A creative and original CV can help you stand out by attracting the attention of your future employer. Recruiters receive so many CVs with identical layouts that an original CV can only stand out from the crowd! To get noticed without overdoing it, it is therefore important to choose a design that fits into the codes of your profession, with originality.
Do you want to increase your chances of landing an interview? Are you looking for tips and inspiration on how to create an original CV ? In this guide, we show you:
- How to make an original CV thanks to its layout
- How to choose the right format for an original CV
- How to make your CV attractive through content
- Examples of original CVs that attract attention
Create an original CV layout
The most important thing in the layout of a CV is the header. Whether you choose an original CV or a traditional CV, it is important to take care of this part since it is the one that will be read first by your recruiter!
To set the tone for your profile and impose your identity, you can choose to make it more creative and write a good CV hook .
To create an original CV header, imagine a colorful background or a professional photograph. Are you afraid of a creative CV that is too eccentric? Nothing prevents you from remaining sober on the rest of your document and taking care of your header by daring to use geometric patterns, a graphic design and colors.
Icons are essential graphic elements to break the monotony of a resume. They bring a breath of modernity and make scanning your document more efficient for the recruiter! You can use this type of resume decoration to illustrate your social networks, your contact details, the categories of your resume or simply your passions and hobbies.
Are you looking for an original CV for a graphic designer ? It's time to express your creativity. A CV with a drawing will be well received by your recruiter since it perfectly matches the position you are looking for! This is an opportunity to create a visual CV with an original layout thanks to some of your illustrations.
Change the format for an innovative CV
The vast majority of CVs received by recruiters are presented on a vertical A4 sheet. What if you innovated with a landscape format CV ? When discovering a vertical CV, your recruiter will be taken aback and will decide to continue reading out of curiosity!
For an original and designer CV , we recommend that you break a few codes and innovate. A landscape CV offers you multiple possibilities, such as: setting up a larger infographic, a graph, a full portrait of you or creating columns.
💡 Good to know
If you are not creative and are looking for an original and professional CV to download to save time, CV Market is full of well-designed templates! More than 300 CV templates to download are at your disposal and ready to fill in a few minutes.
Taking care of the content of your creative CV
What is an original CV? Beyond the layout, the content is also important! If you focus on its visual form, your recruiter may be disappointed when discovering classic content identical to other applications.
To make your CV more attractive , it is important to show your work and talk about yourself. Adopt a different tone, without overdoing it.
For example, rather than using generic phrases like “Professional experience” and “Skills,” stand out with “I worked here” and “I’m proficient.”
Don't hesitate to talk about your strengths, your qualities, the assets that you can offer to the company. A CV personalized by key figures, punchy keywords and well thought-out terms will always be more original than a classic CV!
Examples of original and unusual CVs
Would you like to get inspired by an original CV template ? We will show you some examples to help you find the one that suits you.
1. The video CV to stand out
If the video CV is increasingly trendy, it is because it is more engaging and lively than the simple paper format. This medium allows you to show your skills and your ease in speaking with honesty! In addition to standing out, it catches the attention of your recruiter who will be more engaged to watch a video than read a traditional CV.
An example of an original video CV with that of Elsa Criqui who talks about her career, her skills, her various personal and professional experiences.
She demonstrates her linguistic abilities, but also her strength and assets! Thanks to the editing and the different captures, her video CV is gripping until the last minute.
Be careful, this original CV format should not be too long. It is important to convince your future employer in a few minutes, or even a few seconds! The main thing is to make him want to meet you for an interview.
To help you create a video CV , we give you some advice in one of our guides.
Do you like video format, but you don't want to be seen or do voiceovers? This other example shows you a resume made only with texts and graphic creations:
2. The creative CV in the form of a brochure
Rather than a simple A4 sheet, why not imagine a brochure to make your own advertisement? This atypical format will certainly speak to your recruiter! We like the example of Lenka Kubisova 's original CV which is clear, professional and worked.
This original CV idea represents a brochure to unfold, sealed with a sticker. Inside we find the basics of the Curriculum Vitae with the academic and professional background, the software that the candidate is able to use, the skills, the languages spoken and the strengths of her profile.
Another example with Russelle Justine Fernandez whose CV brochure almost looks like a menu! It plays on colors, shapes, layout, the addition of icons and even a pie chart of her professional assets.
3. The original CV in the form of an infographic
Infographics focus on the visual aspect and offer concise and precise information. Their linear, lively aspect and the graphic research they impose are very appreciated by recruiters!
An example of this type of original CV with the infographic by Martin Suster which is professional, but above all well balanced in terms of colors and originality.
First we find the main information under his name, his skills in the form of a pie chart, his experiences on a vertical timeline, then his studies on a second horizontal timeline.
Gabriel Ghnassia 's creative CV is much more visual and more suited to digital professions.
It represents a real journey, from mountains indicating the studies carried out to a city whose buildings indicate the passions of the job seeker. The colors are consistent and the infographic attests to the skills of the candidate!
Creating an original CV: for which application?
Once we know that recruiters receive hundreds of CVs for the same position, the idea is to make a CV that is impossible not to see. But be careful, reserve the unusual side to highlight your creativity if and only if the position requires it !
For an artistic director, creativity is at the heart of his job, both in the idea and in the execution. In this case, an unusual and creative CV will make sense . All creative jobs are concerned by original CVs: product designer, graphic designer, illustrator, layout artist, typographer, etc. On the other hand, for a sales job, you will be off topic.
🛑 PRO tip
One of the main problems with the unusual CV: the time invested is much too great compared to the result. In the end, we are wasting a lot of energy on something that will not work if it does not relate to the targeted position .
Keep in mind that the purpose of a resume is not to create buzz or be seen. The purpose of a resume should be to land the job.
To help you find the CV of your dreams, we invite you to discover our guide to 10 examples of creative and original CVs that are worth checking out.
