Creative CV Competition – The Art of Self-promotion Competition

Creative CV Competition – The Art of Self-promotion Competition

In today’s competitive job market, getting an employer’s attention is half the battle. 

What CV would you send speculatively to an employer to get noticed, or leave behind at an interview to make sure you are remembered? Why not get creative and go the extra mile. 
Enter this year's competition to produce self-promotional materials that are beyond the conventional.
<p>Creative cv 2022</p>

How to submit your entry

Download our entry form

If you are submitting a virtual entry please send them through to creativecv@plymouth.ac.uk.

If you are submitting a physical entry please drop your entry off at the Careers Hub - situated in the Student Services Hub in the Charles Seale-Hayne library. For our opening times please visit our Careers page. If your entry is fragile please ensure it is packaged appropriately to prevent damage.

If you are submitting a physical entry please also send a photo so we can add it to the virtual gallery on the website.

For both virtual and physical entries please ensure that you:

  • Submit the application form along with your entry
  • Read and agree to the terms and conditions.

Showcase event and winners announced: Wednesday 4 May 2022

Deadline: Sunday 24 April 2022

Please note that if you wish to submit a physical entry the deadline will be Friday 22 April at 16:30 (view our Career Hub opening hours)

  • 1st prize: £100 Amazon voucher
  • 2nd prize: £50 Amazon voucher
  • 3rd prize: £30 Amazon voucher

In need of inspiration?

How to decide what to create/produce?

Ross Middleham, Content and Social Lead at the Met Office, has contributed to the project and explains the art of self-promotion in this video. It's important to showcase who you are, what you have to offer, and what's relevant to the industry you wish to work in. You have a small window to grab the recipient’s attention so you want to make sure they get an instant grasp of your talents.

Your submission can either be digital or physical. If physical, then please consider the packaging, as this may influence whether someone thinks it's worthwhile opening. It’s also important to think about costing and whether it is viable as something that can be easily reproduced. 

Make sure that you provide links (embedded if digital) to your social media sites as the recipient will want to quickly be able to find out more about you.

Last year’s results

Last year we saw a high quality of entries and a real diversity in the formats; we had a video, a game, and a vase with flowers which showcased the variety of materials they could work with. 

We also had beautifully designed illustrative/artist entries that showcased their talent and who they were as illustrators/designers. 

It was a challenging year so we said a big ‘BRAVO’ for all the students who, despite the circumstances, took the opportunity to show us their talent and creativity. 

We also said a big thank you to the judges who gave their time to review the entries and give their constructive feedback: 

Ross Middleham (Content and Social Lead at the Met Office), Tish England (Senior Designer, Drive Creative studio) and Dave Meadows (Managing Director, Pushed.

So, these were last year's winners…

Ross Middleham (Content and Social Lead at the Met Office)

 
<p>Mario video game. Getty Images</p>
What about creating your own animated video game?
<p>Augmented reality. Getty Images</p>
Could creating an augmented reality business card be an option?
<p>Lego silhouette. getty images</p>
Or why not create your own Lego minifigure?
<p>Coffee cup. Getty Images</p>
Package your C.V. up in something they’ll remember

1st place

Alice Radford | BA (Hons) Illustration | Final year student

"Judges loved your creative, colourful CV creation that showed bags of your personality"

Ross Middleham (Content and Social Lead at the Met Office).

<p>Alice Radford creative CV&nbsp;</p>

2nd place

"It had a really good feel about it, you really got to know the character of the applicant"

Dave Meadows (Managing Director, Pushed).

Shay Page | BSc (Hons) Marketing | Final year student

3rd place

"Your illustration was fantastic and your CV perfectly showcased it"

Tish England (Senior Designer, Drive Creative studio).

<p>Jessica Mallory. Creative CV<br></p>

Jessica Mallory | BA (Hons) Illustration | Final year student

Last year's shortlisted entries

So what may a good CV look like?

Well, this is highly subjective but here are some questions to consider:

  • What reaction do you want?

You want your entry to be memorable, grab their attention and disrupt their day, but in a good way! Personal, friendly and humorous can really work, but you really want to avoid your entry being ridiculous or seen as a joke. 

  • How does it reflect you and your industry/sector?

You want your entry to showcase your relevant skills and to resonate with the recipient. If applying for a content writer position for example, you may not want to create a 3D paper sculpture, as they would not be looking for your creative design skills. You really want the industry/ sector to be obvious and the judges should be able to correctly guess this, without reading your supporting statement.

  • What content are you going to include?

You want to make positive choices in terms of the content and information you want to share. You want to think about the content in the same way that you would decide what to put in a shop window. You don’t want to put everything in it as that will look cluttered. Instead you want to decide on a few eye-catching items that will make them eager to find out more.

  • How does your conventional CV fair up?

When applying speculatively, or when producing something to leave behind after an interview, a creative approach can really work.

Sometimes, however, and this especially relates to some of the larger companies/organisations, there may be standard recruitment practices for their advertised positions, even for the more creative roles. In these circumstances, a more creative approach at the application stage may not be suitable.

These opportunities would require a more conventional CV, albeit well thought out with an eye for design. Your opportunity to stand out could instead come from having an effective online presence (in case employers search for you), as well as through what you bring to the interview i.e. physical examples of your work or something to give them at the end which they can keep.

Remember a more conventional CV does not have to be boring. Check out these resources on MyCareer digital resources.

Useful resources:

<p>Careers Service</p>