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When applying for your dream job, making your application stand out can be key.
People try things like making their CV look like a company’s website or product, or adding key styling elements used by the company to their CV.
Eleonora Papini has followed this approach on several occasions.
“It’s hard to cram my life, experiences and skills into one or two pages, having stunning graphics can help convey my dedication and creativity much better than words,” she told Make It of CNBC.
For a recent application to netflix, she recreated the home screen of streaming services. Boxes that usually display titles and images of movies or series included its details instead.
In an app for British cosmetics company Lush, he incorporated elements such as his font and snippets of Lush products, which the company also uses on its website. Papini has also added themed sections like an “ingredients” list that lists his skills to his CV.
Two business-themed resume examples, one for cosmetics company Lush and another for streaming service Netflix.
CV provided by Eleonora Papini, photos taken by CNBC’s Make It
Lap Tran, a marketing graduate, took a similar approach when he applied for an internship at Spotify earlier this year. He used the company’s color scheme and font and replicated its layout for his resume.
Do job seekers think it’s worth it?
At the time, Tran thought it was worth taking the extra time to stand out and make her resume more appealing to a big company. But he has since changed his mind.
“Thinking back, it wasn’t worth the extra effort, but a good experience with topical resumes, since I wasn’t picked or even emailed to be notified not to be picked,” a- he told CNBC’s Make It.
Eleonora also didn’t notice a major difference after applying to various companies. “Only one recruiter contacted me and complimented my resume,” she said.
However, she still thinks that creating creative resumes can be worth the time investment for some candidates.
“I think it’s worth it if you like to ‘play’ with the graphics. I like it and I like creating new graphics and testing new strategies,” she explains, but she thinks the approach not suitable for everyone, especially if the graphics are not one. . of your main skills.
The verdict of the experts
Experts also seem cautious.
UK-based professional CV writer Suzie Henriques told CNBC’s Make It that a traditional approach is usually a safer bet.
“A lot of the time, the traditional text format is usually the best,” she said. The standard CV is universally intelligible and remains the absolute reference during the recruitment process.
Career coach and resume writer Amanda Augustine, who works for US company TopResume, has a similar view.
“Rather than adding design elements to mimic employer branding, it would be more effective to customize the content of your resume and cover letter to the specific job posting,” a- she declared.
According to experts, very creative CVs could even reduce your chances of getting an interview.
One of the reasons for this is distraction, says Gaelle Blake, head of permanent appointments at recruitment firm Hays.
“The crucial details could be harder to find in a creative resume or potentially distract from your credentials,” she told CNBC’s Make It, adding that these key facts about skills and experience are the most important part of a CV for recruiters.
Additionally, many companies use software that reads and filters resumes. It could also cause problems, says Henriques.
“Some organizations use applicant management software to parse your CV information into their system and an unusual or highly visual format may not be compatible with this, meaning the text you have included may end up not be legible on the other end,” she says.
What to do instead
The one notable exception is in highly creative jobs and industries, the three experts told Make It, adding that including links to website portfolios is a good way to showcase creativity.
Usually standard resumes are no less effective, they say, but there are a few things to keep in mind.
Henriques suggests keeping the design clear and simple.
“I recommend using clear section headings, leaving lots of white space and if you want to add flair, border lines, bullets and light shadows can really draw the reader’s attention to the key areas,” she says.
When it comes to content, Augustine thinks resumes should be more than just a series of bullet points.
“They want your resume to read like a story, explaining why you’re qualified for the job you want,” she says, adding that examples and role-specific data are helpful ways to do that.
Meanwhile, Blake urges applicants not to overlook the basics — checking for spelling, grammar and punctuation errors is key, she says.
His final piece of advice, however, goes beyond resumes. Ensuring you’re able to explain your skills convincingly in interviews is equally important, she believes.
“Don’t rely on your resume to speak for you,” concludes Blake.
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