Planning the next stage of your creative career? If your CV needs to show what you can bring to a role and that role is a graphic designer, illustrator or art director, then maybe it needs to really stand out.

5 Top Creative CVs

Take a look at some of the creative CV options used around the world to grab a recruiter’s attention. Highlighted on the Guardian’s career blog, some creative candidates are really going the extra mile.  From personalised chocolate bars to milk cartons and interactive games, it seems for some people sheets of A4 are just not eye-catching enough.

So is chocolate the way to a recruiting manager’s heart? Marketing manager Nick Begley designed his CV chocolate bar to sell himself to potential employers. On the wrapping he describes himself as an “experienced marketing professional with a serving of 1 career”. Instead of nutritional information, there is a listing of his education, work ethic and skills.

Elsewhere, designer Jenny Johns produced a board game CV. Players have to collect the four cards of good design principles to win: research, client, visual communication and composition. She explains, “I thought a game would be a good format to tell my story and design philosophy.” The unusual approach achieved 3 interviews from the 5 games sent off. Take a look at all of the top 5 creative ideas here.

A more regular yet still effective approach…without the chocolate  

Such alternative CVs won’t be appropriate for every creative job out there. If you’d rather plan a more regular approach take a look at the other article on CV writing. This time the approach depends on where you are in your career. Are you a new graduate, going for promotion or planning a career change?

Promotion or industry change?

Going for promotion within the same industry calls for the ‘reverse-chronology’ template. Highlight your most recent successes first. If you’re looking to change careers to another creative sector, a skills-based CV may work better. This time, highlight how your creative skills and knowledge are transferable between sectors. As well as a mix of skills, add in expertise, qualifications and attitude. The article ‘CVs to fit every stage of your career’ explains the importance. “Your previous experience will stand you in good stead, as long as you tell your prospective employers all about them.”

The final area is particularly relevant to creative careers. Try a CV format for someone whose previous work has been more freelance or consultant based. Highlight previous work in whatever media format – online or otherwise – to get noticed. More advice here on all the CV options.