Employability skills for young people

A complete guide to creating a creative CV

Have fun, showcase your design skills, and differentiate yourself in the job market

If you are thinking of applying for a job in creative sectors, consider creating a creative CV.

What is a creative CV?

See examples below:

A creative CV will help you showcase your design skills and differentiate yourself in a crowded job market.

For example, imagine that you have created your CV as a cereal box:

You might choose to showcase your design skills, for example:

You can go for a CV that looks both creative and professional:

Alternatively, you can think of creating an infographic CV, which will capture your career in numbers:

Or you can go crazy and create a resume that looks like a horror movie poster:

Another cool alternative is to create a CV which looks like a board game:

You can also consider creating a personal mind map, like the one below.

One of my genius students at McGill, Megumi Wada, created a periodic table of her own as part of her coursework some years ago. I have never forgotten this work. I loved this artwork so much that I asked her permission to use this as a learning resource for my students. I think it is simply brilliant — I am captivated by the originality of her idea and her execution:

If you are applying for a role where you are expected to demonstrate creative or artistic skills, a creative CV is a perfect solution.

Creative CVs capture better attention — they are visual, striking, and original. It is a joy to witness a high level of creativity.

Here are tips for preparing a creative CV:

1. First, make sure if a creative CV is acceptable for the job you are applying for. If you are applying for an accounting job in a traditional corporation, a creative CV might not be a viable or a proper option.
2. Create ideas and scenarios on your design. What is your big idea? What do you want to convey? Can you design your own game or play? Do you wish to use some metaphors? How will you capture and represent your ideas visually?
3. Bring together the contents that you want to incorporate into your creative CV. You might want to include your experiences, success record, extra-curricular activities, technical and creative skills, awards, etc. You might also want to include a personal statement or a career objective if you wish. Think about how you can best represent these elements visually.
4. Showcase your design and creativity skills as you create your visual CV. Make sure that your design is easy and appealing to the eye. Think about the layout and the overall look and feel of your message. Use space strategically as needed.
5. Implement your ideas on your computer. You can use design software, but remember that you can also create a creative CV using Ms Word:

6. Provide links to examples of your work (your web site, online portfolio, social media links, etc.) so that they can check up on your work. Showcase your talents through an online portfolio or showreel.

7. Check out Pinterest to see some creative CV examples and get inspiration from them!

7. Consider preparing an infographic resume.

Infographic resumes are in, as recruiters love dynamic and visual resumes. You can grab a recruiter's attention in seconds using an infographic resume.

Check out this amazing resource on how to prepare an infographic resume by Hannah Morgan:

“The Infographic Resume: How to Create a Visual Portfolio that Showcases Your Skills and Lands the Job”

The book also covers tips on how to create a powerful digital presence, how to build your personal brand and manage your online reputation, and how to showcase your best work online.

8. Check out this wonderful Creative CV Guide prepared by the University of the Arts London, University for the Creative Arts and University College Falmouth.

9. Another great resource on creative CVs is the following; where top creatives share their tips and their own CVs:

10. If you need more inspiration, check out the following creative CVs and job applications — they will provide you lots of ideas that you can choose from.

Take-Aways

• A creative CV or an infographic resume will help you stand out in a crowded job market.
• Recruiters spend 5–10 seconds to look at your CV and they are looking at hundreds of CVs.
• If you are applying for a creative company or role, one of the best shots you have is to create and submit a creative CV. You can create something outstanding, memorable, and unique.

Go creative: Doughnut CV

Before I finish, I will share with you an amazing example of an outstanding candidate who has developed a “doughnut CV”.

Lukas Yla, a 25-year-old Lithuanian marketing professional, delivered his resume in a box of donuts.

He delivered 40 donut-resumes to marketing agencies and tech firms in San Francisco.

He landed on 10 job interviews:

Consider making a video CV

One last thing before you go: You can also create your own video CV. Below is the one video CV that impressed me the most, and I use it regularly in my classes as an example of the ultimate video CV:

It is time we think beyond any limits, take risks, and be creative in our job applications.

I wish you best luck in your job search.

Sincerely;

Fahri

Fahri Karakas is the author of Self-making Studio. You can explore more here.