The standard format of the age old resume is changing constantly but in the digital age the Infographic CV is born. It’s a new trend that many job seekers are turning to. But some new trends are a hit and some are a miss! So is this a trend worth following or worth forgetting? An infographic CV is a creative way to outline, on one page, your work history and experience by using images and text. It’s basically consolidating the age old resume into a more appealing and interesting format. Forget the 3 page CV in dot point form (they seriously all look the same and can be very boring to read!) An infographic CV could give you the edge over hundreds of other applicants. And let’s face it, it’s a very competitive market these days! With so many people applying for that one position, it’s definitely worth considering new ways to grab the recruiter’s attention.

Humans are predominantly visual and it’s been proven that we process visual images much faster than text. This reason alone should be why more people consider putting on their creative hat and having a crack at putting together an Infographic resume. It really makes sense if you are wanting to stand out from the crowd! BUT (there is always a but!) only if you do it right! There really is no point on spending hours on creating what you think is an awesome looking Infographic CV only to have it stand out to the recruiter for all the WRONG reasons. You could actually be doing more damage than good. We look at the best and worst Infographic CV’s and give tips on how to make yours a success.

Is the company I am applying with going to appreciate an Infographic CV?

The age old resume is traditional and some recruiters and companies like to stick to the old school way. It’s important to consider this when deciding on whether or not to submit your Infographic CV. Some companies may be a lot more conservative than others and may not appreciate your creativity!

Keep it simple

The last thing you want is for the recruiter to take one look at your CV and not be able to decipher all the graphs, charts and mumbo jumbo. If you do decide to create one, make sure you keep it simple. Stick to a colour scheme so you don’t have a rainbow of colours which will only make it messier to look at. Use a simple bubble chart like the one below (taken from http://vizualize.me/eugene)

This is a really simple way of showing how many years’ experience for each skill. Visually it looks great, is simple to follow and can be deciphered quickly. Remember recruiters are often very busy and don’t have the time to break down your Infographic CV. If they have trouble understanding the information it’s highly likely your CV will be thrown into the “no” pile.

So is an Infographic CV really worth it??

At HR Gurus we like to do things a bit differently and part of our own recruitment process is to ask candidates to submit an “awesome one pager” before we even look at their CV! So we think creating an awesome Infographic CV is well worth it. It is important to still have an up to date “normal” CV though. There are many websites that can help you put together an Infographic CV with easy to follow templates. Remember the goal of an Infographic CV is to visually tell your story and get readers to engage quickly!

Below are some great examples of an Infographic CV found on Pinterest.com