Sometimes your CV just isn’t enough in the crowded job market to get the dream job you want or to get a recruiter to put your profile at the top of their priority list.
Here are 5 ideas to really make your CV excel from others:
Go and pitch your CV in person
First impressions count and face-to-face first impressions at interview stage can definitely be the deciding factor between a 2nd stage interview or back to the job search. What about face-to-face first impressions before the interview stage though? Pitambar Dayal decided that his physical CV wasn’t the first impression that he wanted to portray so he used his musical abilities to rap his CV at a careers fair. Immediately, Pit was in control of his first impression and had hiring managers focused entirely on his skills, experience and education history.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHjQ0AVpURg
Gamify your CV
Gamification has become one of the most popular trends in the interview process so why not utilize this during the very first impression you can make.
If a hiring manager can play your CV, then they are immediately more engaged in your application and you will guarantee to leave a lasting impression as they sift through the array of applications.
Jenny Johns, a graphic design student, designed a complete board game revolving around her CV which will certainly instil some enthusiasm into the hiring manager among the array of paper-based CVs.
http://gurucareers.com/board-game-cv/
Build your CV around showcasing your skills
In the highly attractive IT job market, utilising a platform to showcase your skills is a beneficial addition to your CV. Many IT professionals use open source platforms such as GitHub to demonstrate the levels of certain coding languages they have for example. This can also be true for design professionals as they showcase their abilities on sites such as Iconfinder.
Robby Leonardi took it upon himself to make his CV as interactive as possible in the form of an HTML based moving resume. You move through the ‘levels’ to find out different things about Robby such as his design capabilities, work history and hobbies.
A great example of making your CV stand out from a very crowded market.
http://www.rleonardi.com/interactive-resume/
Make your CV a product
Your CV is your personal branding tool so why not make yourself into a brand literally. One job seeker, Nick Begley, designed his own wrapper for a chocolate bar and sent it to potential employers with his own tagline of ‘Credentials that will satisfy any organisation’s appetite’.
The choice between a pile of paper and a chocolate bar would appeal to the majority of the population and is definitely a unique selling point in your application.
http://metro.co.uk/2013/02/26/i-am-the-best-bar-none-says-jobseeker-3517031/
Do a video for the Transformation Networks
The Transformation Networks work across HR, Technology and Business Change and are a great platform to project your personal brand across the Internet and through a variety of social mediums.
Video CV’s are nothing innovative but showcasing your knowledge on a hot topic in your industry and being recognised as a ‘thought leader’ really makes you stand out from the crowd.
Using the Transformation Networks to compliment your CV for an application will provide you with a platform to highlight what you truly know about your market.
www.hrtn.tv www.thebtn.tv www.thettn.tv
Some of these examples are very specific to a certain type of job that would be applied for however there is always a way to be individualistic and attract attention to the first stage of the job process, your CV.
If you would like to visit the Annapurna offices and record some content for one of our Transformation Networks, please contact Daniel@annapurnarecruitment.com.
