Self promotion ideas: Novel resumes

These "datavis" resumes exemplify everything that's wrong with data visualization today:

(1) cluttered and distracting

(2) vapid (a Frank Zappa quote and a timeline with tank top reference? a quarter page for a pie chart of one's intangibles?)

(3) terrible at actually visualizing data or information (okay...what, exactly, can these people do relative to others?)

They're beautiful resumes, for sure. But their ideas for communicating information are too clever, and if I'm hiring a datavis guy I would wonder how effectively they could visualize real information.

Some of the posted samples were interesting. The one from Rebecca Baxter (http://www.behance.net/gallery/Infographic-CV-Resume/1175821) was the most interesting for me, since it offered ideas I might actually use. She seemed interested in discovering new ways of presenting her information usefully. Most of the rest seem like they were just motivated by a desire to be different.

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Note for miller_f:

On my 13" MacBook, your website's design is confusing.

The Info section on the left contains the title of the blog post, but it's pushed down partly below the fold. It took me "forever" to figure out that it's the post's title.

Then the Post section in the middle begins with a 280px-square ad, which pushes almost everything but the first header of your post below the fold. And since that header isn't the post title, it doesn't instantly register that the post is even there.

Finally, I think it's a symptom of poor design that you need text which literally points to the "Post" section.

I find this a great idea of self-promotion, IF you are looking to get hired in a creative environment/job/company. It might even do the difference between you and someone who is not chosen for he job, due to the way in which you show you are open and willing to work.

But if you are applying for a job like a more down-to-earth straight-up programmer or a construction engineer, all those little charts, the QR, and everything shown in the article will dazzle the employer, but won't convince him you are the best choice for his company - he needs straight facts, not pretty colored "pies" with information about you.

All in all, it is best you use the format that best reflects your abilities and your work, but always keep in mind the employer's profile.

5 years ago when I was applying to lots of agencies I sent out custom links to each one. So when they landed on the site, their company name was used in big letters at the top of the page ("Hi company X"). It also allows for tracking whether they actually look at your site. It's easy to do, shows that you're not just spamming people, and is not as involved as some of those more intense examples that target one specific company.

I like the ideas of finding non-traditional ways to communicate with would-be employers. For ex, using Facebook pictures as the article mentions. Similarly, although perhaps not quite as creative, I like the idea of using submissions and metrics from various job-related websites if available: Hacker News, Stack Overflow, etc.

I question the usefulness of the brochure resume from the article though. In my experience most of my prospective employers have wanted resumes emailed to them rather than given to them physically. Even the ones that do want a physical copy will find it harder to store/organize them along with the rest of most-likely paper resumes that are given to them. Although in that respect I suppose that would make yours stand out that much more. Actually, I think my opinion has changed since the beginning of this paragraph. :-P If you're submitting a resume in person, via snail-mail, etc, it's probably a great way to get it better noticed.

I come from more of an engineering background though, rather than the graphic design background that this post seems to be more geared towards. What kinds of experiences have people had with these types of resumes?

This is a horrible page design. It literally took me minutes to figure out where the main content of the post is and where are the navigation and info links. Add to that the fact that the first link I clicked in the main post turned out to be an embedded ad.

I don't know where those guys live, but on my planet all resumes are communicated as PDFs. Nearly all shown examples lose some or all of their power when not in physical form.

That said, it seems it's most designers' resumes so maybe that's why. I wonder what CVs could be cooked up for more technical and/or organisational positions. A github printout comes to mind.

Or check out my creative resume, which was designed to be sent as plain text. It was originally a response to a job site that required me to fit my experience into boring little boxes... http://www.scribd.com/full/39705569?access_key=key-cwlk7b9tf...

I like this guy's idea, which adds a hacker flavor to the resume concept. He created a business card with his CV on it, and handed it out on a job fare:

http://www.aftenposten.no/jobb/article4063965.ece