So you've decided to take on the challenge of designing your own creative CV to stand out from the competition and showcase your skills, but where do you start and how do you ensure that the design looks professional? You don't have to have graphic design skills to create a smart, professional looking document, just follow these 7 simple steps: 1. ColourColours can be used to relay meaning, express ideas and provoke emotion, such as when text is presented in red to show that it is important or alerting you to danger. If you are designing a CV specific to the organisation you are applying to, use its brand colours. However, if you are creating a more generalised CV to send to multiple organisations, use a colour that represents your personality (you should do some research on your chosen colour to understand what meanings are conveyed). 2. HeadingsWhen using headings, always make sure that they are all written in the same font and size. You can change the colour or font style to help them stand out even more, which is a great way of guiding the reader through the document, dividing sections and maintaining a consistent format. 3. DatesWhen presenting your work experience or job history, make sure that dates are easy to follow by writing them in the same format. Avoid 'January - December 2017 - 2018' and instead go for 'January 2017 - December 2018'. 4. SpacingIf you are leaving small spaces between paragraphs to divide sections, make sure that the amount of space between each section is the same. This makes your work look more aesthetically pleasing and coherent, meaning that people will be more likely to want to read it (typical human behaviour as we are attracted to things that look good). You should also avoid leaving a lot of blank space as it can be disengaging and make your design look unprofessional, leaving content to be desired. If you have large amounts of space on your CV once you have finished designing it, trying moving sections around or adding an image or shape to reduce the space. 5. AlignmentIf you've chosen to use text boxes, headings or shapes on your CV, make sure that they align to follow one smooth margin. All your headings and text should start at the same point on the page and there should be no indents. This helps to guide the reader down the page. 6. IconsIf you choose to use icons on your CV, make sure that you have removed the background if it doesn't match the rest of your CV. Pasting icons into your document with a small white square outline can look messy and unprofessional. You should also avoid using an images that are pixelated or appear with a watermark. 7. PictureAdding an image of yourself on your CV isn't necessary, but sometimes using an image can compliment your design and reduce empty space. If you are going to include a picture of yourself, make sure it is one where you are dressed smartly. Similar to icons, make sure that this image hasn't got a white square around it and doesn't appear pixelated. One more top tip: The style of CV you design should reflect the nature of the organisation or role you are applying for. For example, if you are applying to be a marketing assistant at a fun food brand, your CV should reflect that by featuring bright colours and cool fonts. If you are applying for a more corporate role, your CV should use more muted colours and a clear, plain font.
I always look at any documents that may be featured on the website of the organisation I am applying to and create a design similar to that. If they don't have anything on their website, I try to imagine the type of document they would produce based on their branding. You can get a good idea of how an organisation might design their reports and brochures by looking at the style of their social media posts too. The key to creating an eye catching, effective CV is to make the process of reading it easy and straightforward for someone who has never met you before and only has this to understand who you are and what you want.
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AuthorThe Blue Graduate is a career and wellbeing advice and guidance blog for students and graduates experiencing post-uni 'blues'. Archives
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