I often get asked how to make a CV stand out from the crowd of other applications. And I always say to get some basics things right (have a look here), including the headline, profile, or some data-heavy bits. But I know sometimes it’s not enough. That’s why I think visual CVs can be useful, definitely when you want to catch some direct clients.
The biggest advantage of having a visual CV is that you can highlight your experience and achievements much easier. They also have the benefit of being innovative and are much more personalised. You don’t need much more to stand out! So have a look at a few options of getting a visual CV.
1. GET IT DESIGNED
It’s the most expensive and time-consuming option, but hey, have a look here:http://pinterest.com/webrecruit/visual-cv-gallery/. Aren’t they just amazing? And you don’t have to be a graphic designer to use one. Copywriters and editors use them, too.
(One of our colleagues on the Facebook page, Fátima López Sevilla, brought this post – Thanks, Leon – to my attention, where a great example of a translator using a visual CV is used. In Spanish, though)
2. TURN IT INTO AN INFOGRAPHIC
The more adventurous translators and interpreters may want to try turning their CV into an infographic. In here: http://visual.ly/nurses-how-do-they-do-it you can have a look at what I’m talking about. This one talks about nurses, but why not come up with something similar about your own translation business? If you like one of their designs, you can get in touch with the author and work on visualising your CV.
3. VIZUALIZE.ME
This tool is free and allows you to turn your LinkedIn data into a visual CV. Like mine in here:http://vizualize.me/mstelmaszak?r=mstelmaszak (and you can even add a badge to your website!). What I like about it is that I can customise the background and the colours, and I think experience looks much better, too. And the map of languages you cover is brilliant in our profession!
4. SEELIO.COM
This is a startup for “student builders and doers”, but I’m currently looking at its potential to showcase our experience. Seelio.com allows you to put up projects you’ve worked on online and add some details about them. I think it would be great to put some projects up there and link to them from my CV.
5. ABOUT.ME
Here’s another useful tool, and you may appreciate it even more if you don’t have your own website (yet). About.me allows you to upload some details about you and keep them online. Here’s how Valeria Aliperta uses it: http://about.me/RainyLondon. Looks cool!
What do you think? Are you going to try getting some new clients with a visual CV?
No comments:
Post a Comment