Did you know that it takes recruiters (on average) just six seconds to make a decision on your CV?
Yes, that means you have just six seconds to grab their attention and compel them to read on!
Do you think your CV is doing that? Or is it time to get a little more creative?
Check out these 6 slightly more memorable CV ideas to get some inspiration!
1. The Infographic CV.
I have never received an infographic CV, but I think the idea is fantastic!
Infographics are so engaging because they present information, stats and data in a clear, easy-to-read and visually pleasing way!
(That’s exactly what you need to do with your CV).
You can keep the content pretty much the same (perhaps shorter and punchier) but it just looks better and is much more interesting to the eye and memorable.
Want to create an infographic CV? Check out these 3 great sites…
Show off your creative, individual and technological side as well as your personality!
Not sure exactly where to start? Vennage recently created a great infographic on the topic – click here to check it out.
[caption id="attachment_29841" align="alignnone" width="1460"] Create a CV infographic at Vennage.com[/caption]
2. The Video CV.
Do you shine on camera?
We all know that video marketing has gone wild over the last few years.
YouTube, Snapchat, Facebook Live… we’re surrounded by fantastic resources to create top-notch videos – and all you need is a mobile phone (with a camera).
So… why not use this to your own advantage and completely turn your CV into a video?
It’s absolutely guaranteed to stand out and will give potential employers a real glimpse of your personality – something which is very hard to portray in a Word Document!
3. The Personal Website.
Reckon you’ve got some computer skills? Are you using them to your advantage? You should be.
Personal websites are particularly useful because they give you the opportunity to get creative, showcase some examples of your work and prove how up to date you are with technology (a sought-after skill these days).
Just pop the link in your cover letter or CV and Bob’s your uncle.
If you’d like to see some fab examples, check out this post: 10 Amazing Personal Websites You’ve Simply Got To See.
Seriously, some of them are just bloody fantastic.
4. The Sales Letter.
In the same vein, how about going old-school with some good old-fashioned direct mail?
I don’t know about you, but I love receiving post and would always open up a letter addressed to myself! It’s much harder to ignore than an email.
Recruiter Pro Tip Obviously, you have to be really careful not to be too spammy when it comes to direct mail. You want the receiver to think that this is a personalised message to them and that it’s dead important for them to read it – not that it’s a sales letter filled with rubbish. You can make letters look more formal by using A4 envelopes with the windows, showing the address.
If you want to go even further, you could include a gift with your CV like chocolate, a voucher or even something weird and wonderful like a shoe (get your foot through the door…)
Stunts like this do cost money, but they’ll definitely ensure you’re remembered.
5. An entire promotional pack.
Go above and beyond and create your very own promotional pack!
This is a good idea if you have a smaller “dreamlist” of companies that you absolutely, 100% want to work with. It will cost too much otherwise.
From brochures and CDs, to portfolios and photos, sending out promotional material is bound to impress any potential employer and it gives you a lot more wording to play with too (compared to a standard 2-page CV).
Click here to check out some examples.
These are just guaranteed to wow recruiters more than a CV!
6. Are you super-creative?
Of course, you could go super-creative like some job candidates do. We’ve seen…
- A cereal box CV.
- A Chocolate bar CV.
- A board game CV.
Click here to check out 23 great examples!
(These are particularly good for those of you who are in a competitive, creative industry – it might be a bit much for others.)
One Final Tip...
One final piece of advice I can give you is this: always follow through!
If you send out really, ultra-creative CVs and applications but turn up to interview and utterly bore the pants off your interviewers, they’re bound to be disappointed.
And if you send a dead quirky direct mail but then your CV is long and laborious, you’re not going to get anywhere!
Not very creative?
Honestly, often a great, well-structured and interesting CV will do the trick. Check out these blog posts to get some tips on how to get that bit right…
- 22 Silly Reasons Your CV Will Get Rejected.
- The Ultimate Guide to CV Writing.
- 10 Steps to a Successful CV
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Good luck!
