How To Make Your CV stand Out From The Crowd

*This is a collaborative post 

There’s a lot of information on the internet about how to write a good CV and what will make it stand out, however, if everyone is reading that then you might still struggle to make yours unique, however, if you do choose to get creative, then you might stand a little more chance. Some very unique CVs have even made it to the national newspapers, now it doesn’t mean that’s what you want to aim for, but you certainly want to make someone give yours a second glance and talk about you. However, one thing to note is that any creative CV should not replace your traditional written CV, but it can be a little something extra that will give you the edge. 

Whether it’s an audio CV, an infographic CV, a video CV, or an interactive CV, doing something different shows that you’re resourceful and creative, and willing to go the extra mile.

For an audio CV, if it was relevant in some way for the job, you could create a CD cover and booklet to write your information and then use the CD to talk a bit about yourself. If you’re applying for a couple of jobs in a similar role, then look into CD duplication so that you only have to create it once but can get a few copies for other applications. 

An infographic CV will go down well with recruiters and employers. If you’re not familiar with what an infographic is, it’s a graphic design tool for showing facts, figures, and information in a much more visually pleasing way. It’s an easy-to-digest format that’s proving to be very popular with companies who want to show results and information in a digestible and exciting format. If you are good at graphic design or know someone who is, then you should find it quite easy to pull a CV together in this way. Have a look online for some examples if you’re not sure. If you’re not very good at designing yourself, then there are now some online services available that can help to build an infographic CV. Your infographic CV will give extra insight into your background, experience, and skills that your traditional CV format does not and provides an at a glance guide to the type of person you are and the work roles you are suitable for. Infographics are great for making what could typically be boring data into something a lot more interesting. 

Recently a story made it to the national news that after a man learned that his job was ending, he created a collection of cereal boxes with his CV printed on panels down the side, he then shared a video of his creative idea on Twitter after designing ten boxes to send to prospective employers. He was suddenly flooded with feedback across his LinkedIn and other platforms. 

Of course, it does depend on the role you are going for, and as you should tailor your CV to each particular job you’re applying for, then you can customize your creative ideas as well. For example, if you are going for a design role, then use your CV to show off your design skills. Have you ever heard of the guy who put his CV inside a pizza box and delivered it to a local Italian restaurant? He got the role. Another one was a bar of chocolate, the person put on the wrapper ‘If I’m not successful for this application, please enjoy this bar of chocolate.’ – Who knows if they got the job, but it could be worth a try.