More and more candidates are submitting a graphic CV as a way of standing out in the job selection process and presenting their achievements in a more visual and engaging way. There are many ways of adding some visual flair to your CV, even just simple updates that can get the attention of employers.
Get on Pinterest
If you need a starting point, why not scroll through the many mood boards on Pinterest to inspire you to create an eye-catching CV? It’s best to have some sort of idea of how you want your finished CV to look and seeing examples will guide you. Remember, your style should be tailored to the roles you are applying for; a highly creative role at a digital marketing agency, for example, might suit a visual style but for a finance assistant, perhaps a more traditional CV would be more appropriate.
Use templates as a starting point for your graphic CV
There are many great word processing and design software packages out there, and many of these again will include ready-made templates, with the design elements in place so all you have to do is add in your text. Be wary of using every element from a template as organisations no doubt see a lot of CVs that use them – remember, your design should make you stand out, not conform to what everyone else is doing!
Utilise free graphic design sites to enhance your graphic CV
Free design websites, such as Canva, are great tools that let you build graphics yourself without having to be a design expert. Adobe also provides useful free tutorials to help you at every step of the process, if you have the Adobe Creative Suite of applications already, from choosing a set of fonts, colour scheme, and layout.
Make use of vector illustrations to showcase skills
‘Show, not tell’ is a common yet important piece of advice when detailing your skills in your CV – so what better way is there to show off these skills than presenting them visually. This could be using shapes or colour to highlight where your skills sit on a spectrum. A simple thing could be adding icons next to your contact information, for example, a phone icon for your contact number or a pen to represent your address.
We hope you’ve been inspired to shake up your CV. Register with Unitemps to upload your CV on our system and start applying for jobs.
Last updated on 25 August 2022
Share this article