Creative Ways to Showcase Your Resume?

Apr 11, 2014

I keep seeing nice graphic resumes like these I found here. I was wondering if you have any ideas for showcasing your resume to really make it an attention-grabbing stand-out? (And have you done it yourself?)

It wouldn't have to replace a standard resume, but would be great to have in addition to the standard - plus it would be fun to share and show off online.

Do you know anyone who's built theirs in Storyline or the equivalent? 

33 Replies
Jerson  Campos

There are several posts and examples on this forum where users created interactive resumes using their favorite authoring tool. I think this is a good way to really showcase your skills if you don't have examples you can provide. I actually include a link on the pdf version of my resume to my interactive version so they can actually see what I'm capable of other than just reading about it.

Jackie Van Nice

Thanks, Nicholas. I appreciate you finding the links to what Stephanie and Bruce created. 

I'm really looking to see if anyone has created something along the lines of a nice graphically bold, interactive resume, per se, rather than a portfolio or a presentation. I've definitely seen a good number of portfolios in Storyline.

Ashley Chiasson

Jackie Van Nice said:

Thanks, Nicholas. I appreciate you finding the links to what Stephanie and Bruce created. 

I'm really looking to see if anyone has created something along the lines of a nice graphically bold, interactive resume, per se, rather than a portfolio or a presentation. I've definitely seen a good number of portfolios in Storyline.


Maybe this could be our next E-Learning Challenge? :P

David Anderson

@Rob - There's always going to be a need for something concise like a traditional resume. I just don't think that's enough when you're looking for a killer job. 

The interactive resumes Jackie shared are just one type of to promote your work and show what you can do.

Video profiles are another. I think the route Tim Slade took when he started video casting is just as valuable as an interactive resume: http://www.tim-slade.com/top-5-new-features-in-articulate-studio-2013--oct.-7%2c-2013.html  Regrettably he landed a killer job shortly after recording those videos and no longer has time for new ones... but he did what 99% of designers weren't doing and he got noticed.

I'm willing to be that Stephanie got more work from her Studio- and Storyline-based interactive resume than she ever did from LinkedIn or traditional resumes. 

I know plenty of Articulate community members who got work after clients viewed their screencasts, free templates, or weekly challenge demos. Hiring managers found candidates from their work and then asked to see their resumes--maybe.

I see the resume as the minimum number of flair. The trick is to find 37 more pieces

Bruce Graham

I have always got a great response from clients/potential clients from mine (http://www.pperf.co.uk), and from recruiters, but the interesting thing is that it is normally always the LAST thing they look at. They tend to look here at this forum, and at other social media contributions before they look at the website. They also look at storylion.co.uk

Needs to be updated and re-designed now anyway...

Jerson  Campos

The biggest problem I see is unless you will be providing your creative resume directly to the department manager, it will usually get screened by HR. If they cannot make heads or tails of the resume and cannot get the info the require to compare to the job posting then they are just going to discard it. I usually add a link in the resume or in an email to my interactive version just in case.

Here is a link the the one I built. 

Bruce Graham

Jerson Campos said:

The biggest problem I see is unless you will be providing your creative resume directly to the department manager, it will usually get screened by HR. If they cannot make heads or tails of the resume and cannot get the info the require to compare to the job posting then they are just going to discard it. I usually add a link in the resume or in an email to my interactive version just in case.

Here is a link the the one I built. 

I agree - how you build it is totally dependant on what your needs are.
Alex O'Byrne

In my previous role I worked in recruitment agency and although we were generalist one of my consultants was actually a specialist in marketing and PR and I must say the only time she got really excited is when the CV was really stand out and different/exemplar, and I know that in that particular field (PR and Marketing Agencies) they were super fussy and very ageist, but a CV that shows creativity, thought, and demonstrates your skills can really take a few road blocks out of the way.

So from my previous recruitment point of view, it is a definite winner, but as mentioned if your running through a HR assistant gate keeper, you might lose it. I would say though, that it is worth being cheeky if you are applying for a specific job and you have this sort of CV and you don't want to go through HR, find the hiring manager, (few phone calls, bit of linked in searching etc, won't take long) and email directly.

Jackie Van Nice

Thanks for that inside perspective Alex. Very helpful. And nice shoe-leather success story, Bruce!

I've found that watering myself down to fit into a lifeless, generic mold in hopes of pleasing faceless judges is not the road to anywhere I'd ever want to go. You've got to be yourself. That's your real job. Especially in a creative field, using your talents to communicate what your best skills are is not only logical, but seems like a missed opportunity if you don't take the reins to do something that not only gets attention, but that keeps you interested and excited about what you're doing, too.

Bruce Graham

The Perceptive Jackie Van Nice said:

I've found that watering myself down to fit into a lifeless, generic mold in hopes of pleasing faceless judges is not the road to anywhere I'd ever want to go. You've got to be yourself. That's your real job. Especially in a creative field, using your talents to communicate what your best skills are is not only logical, but seems like a missed opportunity if you don't take the reins to do something that not only gets attention, but that keeps you interested and excited about what you're doing, too.      


+1000

Clap clap clap...

This is the "spirit" that I love. This is the risk:reward, and if you have 100% faith in what you do, and in your ability to sell the vision and your abilities, you WILL be successful in life.

This discussion is closed. You can start a new discussion or contact Articulate Support.