Marketing Consultant
Applying for a new job in today’s market can be competitive, so standing out is more important than ever, especially if you’re navigating C-suite executive search, interim recruitment or applying for roles in product marketing or digital leadership.
With more experienced professionals on the move in 2025, it’s not just about having the right experience – it’s about how you present it. Whether you’re applying directly, connecting with a marketing recruiter, or positioning yourself for your next interim role, a strong LinkedIn profile, a clear CV and a thoughtful application can make all the difference.
If you’re currently looking for a senior role in product management, UX / UI & product design, marketing, digital marketing, eCommerce or commercial leadership, be sure to explore our live roles section, we’re regularly updating it with exciting opportunities across the UK and internationally.
Here’s how to make sure you stand out for the right reasons.
1. Make your LinkedIn profile work for you
LinkedIn is often your first impression, especially in senior hiring processes and C-suite executive search. Here’s how to optimise it:
- Headline and summary: Don’t just list your title. Use the headline to express your value proposition (e.g. “Driving growth through data-led product marketing strategies”). In the “About” section, tell your career story and highlight your key achievements.
- Rich media and visual proof: Add case studies, links to campaigns, media coverage or keynote speeches, anything that proves your impact visually.
- Engage and stay active: Comment on industry trends, share insights or celebrate team wins. This keeps your profile visible and demonstrates your engagement with your field.
- Recommendations and endorsements: These still matter, especially in interim recruitment, where personal credibility is key. Ask for a few targeted endorsements that reflect your niche strengths.
If you’re actively exploring roles, especially interim or C-suite opportunities, set your profile to “Open to Work” for recruiters only. This keeps your search discreet while ensuring you appear in targeted recruiter searches. You can also define preferred job titles, work locations and start dates to increase relevance in the search filters.
2. Tell a clear story on your CV
For senior roles in product marketing, digital leadership or interim commercial positions, your CV should be less about listing responsibilities and more about showcasing impact.
- Summary at the top: Use this to align yourself with the role you’re targeting – highlight industry experience, leadership strengths and key outcomes, rather than simply outputs.
- Results, not duties: “Led the go-to-market strategy for a new B2B SaaS product, resulting in £3.2m ARR in year one” speaks volumes compared to “responsible for go-to-market planning.”
- Tailored for every application: Especially in competitive marketing recruitment or product-led searches, you need to align your language with the job spec. Reflect the company’s tone and mirror priority skills.
- Formatting matters: Keep the design clean and easy to scan. Avoid over-styled templates, substance is what counts, but it needs to be easy to digest quickly.
- Include a targeted skills section: To help your CV get noticed by applicant tracking systems (ATS) and hiring managers, add a concise “Key Skills” section near the top. Use keywords and phrases from the job description that match your expertise, such as “B2B SaaS Strategy,” “Go-to-Market Leadership,” or “Martech Platforms.” This boosts your chances of passing initial automated screening and quickly highlights your relevant strengths.
- Do not include a photo: It’s not standard practice in the UK and can distract from your experience. Focus on the content, not appearance. Make sure you read our recent article about the results of a survey we did to our 50,000+ followers on including a photo on your CV.
3. Personalise your applications
If you’re applying via a marketing recruiter or directly to a business, how you apply still matters. Many candidates often rinse and repeat, applying to as many jobs as possible and then wonder why they don’t get much success. We would stress taking the time to personalise your application to the job in-hand.
- Introductory notes: Whether it’s a cover letter or a note to a recruiter, take the time to personalise. Mention what attracted you to the company or why the role aligns with your strengths.
- Mirror key terms: Scan the job spec for language and keywords and use them thoughtfully in your application.
- Research and relevance: Demonstrate that you understand the business’s challenges or goals. This level of insight sets senior candidates apart.
- Highlight flexibility or USP: Especially relevant in interim recruitment, mentioning your availability, niche skills, or ability to parachute into specific projects can be a game-changer.
- Follow up tactfully after applying: Sending a brief, polite follow-up email or LinkedIn message 5 to 7 days after submitting your application can demonstrate your enthusiasm and professionalism. A well-crafted follow-up helps keep your candidacy top of mind for recruiters and hiring managers, especially in a competitive market where they receive hundreds of applications.
4. Work with a specialist recruiter
Navigating a crowded job market can be overwhelming, especially when you’re targeting senior roles in competitive fields like C-suite executive search, interim recruitment or product marketing. This is where working with a specialist recruiter can make a significant difference.
A recruiter who understands your industry and specialism can offer several key benefits:
- Expert guidance: A specialist recruiter has a deep understanding of the market and the types of roles that best match your skills. They can provide tailored advice on how to position yourself and make sure you’re applying to the right roles that fit your career aspirations.
- Access to unadvertised roles: Many senior-level positions, especially in product marketing or executive leadership, are filled through exclusive relationships that specialist recruiters have with companies. By working with a recruiter, you may gain access to roles that are not advertised publicly.
- Streamlined process: A good recruiter can speed up the hiring process by helping you prepare for interviews, negotiate salaries, and manage multiple opportunities. They can also offer insight into the company’s culture and values, so you’re well-prepared before any meeting or interview.
- Long-term relationship: Even if you’re not actively looking for a job right now, staying in touch with a specialist recruiter can help you stay on their radar for future opportunities. Over time, they become a valuable career partner who can advocate for you when the right role comes up.
By collaborating with a recruiter who truly understands your field, you can significantly improve your chances of landing a role that’s the right fit for your skills and long-term career goals.
5. Showcase soft skills and cultural fit
When it comes to making your job application stand out, it’s not just about ticking the boxes on qualifications and experience. More and more employers are looking for strong soft skills, the personal qualities that shape how you work and interact with others.
Soft skills for job applications like communication, teamwork, adaptability and emotional intelligence often make the difference between someone who gets hired and someone who doesn’t. Why? Because they speak volumes about how you’ll fit into the team and contribute to the company’s long-term success.
But it’s not enough to just list these traits on your CV, you need to show them in action. For example:
- Instead of saying “great communicator”, try something like:
“Led weekly client meetings, ensuring updates were clearly explained and next steps agreed – improving delivery timelines by 20%.” - Rather than writing “adaptable”, you could say:
“Stepped into a new project mid-way after a team member left, quickly got up to speed and helped meet the original deadline.”
By offering real examples, you’re backing up your claims with evidence, which is much more convincing to employers.
Cultural fit also plays a huge role. Every company has its own way of doing things, whether it’s fast-paced and high-energy, or more collaborative and steady. Take the time to understand what the business values. Look at their website, read their mission statement, check out employee testimonials on LinkedIn or review sites. Then, use your cover letter or interview answers to show that your values align.
If the company puts a big focus on sustainability, for example, mention your interest or experience in eco-conscious initiatives. If they value innovation, talk about a time you tried a new approach that paid off.
Ultimately, highlighting soft skills for job applications and showing how you’re a good cultural fit isn’t about pretending to be something you’re not. It’s about finding common ground and showing the employer that you’ll thrive in their environment, both professionally and personally.
6. Use a professional, easy-to-read layout
A smart-looking CV doesn’t need to be flashy, it needs to be effective. A professional CV format helps your application get read by the right people (and machines), without getting lost in a mess of over-design.
Choose a clean CV layout that puts your experience and achievements front and centre. Use clear section headings like Experience, Education, Skills and Certifications. Keep font choices simple and easy to read, no scripts, no bright colours and definitely no Comic Sans or Times New Roman.
Stick to ATS-friendly CV templates, which are designed to be easily scanned by Applicant Tracking Systems (more on those below). These templates avoid columns, graphics, icons and fancy elements that can scramble your information when it’s scanned digitally.
Think of your CV like a well-organised shop window. Use bullet points to break down your responsibilities and achievements, and leave enough white space so nothing looks cramped. A tidy layout instantly gives the impression that you’re organised and professional, which is exactly the impression you want to leave.
7. Optimise for ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems)
You could be the perfect fit for a role, but if your CV isn’t ATS optimised, it might not even get seen by a human. That’s why following a few key ATS CV tips can make all the difference.
So, what is an ATS? An Applicant Tracking System is a tool employers use to sort and rank job applications. It scans your CV for relevant keywords and phrases that match the job description. If your CV lacks the right terms, you might get filtered out before a recruiter has even looked at your name.
To pass applicant tracking systems, make sure you:
- Use keywords from the job advert. If the job description mentions “project coordination”, use that exact phrase in your CV if it’s relevant to your experience.
- Avoid using headers and footers for key information. Many ATS tools can’t read these areas properly, so don’t hide your contact details or section titles there.
- Don’t embed text inside images or graphics. Text in logos or design elements won’t be picked up by an ATS, and you risk missing out on crucial visibility.
- Stick to standard section headings. Words like Experience, Skills and Education are universally recognised by ATS software. Avoid creative alternatives like “My Journey” or “What I’ve Done”, they may look unique, but they’re not always machine-readable.
In short, a well-laid-out CV that’s optimised for ATS will not only look good to recruiters, it’ll actually reach them. By combining a clean CV layout with smart ATS CV tips, you give yourself the best shot at landing the interview.
8. Follow up with professionalism
Once you’ve submitted your application, a polite job application follow-up can help reinforce your interest and keep you on the employer’s radar. Timing matters, wait about a week to ten days before reaching out, unless the job advert specifies otherwise.
When following up, keep your email brief and professional. Thank them for considering your application, politely ask if there’s been any progress, and restate your enthusiasm for the role. Avoid being too pushy, your tone should be courteous and confident, not demanding.
A professional job application doesn’t end with a CV and cover letter; how you communicate afterwards is part of the impression you leave. Keep it friendly, respectful and positive.
Summary
Standing out in today’s job market doesn’t require a total reinvention, it’s about clarity, relevance and smart positioning.
Whether you’re targeting a C-suite executive search, exploring interim recruitment options, or aiming to progress your career in product marketing, digital leadership, or commercial roles, presenting your strengths clearly and confidently is key. Hiring managers and recruiters are moving quickly, so being visible, focused and prepared makes a real difference. Ultimately, recruiters and companies hiring want to know that you’re right for the role you’ve applied for and will be a good fit, rather than feeling you’ve just sent out 100 applications and hope some of them land.
A strong LinkedIn profile, a sharp and tailored CV and a personalised approach to applications are the building blocks of success. Back this up by collaborating with a specialist recruiter who can provide expert advice, access to unadvertised roles and support throughout the hiring process. Their deep industry knowledge can help you navigate the market more effectively, ensuring you’re well-positioned for the right opportunities.
If you’re currently seeking senior roles in product management, UX / UI and product design, marketing, digital marketing, eCommerce, or commercial leadership, make sure to check out our live roles for new and exciting opportunities across the UK and internationally.
Looking to hire? Visit our ‘I need to hire’ section to connect with top-level talent.
Looking for your next opportunity? Explore our live jobs and take the next step in your career today.
