Creative CV Competition

Have you got a winning creative CV that makes you stand out? If not, why not create one?
Creative CV Competition

The Creative CV Competition provides students with the opportunity to showcase their skills through designing a unique, imaginative CV that is tailored towards their chosen industry. Whether you are a budding graphic designer, film-maker, designer-maker, fine artist, illustrator, wordsmith or any other creative professional, this competition is perfect for you.

Being able to showcase your innovative skills through your CV is essential for any creative professional whether you are looking for a job within the creative industries or you are planning to work freelance after graduation.

1st place = £300 | 2nd place = £100 | 3rd place = £50

If you need help or advice with creative CVs, please visit myCareer and click on the Career Navigator tab, download our Creative CV Guide above or pop into the Careers & Employability Hub. 

How will my creative CV be judged?

Your creative CV will be judged by a panel of industry experts and academics on the following criteria:

Creativity – Have you showcased your creative skills through design? Is your CV innovative and does it stand out from the crowd?

Presentation – Will it be easy for a busy employer to quickly read your CV? Are there any spelling or grammatical errors? Is the medium appropriate for your chosen industry?

Content – Have you evidenced your skills, experience and attributes relevant to your chosen industry? Is it easy for the employer to find your contact details? Is it interesting to read?

Want to learn top tips on how you can produce a stand out creative CV?

Aquari'elle Singer, Careers Adviser for the Faculty of Arts & Humanities, will cover the basics of creative CV writing as well as discussing topics such as how to tailor your CV to your chosen industry and how to apply for speculative or advertised roles.

This workshop is open to all University of Plymouth students, whether you have yet to start your creative CV or you would like to improve an existing one and is available on the following dates and times:

Tuesday 5 February 2019 | 17:00–18:00 | Careers & Employability Hub | Click here to book

Wednesday 13 February 2019 | 13:00–14:00 | Rolle Building, Room 204 | Click here to book

Discover the winners from last year's Creative CV Competition

Iona DeSouza | BA (Hons) Illustration

1st Place

Judges comments:

'A very eye catching and clearly creative CV with a suprising amount of information given its size. It is beautifully designed and illustrated with great attention to detail and the fold-out design offers another dimension to the CV. Fantastic work!'

Yuan Zhu | BA (Hons) Media Arts 

2nd Place

Judges comments:

'A great creative video CV with both clear and relevant information making it effective. It provided a good level of work experience evidence tailored to a chosen industry. The message is quick and succinct, leaving a positive first impression. Well done!' 

Nikola Wolkova

'People's Choice' Award Winner 2018

'It was a fantastic experience to take part in the Creative CV Competition. It challenged me to get the most out of my CV both functionally and aesthetically. The Careers & Employability team provided very useful feedback on my entry, which helped to improve it further. It was great to see the CVs displayed at the Arts & Humanities Networking Evening where I was able to speak with other competition entrants and potential employers' 

Creative CV Competition 2017-18

2016–17 Creative CV Competition Winner

Wendy Plas | BA Digital Art & Technology 

Our judges described Wendy's entry as a 'professional video CV showcasing her knowledge and skills, whilst demonstrating competence in the medium she is working within her industrial projects'.

She was also commended on being a 'creative person who made good use of her own media', with one judge stating that her 'personality really came through'. 

Competition terms and conditions 

1)  Only one entry can be made per person. The first entry you submit is final.

2)  This competition is open to all students currently studying and on a live enrollment at the University of Plymouth.

3)  This is a creative CV competition; therefore, we will not accept the submission of online portfolios.

4)  Digital entries must be submitted in the following formats; PDF, MS Word, PNG, JPEG only and for a video CVs; WMV, MP4 or MOV only.

5)  Digital entries will only be accepted via email to creativecv@plymouth.ac.uk and you must include your full name and student ID number in the email body.

6)  Hard copy entries will only be accepted in person via the information desk at the Careers & Employability Hub, Ground Floor, Roland Levinsky Building.

7)  Your entry will be judged and displayed in the format that it is submitted in.

8)  Entries will be shortlisted by members of the Careers & Employability team and shortlisted entries will be judged by design professionals working in local creative industries and academics within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.

9)  By entering this competition, entrants are giving permission for their submitted CV to be used for educational and promotional purposes by the University of Plymouth Careers & Employability Service.

10)  CVs entered for the competition may be selected for public display at the University of Plymouth.

11)   Due to the public nature of this competition, we highly recommend you do not use actual personal contact details in your submission. For example, email address to be replaced with email@email.com and telephone numbers presented as 07xxxxxxxxx.

12)   The judges’ decision is final and winners will be announced during the Arts and Humanities Networking Evening on Thursday 7 March 2018.

13)   The prizes for this competition are: £300 for 1st place, £100 for 2nd place and £50 for 3rd place. Prizes cannot be exchanged for an alternative in any circumstances and prize money will be paid via BACS to the winner’s nominated bank account.