Communications Manager CV example

A great Communications Manager CV should emphasise the success you’ve made for companies. This guide breaks down exactly how to present your comms experience in a way that speaks to employers.

It’ll go step-by-step through writing a CV that captures your impact across industries and audiences in a clear and coherent way.

Seeing as you’re applying for a communications role, you should be as clear and engaging as you’re expected to be. A jumbled or unclear layout full of mistakes won’t just look bad, it’ll suggest you can’t present key information effectively. Make it as scannable and purposeful as a great press release to keep it engaging for prospective recruiters.

Here’s the structure to follow:

• Name and contact details – Display your contact details clearly at the top so employers can get in touch easily. Including a picture of yourself is entirely optional.
• Profile – Begin with a concise summary that highlights your expertise and what you bring to the role.
• Core skills – Highlight your strongest skills that align with the role’s requirements.
• Work experience – Start with your most recent role and work backwards, showcasing achievements and responsibilities.
• Education – Mention your degrees, certifications, and any training that supports your career path.
• Additional info – Include any additional details, like awards, professional memberships, or hobbies and interests that highlight your skills or personality.
  

Use bullet points in your experience section to break down dense information. Keep your CV formatting clean with logical headers, a readable font, and consistent spacing throughout. Aim for no more than two pages long. Just like any internal comms strategy – keep it focused and free of clutter.

Your CV profile is your first and best chance to show the employer the value you bring – not just your skill set, but the outcomes you deliver. Whether you’re managing internal narratives or leading major media campaigns, this section should highlight the measurable difference your work makes.

Think of it as a concise pitch: what kind of comms leader are you, and what kind of transformation can an employer expect if they bring you in? It’s the first thing hiring managers will see, so make it count.

Make sure your profile includes the following:

• Where you worked – You may have worked in-house at large corporations, public sector organisations, or agencies delivering comms for multiple clients.
• Your top qualifications – You might hold a degree in Communications, PR, Journalism, or similar, alongside CIPR membership or professional development in digital comms or media relations.
• Essential skills – You could bring expertise in multi-channel strategy, crisis comms, stakeholder engagement, press management, internal comms, or brand messaging.
• Specialisms – You may have led high-impact PR campaigns, managed comms for change programmes, or overseen tone-of-voice development and implementation.
• Value delivered – In previous roles, you may have boosted engagement metrics, improved employee communication scores, raised positive media coverage, or managed reputational risk during sensitive campaigns.

This section needs to show your technical strengths and real-world capabilities – not just your passion for storytelling or team leadership. Focus on practical communication skills and tools that match the requirements of the role.

You might include experience managing media relations, drafting executive speeches, overseeing internal comms channels, or leading social media strategies. If you’ve used tools like SharePoint or Canva, mention them here. Showcase the tangible things you can do: a helpful tip is to copy the things mentioned in the job description.

This section should show that you don’t just know how to communicate – you know how to get results. It’s about real campaigns to real audiences, and their measurable outcomes. For each role, give a short summary of your employer and your role there, then use bullet points to highlight your responsibilities and achievements.

List each role in reverse chronological order. Emphasise the scale of your work experience and be specific about the kind of content or campaigns you led. Results matter, so wherever you can, include engagement figures, response rates, media coverage numbers, or other metrics.

• Outline – Provide a brief intro to the organisation, your level of seniority, and how your work supported their communications objectives.
• Responsibilities – Use action words like “developed” and “led.” For example: “developed and executed external comms strategy for product launch across five regions” or “led content development for internal rebranding campaign reaching 3,000+ staff.” Mention tools, teams, and timelines.
• Achievements – Include evidence of what you achieved, such as press coverage secured, audience reach, improved engagement scores, or crisis situations handled effectively.

Most communications professionals hold a relevant degree, but experience often carries more weight – especially at mid-senior level. Still, a strong academic background can demonstrate foundational skills in writing, media handling, and audience engagement.

Include your degree (e.g. Communications, Journalism, English), institution, and any postgraduate or vocational education or training. You might also mention short courses in strategic comms or stakeholder management if applicable.