2020–2021
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 competition to produce self-promotional materials that are beyond the conventional.
This 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.
This has been a challenging year so we just wanted to say a big ‘BRAVO’ for all the students who, despite the circumstances, took the opportunity to show us their talent and creativity.
We also want to say 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 here are the winners…
Ross Middleham (Content and Social Lead at the Met Office)
"Judges loved your creative, colourful CV creation that showed bags of your personality"
Ross Middleham (Content and Social Lead at the Met Office).
"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
"Your illustration was fantastic and your CV perfectly showcased it"
Tish England (Senior Designer, Drive Creative studio).
Jessica Mallory | BA (Hons) Illustration | Final year student
Well, this is highly subjective but here are some questions to consider:
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.
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.
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.
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:
Judging will take place on Wednesday 9 June, details to follow.
Prizes will be Amazon vouchers.
Monday to Thursday from 8:30–17:00 Friday 09:30–16:30
