How creative can you get with a CV?

What not to do

There is a fine line between being creative and being bizarre. In the job world, creative is good – bizarre is not. To use my own creative CV as an example, imagine how it would have played had I chosen to create a personification for Google as a woman. I do refer to Google as “she,” but I never give her a body or form. It would have been intensely creative to do a whole dramatic scenario with people acting out the proposal – but it would have pushed the creative resume over into the realm of the bizarre. One of the core reasons why Danielandgoogle gets noticed is that I took the idea to the edge, but didn’t let one aspect of it dangle over that very fine line that would have made it into something that could be parodied. This isn’t just a matter of talent, it is a matter of skill and application. You have to know your target very well to walk the fine line that is going to get you noticed.

Coming up with a supporting strategy

No matter how great your creative resume is, it won’t help if you don’t have a viable strategy behind it to get it seen. One of the mistakes that people make when going the creative CV route is then presenting it in a traditional way. To use my own as an example, the creativity is obvious in the whole use of the marriage proposal idea – but it is the supporting strategy that makes it get noticed. In this case, the support strategy comes through the use of video. There are numerous ways to support your idea online that are more easily accessible to you than you think. One thing you should consider is the use of Mind Mapping software. This takes visual planning to the next level and lets you link in resources with your ideas to keep you from missing a connection to a supporting strategy.

Here is an Example: Don’t use the Mind Map just for planning the implementation of your idea, use it to create a dynamic CV. Embed the map in a WordPress site and then add media. Making a video that stands out is easier than ever. You can shoot it using your smartphone and then add in everything else you need with point and click editors.

Think outside the box, but don’t forget what goes in the box[U1]

Creative ideas for CVs abound, and the best wed innovation with eye catching presentations that surround solid information about the person. The key is to make sure that the creative idea matches the industry and target company. One of the best ever was the “fake medication” design that Cai Griffth did for copywrite Jon Ryder. At first you wouldn’t think of medication and copywriting – it seems like it would be a fit for a pharma position; but think outside of the box. Cai and Jon identified that copywriting is a job that is rife with headaches, stress and pressure – what better way to present a resume than as the antidote to that? The end result was a real box of fake medication with labelling that listed Jon’s qualifications. No big surprise that it landed him a position that he wanted. That is what thinking outside the box, but making sure you remember what needs to go in it is all about.

Go beyond what you know, and use what you feel

Go beyond the normal associations with your industry and think about the real gut feeling of it – with Google its all love and commitment, you have a relationship with it. With copywriters – they are there to solve the headaches and stress of PR and SEO. Think about how you would describe your relationship to your work and passion to someone who wouldn’t know your industry terms and you will find the description for your dynamic CV presentation.

For gathering more info about how Daniel Leong imagined and structured his creative resume for Google, please check out this link.

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