So you've decided that you have what it takes to pursue your dream career as the next Picasso, but there's a catch; you need a resume. You might be wondering why that's a catch; well, it's simple, a creative individual needs a creative resume. You might have already sent out dozens of resumes, but haven't heard anything back. If your resume reads like a LinkedIn page, that might be the problem. A creative resume covers all areas of your education and skills and also showcases some of them. A blank piece of paper in the eyes of a reporter is story waiting to be told, but the same paper in the hands of a graphic designer is a canvas. A resume shouldn't be any different. Channel your creativity into your resume, add some life too it, show that company why they need you! If you're not sure where to begin, read on.
What Your Resume Needs
Although your resume should be more aimed more toward creatives than a typical 9-to-5 seeker's resume, it should still contain the same basic information which is your name, address and contact details followed by an objective, your educational experience, your work experience and any special skills you may have. Your resume should end with a few references (either business or personal).
A Personalized Objective
Your objective should be no longer than two sentences and should explain why you feel you are a good asset to the type of position you're applying for. Never use a generic objective that you copy and paste from online. Businesses always know when an objective is sincere or when it's just a format objective from the web. Use your noggin and really create a mind blowing objective to capture the attention of the person reading your resume.
A Scannable Education and Employment Section
Your education section should include any trade schools you're going to, as well as your college or university education. If you're a recent high school graduate, you can also include your high school education. This section should include names of your school as well as the years you attended them and what type of degree, certificate or diploma you earned. Your employment section should include a list of relevant jobs that you've had over the past 5 years. You should include the job title, the company name, the years you worked there and a small bulleted list of the main duties that you carried out for each job.
Creating a Resume With a Creative Twist
Now here's where it gets fun! If you're an artist, and you really want to make the most of your resume, you should include some element of that on your resume. For instance, if you're a cartoonist, you may want to take full advantage of the blank space on the upper right or left corner of your resume. Since your name and main details are centered on the resume, you have plenty of space on either side to create your best doodles. Not only would it help to balance out your resume, but it also gives it some flair, so that it's not just a boring page full of text.
Show Off Your Skills
If you're applying as a graphic designer, you may want to have the background of your resume displaying your ultimate graphic design. This could be a transparent design that enables the person looking at your resume to see both the design and the information on your resume. Just remember, the information is the center point, so it should be legible and highly visible.
Balance Your Resume
Keep your resume on white paper. Using black or colored paper may actually be better to highlight your art, but it will disguise the information on the resume. One should not be overpowering the other, although the information on your resume should always be the focal point.
