Creative CV
Throughout my search for a stable job, I thought it was appropriate to try and brand myself and give myself a more interesting presence. I visited plenty of job sites in hope of gathering some vital information that would help me stand out from the crowd and discovered that companies such as LUSH cosmetics actually prefer a creative CV over a boring black and white sheet of paper listed with drivel.
I started by thinking about a colour scheme that was interesting enough to catch a few glances and raise some eyebrows (hopefully in a positive way) whilst reflecting a little bit of my personality and interests. Light teal/turquiose and vanilla custard yellow/magnolia it was! I felt that they both complimented each other really well and were subtle enough not to give a headache to the manager of the company who would be graced with it.
After some playing around with easy to read layouts and handy boxes to contain eveything and keep the flow nice and legible, I was happy to finalise it. I added a first page which is mostly a brief summary of my lifer so far and what I've been doing with my time. I did this by creating a neat little timeline with each major event in my life (work-wise, and education), with a short description about myself underneath. All the relevant contact information is shown elsewhere which I find is appropriate in size, font, and colour. I created some graphic icons such as an envelope to show off my email address, and a mobile phone to state my number. I used a san serif font in hope that everyone would find this easier to read. Some serif fonts were used on the opening line: my name, and the closing line "Thank you, I hope to hear from you soon".
I read in many articles online regarding CVs that a "key skill" type box followed by a grading system (either using stars or other shapes to represent your skills) was sometimes a bad idea as it seems too critical of yourself and can put some employers off. However, after seeing comments on several articles from business owners and emplyers themselves, it was actually seen as a very intuitive way to put your skills forward and show them off a bit more. Many commnents featured the idea that having a handy little grading system meant that the audience can easily access and understand what you think your strong points are, and this can show your confidence in your abilities which is something they look for.
Just as an example, I pretty much used all of the information from my regular CV and neatly reworded and condensed it onto this version just to get a feel for what it would look like and whether or not it would work when used for a completely creative purpose. I tried prioritising information of which I thought employers may want to see first, and talked a little bit about roles, responsibilities and requirements of jobs I have had in the past.
I was adamant that absolutely no photograph of me would be used or featured in anything I created as I don't believe in employers being allowed to superficially judge you on your appeance before formally meeting you for an interview or chat. I have heard of many immoral companies (will name no names) around Leeds that ask for a mugshot when applying for a job with them "just so they can see if your face fits the criteria" - supermodel-silicone-esque is not on my agenda thank you very much! A face full of makeup isn't going to do the hard graft, I am!
Much thought was put into the use of a photo. However, after hearing of many companies that do actually just like it for reference so they know who you are and whether or not you look smart, clean, and presentable, I thought it might be nice just to slap a little photo and shove it on my CV.
All in all, I've made a good attempt at a creative CV and think it looks fairly smart and encouraging. I have far more branding to do such as business cards and an online presence.
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