Tips for Writing a CV or Resume Cover Letter When Seeking a Print Buying Position

Answered by Suzanne Morgan, founder, Print Buyers Online.com

Question:
I am a print buyer for a small bureau based in London and am looking for a more challenging role within a larger company. This is the first time I will be applying for jobs in a print buying environment, having always applied for jobs in financial and commercial pre-press departments. (I fell into the role after having initially been employed as a graphic designer.) I would like to write a very comprehensive CV * that would appeal to prospective employers.

Have you any tips and hints when writing CV's for these types of jobs?

C. S.

* CV is an abbreviation for Curriculum Vitea, which is a cover letter or the same as a resume.

Answer:
I do have some ideas for you. Since you are a current/former graphic designer and have expertise in prepress, I would definitely play up those skill sets in your CV and how they benefit the role of print buying, e.g. your skills in creating/managing trouble-free files, being able to communicate effectively with creatives, etc.

Here are some other ideas that carry weight with buying organizations. This should help you differentiate yourself from other print buyers.

  1. Describe your education within the industry. Document formal and self-education; state your interests in continuing education and the importance of education in this position (e.g. someone that keeps current is better able to create efficiencies and find opportunities to increase response rate, reduce costs, etc.)

  2. State your abilities and successes in managing projects internally; managing the internal workflow; organizing all involved parties, etc.

  3. Detail any monies you’ve saved your current or previous organizations. Hint: if you document this well, this alone could be the factor that gets you hired.

  4. Likewise, detail the amount of time saved in the project turnaround time -- again, another great selling point

  5. Describe your understanding of new technologies and how your knowledge might be beneficial to the company

  6. Demonstrate your understanding of print buying trends (eg. how buying companies are consolidating print suppliers and how this affects print spends)

I hope that helps.

Best wishes with your job search.
Suzanne
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