It’s my birthday this week, and how better to celebrate it than by sharing my very own prezumé!
A while ago on the blog, Giraffe CVs examined unusual CVs coming soon to a job hunt near you, discussing some creative methods that jobseekers are using to ensure their applications stand out from the crowd.
It got me thinking about creating my very own, not because I’m looking for a job (I’m very happy in mine), but because (a) I thought it would be fun and (b) it might provide a useful reference point for jobseekers seeking to inject a bit of creativity into their job search. Although the idea to produce a creative CV of my own had been burning in the background for some time, I should credit an inspirational jobseeker, Paul Duxbury, who inspired me to action with his own recent prezumé. Thanks Paul!
‘What IS a prezumé?’ I hear you asking.
A prezumé is a combination of a Prezi presentation and a resume. As Prezi explains here, the prezumé was born by chance, as jobseekers sought a different visual medium to showcase their credentials.
How is a prezumé similar to a traditional CV?
Both need to provide the information that a recruiter is looking for, essentially giving them the reason(s) why they should call you up today and request an interview.
Consider a prezumé as a movie trailer to your CV, it should highlight the key messages you want to get across to a target recruiter and leave them wanting to find out more by reading the full feature.
How is a prezumé different from a traditional CV?
The great thing about a prezumé, along with other creative CVs, is that it provides jobseekers with the opportunity to showcase their personality alongside their skills and experience.
In my view, a creative CV shouldn’t just replicate your formal CV or LinkedIn profile. The medium presents an opportunity to get funky, tell a story and really engage your target audience.
How to get started with a prezumé
Prezi provides a selection of three helpful templates to suit different tastes and targets. These present a great easy way to get started. You can even mix and match template components using the My Collection feature, customising your structure and look for a unique deliverable.
I had a quick look at the templates, but decided to create my own blank Prezi. Here’s how I did it:
1. I decided on the key points I wanted to include in my prezumé and thought about how to present them in a way that would engage the reader
2. I developed a logical structure for my story
3. I sourced great images to bring my messages to life, using Dollar Photo Club
4. I pulled together my slides in PicMonkey – I love their fonts and features
5. I imported all my finished images slides to PowerPoint
6. I uploaded my PowerPoint to Prezi
7. I shared with a very select group to gauge their reactions then decided to go live!
Prezi have shared some handy hints for an awesome Prezi here.
Would I recommend using a prezumé in your job search?
In some contexts, it just might work! The new trends in CV writing are unlikely to replace traditional CVs in the short term, but they can definitely complement them. They’re good for grabbing attention in the right context and showing off some highlights, although the wackier versions are certainly only for the brave and bold.
There is an inherent risk with any kind of creative CV, that what looks and feels great to you may alienate the recruiter (remember, these are busy people for whom time is of the essence). There’s also a chance that design features on your CV could distract from your key message.
It’s all about knowing your audience and hitting the right tone.
Lis McGuire
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