If your dream job is the online, marketing, social or creative industries, then you’d better have the CV to match. Gone are the days of still, formal, black-and-white CVs – how do you expect to stand out from the crowd when your resume looks just like everyone else’s? You are interesting, dynamic and full of creative energy, and your job applications should reflect it.
Not only will a creative CV showcase your unique personality and talents, it’s sure to be a bright spot in the day of hiring managers who have to sift through piles of boring resumes. Yes, the hiring process is usually a long and tedious one. So you’ll make a great first impression by submitting something that makes your potential employer sit up and take notice!
To help you get started, we’ve put together a list of three creative CV strategies that can make your resume sparkle and give you the edge to grab your perfect job.
The Infographic CV
Infographic CVs are the way of the future, and thankfully you don’t need to be a Photoshop whiz to put a great one together. If you can’t get one of your skilled friends to help out, try putting up an online ad somewhere like Elance or Odesk. For an investment of $150-$300 you want will get you a beautiful, quirky image PDF to add to your jobseeking arsenal. Check out the example below to get ideas for your very own compelling infographic CV.
The Online CV
If you’re not online, then there’s really no point in trying to convince anyone in the online or creative industries to take you seriously. Setting up a personal website, ideally with your own name as the domain (www.yourname.com.au) is the first step. It doesn’t need to be gigantic, just 5-10 pages about you, your passions and your career aspirations, with one page as your very own online CV. You can also upload your CV on document-sharing websites such as SlideShare.
Being able to be found online is the first step, and the next is to show a little original flair to put you head and shoulders above your competition. We’ve included a brilliant example of a creative online CV below. Who wouldn’t want to hire this guy after looking at such an imaginative resume?
The Video CV
If a picture speaks a thousand words about you, what will a video say? A good video CV can put the icing on your personal branding cake. By watching a short video, employers will learn more about you and your personality than even the most imaginative paper CV and witty cover letter could convey. Do keep it short – we recommend under two minutes so the viewer’s attention doesn’t wander. And make sure the content is an informative and relevant introduction to you and what you have to offer as an employee – don’t just read out your paper CV work history. A video CV should be an introduction, not a replacement for your infographic and/or online CV.Talk to the camera like it’s a real person who just asked the question: “So, why should we hire you?”
Click the link below to watch our favourite example for this category of CV, and get some inspiration for your own.
Hi, Just a tip for people who would like their CV generated as a great infographic check out vizualize.me straight from your Linkedin profile, a sample preview: http://vizualize.me/tungvantruong#
forgive my cheeky self-promotion, but I’m sure a lot of the audience will like the tool, enjoy!
Hi Tung,
Thanks for the tip! Nifty little tool there.