Are you looking for a job as a CG artist? Are you ignored or rejected? Our HR manager Daniela wrote a few tips on how to write a CV as a CG artist. Be seen and increase your chances of getting the archviz job of your dreams!
📧 Have you sent a bunch of e-mails with your portfolio and CV and yet to receive little to no response? We have all been there and know how crushing and demotivational this can be. To help you, I gathered some basic (yet, not obvious) and common mistakes to avoid. Let’s start with:
AI tools in the hand of HRs
🤖 Everyone’s trying to get their job easier with AI technologies, and the same goes for recruiters. For some time now, you can encounter that a robot, not a human, makes the first selection of CVs. What does it mean for you? USE KEYWORDS!
Even if you send your CV to a smaller company, it should be apparent what your skills are. No one can read your mind (a human or a robot), so if you fit the requirements, make it as straightforward as possible! No one has time to decipher what you meant by your wordy description. And don’t forget that the HR manager reading your e-mail is probably not a CG professional. So make it clear what you want and what you can do.
#1 mistake: Bunk e-mailing your CV
You don’t really know what position you are applying for and send your CV in bulk to many companies at once. This method doesn’t work and you should tailor your CV, cover letter, and portfolio for each job offer.
💡 Secret tip: The text of a job offer is your guide. Use it as a structure with the basic points of your CV. 💡
#2 mistake: Empty words and cliches
Is your bio full of empty buzzwords? Bio is a trailer of your life. Nowadays, you must add something more than “I am organized, responsible, and creative.” Use your bio to indicate your assets and motivation. Persuade the recruiter to watch the full movie.
❌ Don’t: “I am an experienced professional with an eye for detail. I am able to work in a team, and I always want to improve my skills.” – Cliche. Anyone can say that.
✅ Do: “After almost XY years as an architect and exploring the endless possibilities of this field, I found to be most passionate about creating 3D visuals. I had the opportunity to work in the YZ software, and I am currently working on my skills with XX software.” – You are hinting at your education, work experience, and motivation and using the software names as keywords.
💡 Secret tip: try hard and put those keywords from a job description in your bio. As naturally as possible. 💡
#3 mistake: lies, lies, lies
🤥 Fake it till you make it? Not in your CV, love. We are going to know, and soon.
As a recruiter, I have no idea what eight dots in Photoshop mean. Do you? Describe what you can do with words. Can you communicate in English with clients? Or just within the team? Sell your skills openly and honestly, don’t hide behind dots with empty meanings.
#4 mistake: not keeping it short and sweet
🍬 The HR manager has around 5-10 seconds to decide if your CV is good enough to consider or if it’s irrelevant. Be short and on point. Use bullet points and short sentences.
#5 mistake: full of errors and typos
🕵️ If you really want to put “focused on details” into your CV, at least stick to it. Be careful and attentive to any possible mistakes you could have made. Grammatical errors, typos, a mixture of uppercase and lowercase letters after bullet points, several font sizes… All that says a lot about you. Focus on one format type, use a maximum of two fonts, and check your spaces. The same goes for your portfolio. As a CG artist, you are applying for a job in the creative field, so you should know the aesthetics.
#6 mistake: too personal
📌 Didn’t you put too many personal details? In the points above, I wrote your CV should be short, so save the precious characters. No one cares about the exact address where you live, your religion, or your date of birth. I have seen medical states, heights, or even weights in CVs. If you are not seeking a job as a model or joining the army, no HR needs this kind of info. We want to know your current location. So we know if we should get ready for the paperwork and the support for relocating.
#7 mistake: no dating in your portfolio
⌚ Have you collected all the visuals you created in your lifetime and just put them into one pdf? Your portfolio should tell the recruiter a story. It should be clear what your level is right now. There is nothing wrong with showcasing your university work or some older projects. If you have a reason to include them (e.g., you don’t have enough visuals otherwise) – do it! But remember to put a date (year at least) and put it in chronological order so we can see your progress.
#8 mistake: no information about the visuals
🫶 Your portfolio may be unclear. Is the visual a final version, or is it just a sketch? Is it your free-time project or commissioned one? A recruiter needs to know if you worked on the image alone or in the team. There is no need to go into too much detail, but we should know your role in the project.
Any questions or a comments?
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This article is part of our effort to support and help the archviz community. The knowledge we share is based on our experience; yours can differ, and we would love to hear your opinion and feedback at marketing@monolot.studio.
