Being creative when applying for an internship, junior, senior or even for a top executive job is absolutely CRITICAL for you to get noticed and maximize your chances of getting that job. If you don't add some creativity or something special to your application, you are just one of the crowd...
Here I list some ideas, which I came up with by analyzing what everyone is doing when writing resumes...and then asking myself - WHY do they do it this way? Isn't there a better way to present the information in a resume?
I brainstormed and came up with the following five ideas. I have tested them all and I know they work!
Please note that this is a general list and not every idea may be applicable to your particular case. My goal is to provide with some creative tools and then you can decide which ones to use. Ever better - my ideas can spark your imagination and you can come up with your own :)
1. Add color to your resume
Adding color is the simplest and fastest way to make your resume stand out. For some weird reason, most people still have their resumes completely black and white...which is simply boring...and presents a huge opportunity for anyone who diverges from this monotonous black and white world.
2. Add logos of the organizations you have been part of
Another very simple way to make your resume different is by simply adding resumes of the companies, schools, organizations you have on your resume. YOU MUST absolutely do this if some of the organizations are recognizable brands.
Logos will add color, variety, and trust, which otherwise you don't have.
3. Add visuals, images, infographics.
Building on top of colors and logos, you can present some of the information in your CV as a visual or infographic. This will not only make your resume stand out but it will also present information in a way which is much easier to comprehend compared to just having a block of text or bullet points.
Remember! Recruiters and CEOs are bored of standard black and white resumes. Bring variety to their lives with your non-mainstream resume.
4. Replace the standard resume format
Why does a resume always have to be a 1-page or 2-page PDF? What is the reason? Sure, you can give it a quick look and get most of the information...but often there is too much information and it's not so easy to take it all in.
So why not use something else? For example a PowerPoint or a slide deck. This format is widely used in the business world and it is very effective.
Remember! The goal of your resume is to present YOU in your best possible light for a particular position. If you cannot do that with a traditional one pager PDF-resume, find another format, which works best for you - a slide deck, a website, video, or something else.
5. Record a video resume
Videos are the ultimate hack, that places you ahead of the competition. A video is a way better medium to convey information compared to using just text. In a video you can have text, images, voice, sound and most importantly - YOU ARE THERE :) At the end of the day employers hire you, not a resume. They will decide if they will hire you only after they meet you in person.
Well, you can show yourself to them in a video. If they like you, they will invite you to talk more. If they don't like you, they won't invite you, WHICH IS GREAT, because you don't want to work with people who don't like your, right? :)
This is my favorite approach to get employers attention -> record a video of yourself as a substitute for your traditional resume or even better as a complement to your resume.