. If you're five years into your career, no one needs to know about the café shifts.
Keep It Clean and Professional
Your CV should be straightforward and easy to scan. Use a clear format with consistent headings and logical spacing.
You can use a font with a bit of personality. But keep it professional and readable. Avoid anything script-based, overly stylised, or hard to scan quickly.
Now, professional doesn't mean boring. We also don't want to see a CV that looks like you've just typed everything into a blank Word doc and called it done. That tells us you don't pay attention to detail or take pride in your work.
Your CV should feel considered. Use consistent formatting for dates and job titles. Add subtle spacing to create visual hierarchy. Use bold text strategically to highlight key achievements. Make it easy to navigate with clear section breaks.
Think of it this way: your CV should feel polished and organised, not creative or experimental. It's the difference between a well-structured project plan and a designer's portfolio. You're the former.
Hiring managers for ops, project management, and account roles want to see structure and clarity first. A bit of visual personality is fine. But readability and thoughtful presentation are non-negotiable.
Quantify Everything
This is the golden rule for anyone in operations or project management: numbers speak louder than words.
Hiring managers want to see the tangible impact you've made. Don't just list your responsibilities. Show what you achieved.
Weak:
Managed projects for multiple clients
Oversaw studio operations
Handled account relationships
Strong:
Delivered 15+ projects on time and within budget, with an average project value of £50K
Reduced studio overhead costs by 20% through process improvements and vendor negotiations
Grew account portfolio from £200K to £500K annual revenue over 18 months
Every bullet point in your experience section should answer one question: what did I achieve, and what was the impact?
Use specific metrics wherever you can:
Budget sizes you've managed
Number of projects delivered
Team sizes you've led or coordinated
Revenue growth you've driven
Cost savings you've implemented
Client retention rates
Efficiency improvements
Square footage delivered (for fitout PMs)
Projects completed under programme (for delivery managers)
Highlight Your Tools and Systems
Creative studios, design agencies, and architecture firms run on specific tools. Make sure yours are clearly listed and easy to find.
For Project Managers (Creative Projects): Asana, Monday, Trello, Jira, Microsoft Project, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, time tracking tools like Harvest or Toggl.
For Project Managers (Fitout & Delivery): Procore, PlanGrid, Buildertrend, Primavera, MS Project, BIM 360, Aconex, CAD coordination experience, RIBA stages you've managed.
For Studio/Operations Managers: Float, Forecast, Resource Guru, Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent, HR systems, facilities management platforms.
For Account Directors/Managers: HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Proposify, PandaDoc, client reporting tools.
Don't rank yourself with bar charts or percentages. Just list them clearly. Your experience section will show how proficient you are.
Emphasise Leadership and Stakeholder Management
These roles are all about people. Managing teams, coordinating between departments, handling client expectations, keeping everyone aligned.
Hiring managers want to see evidence of:
Team leadership: How many people have you managed or coordinated? What were the results?
Client relationships: How have you maintained or grown accounts? What's your retention rate?
Cross-functional collaboration: How have you worked between creative, finance, and client services teams?
Problem-solving: What challenges have you navigated? What was the outcome?
Be specific. Instead of saying "excellent communication skills," show it: "Led weekly client review meetings for 8 key accounts, resulting in 95% client satisfaction scores and 100% retention."
Show Your Understanding of the Creative Process
Even though you're not a designer, you work in the creative industry. Your CV should demonstrate that you understand how creative studios and architecture practices operate.
For Project Managers (Creative Projects): Mention experience managing creative projects like branding, web design, campaigns, or environments. Reference design stages you've worked with: concept, design development, production. Show you understand creative timelines and resourcing.
For Project Managers (Fitout & Delivery): Detail project types and scales you've managed: commercial, residential, hospitality, retail. Mention RIBA stages, construction phases, or delivery milestones. Show experience coordinating between design teams, contractors, and clients. Demonstrate understanding of budget management through construction.
For Studio/Operations Managers: Highlight operational improvements that supported creative output. Show how you've balanced creative freedom with commercial reality. Demonstrate understanding of studio workflows and capacity planning.
For Account Directors/Managers: Emphasise sector experience: hospitality, residential, retail, FMCG, property development. Show how you've translated client briefs into actionable creative projects. Demonstrate your ability to manage expectations on both sides.
Tailor It to Each Role
Never send the same generic CV to every job. Read the job description carefully and adjust your CV to highlight the most relevant experience.
If they're looking for someone with agency experience, lead with that. If they need someone who's managed large teams, make that prominent. If budget management is a key requirement, quantify the budgets you've overseen. If they want fitout experience, emphasise your construction project management.
The hiring manager should be able to see within 10 seconds that you're a strong fit for this specific role.
Keep It Concise
Junior to mid-level: one page.
Senior to leadership: two pages maximum.
Your most recent role should have the most detail. As you go back in time, keep descriptions shorter and focus only on what's relevant to the role you're applying for.
If you're padding your CV to fill space, cut it. Quality over quantity, always.
Don't Leave Unexplained Gaps
If you've taken time out for any reason (travel, family, health, freelancing, career change), acknowledge it briefly. An unexplained gap looks worse than the actual reason.
Keep it short and honest. You don't need to over-explain, but transparency matters.
Proofread Relentlessly
Typos and grammatical errors are particularly damaging for operations roles. You're meant to be organised, detail-oriented, and on top of things. A sloppy CV suggests otherwise.
Proofread it yourself, then ask someone else to read it. Use Grammarly if you need to. Just make absolutely certain it's spotless before you hit send.
Include Relevant Certifications
If you have project management or business qualifications, include them. They add credibility and show you're committed to your profession.
Examples: PMP, PRINCE2, Agile/Scrum certifications, APM, Six Sigma, RICS (for construction/property PMs), or any relevant business or operations management qualifications.
Place these prominently in your education section or create a separate "Certifications" section if you have several.
The Bottom Line
Your CV needs to show three things clearly:
You can manage complexity (projects, teams, budgets, stakeholders)
You deliver results (on time, within budget, to a high standard)
You understand how creative businesses work and how to make them run smoothly
Make it clean, make it professional, make it quantifiable. Show them you're the person who keeps the engine running while everyone else creates brilliant work.
If you're not getting responses and you're wondering whether your CV is holding you back, we're always happy to take a look. Sometimes it's just one or two tweaks that make all the difference.
Need a second pair of eyes on your CV? Want to make sure it's actually working for you? Get in touch. We'd love to help.
