Hiring managers and recruiters receive thousands of applications a day. They only have time to spend about six seconds on each CV before deciding if they want to speak with the job applicant to find out more.
While there is nothing wrong with a traditional black-and-white CV, creative resumes have become increasingly popular, especially among younger demographics in an increasingly competitive job market. A unique CV that stands out can effectively captivate the attention of the employer and demonstrates your creativity even before they take the time to read it in detail.
While they may not be necessary for some slightly more traditional sectors such as banking and accounting, creative CVs are certainly welcome. Creative resumes can be used as a means to demonstrate capabilities for jobs that include elements of art, design, engineering or technology. From CVs in the form of a colourful infographic to one wrapped around a candy bar, here are some creative ideas for resumes that have stood out.
best creative resume ideas that caught our eyes
1. video resume
Given how prevalent videos are today as a means to consume information, that is hardly a surprise. Presenting your CV in a video format may be preferred for some employers, as it showcases your creativity and skills in scriptwriting, editing and the art of storytelling.
A video CV can even help the recruiter make a more informed decision on whether they should invite you down for an interview. A 60-second video can give your interviewer a sense of the way you communicate and carry yourself, which is more information than a written resume can provide.
2. candy bar CV
If you prefer something more tangible, you can consider submitting your CV formatted in the packaging of a candy bar or a chocolate bar and wrap it around one. The candy bar CV is one ingenious idea, and if done right, can truly stand out from the masses. After all, how many people would actually go to the extent of designing, printing, buying and delivering bars of candy to find employment?
One issue with this is that most jobs are being advertised online today and employers expect digital CVs from applicants. Emailing a bar of candy isn’t really an easily accessible option (yet). However, if a candidate goes so far as to deliver their candy bar CV in response to an online job ad, it goes to show that they are serious about the job, are resourceful and willing to go the extra mile to try and achieve their desired results.
3. interactive resume game
One of the most distinct and ambitious interactive resumes, we have seen to date on the internet is in the format of an interactive video game. For most people, their CV would take a couple of hours to complete at most. However, for Robby Leonardi, his interactive video game CV took him several months to build.
Leonardi’s CV shows an exceptional level of dedication and attention to detail, in addition to the creative juices needed to think of something highly original and the discipline to actually execute it. The end result showcases his skills in game design, programming and coding, as well as the various other competencies he listed in this very engaging and stimulating CV.
4. build a resume website
If you’re applying for a position at your dream company, a creative way to stand out is to personalise and dedicate your application entirely to them. For instance, Alice Lee built a one-page website just to speak to Instagram and demonstrate how her skills would be a fit; Philippe Dubost replicated an Amazon product page that featured his past experiences as product reviews and skills maturity as customer reviews.
This approach may very well pay off if your website is built according to the profile of your targeted potential employer. It shows that you have a thorough understanding of their corporate vision and product offerings, and have the skills and dedication to go the extra mile to grab the employer’s attention. This option for a professional resume website will be especially fitting if you’re applying for a position in website design or digital advertising.
5. visually engaging CV
If designing a video game sounds a little too advanced for you, a more traditional but still innovative way of showcasing your creativity in a conventional CV is by designing it in an unconventional format. Be it styling your resume as an infographic or using vibrant colours, patterns and fonts, a visually engaging CV will still appeal to the eyes but is less risky and laborious than some other creative CV types.
There are thousands of colourful and visually appealing creative CV templates online for you to personalise and craft your CV from. There are also fuss-free infographic-makers such as Canva or Piktochart for those with no technical design skills. Just make sure that the image is kept at a minimum file size (below 1MB) so that the hiring manager will not have any issues downloading your CV.
If you are feeling a bit more adventurous, you could also try using simple video animation tools such as Biteable, Animoto or Doodly to create an animated resume. These platforms provide various video templates, illustrations and animations options to help you create an engaging and creative CV.
creative resumes not for you?
There are roles where a creative CV is not necessary, such as accounting & finance and human resources, and that’s perfectly fine.
Your resume should be designed with the role and employer in mind. It will be a total waste of your time if you have spent days designing a resume that does not effectively communicate the skills and competencies required for the role. Many recruiters and hiring managers still look at skill sets and relevant work experiences that are accumulated over the years when shortlisting candidates for the interview.
We still like receiving conventional resumes from great talent, be it a simple black-and-white word document or a video. If you have your CV ready to go, submit it to us and we’ll contact you if any suitable opportunity comes up.
