Any job seeker wants to stand out among the crowd of other candidates. The thing is that people understand that when they apply for a job there will be many more applicants who might be more qualified. One of the primary tasks then for a job seeker is to set oneself apart from the rest. Since at this point candidates don't usually have interviews yet, all they have is a resume and cover letter. These are their only marketing tools at the initial stage. As a result, candidates devise different methods of how they can creatively design their job application package. Usually, a resume is the one job seekers experiment on trying to make it stand out. However, many HRs believe that this is something that can become a turnoff. So the question is whether it is worth trying to develop a creative resume or is it better off sticking to a traditional way of resume writing?
What Exactly is a Creative Resume and Should I Have One?
First of all, we do not recommend trying to develop a creative resume if you don't have creative skills and especially if you don't need them at the job you are applying for. Moreover, that's when 'creative' resumes becoming a turnoff. People often don't know how to design it creatively so they come up with their own 'creative' style which doesn't really help employers much. But that doesn't mean that creative resumes and CVs are to be ignored by job seekers. There is definitely a niche where creative resumes would be something that hiring authorities are expecting to see. Careers in media, marketing, the arts, and some other industries require creativity so sending a creative resume when applying for jobs like this is like sending a resume with a portfolio sample.
Some people are wondering how you can actually have a creative resume if most of the essential resume components are standard. Contact information, accomplishments, professional experience, education, skills - all of these are a must for every effective resume. You can't play around with that very much. Even though you can't exclude any of these elements you can sure re-arrange them in a way that would be more appealing for hiring authorities. One job seeker sent a resume in the form of a menu to one of the restaurants and eventually got hired. The way you arrange and design the content defines whether you will have a creative or traditional resume. Keep in mind that the content is still the priority; without good content, you will unlikely be considered even if you have the best resume layout ever. Make sure your creative resume fits the company you send your application too.
We know that both a marketing director as well as an art teacher both need to show off their creative skills to a potential employer. However, those would be different designs of resumes. So make sure you fit the context by first researching some information. Don't think that the more graphic elements you add to your resume, the more chances you will have on getting the job. That is not so. Try to focus on a creative idea rather than graphic elements. This will help you demonstrate your skills better.
