This blog post provides valuable insights on how to improve your chances of getting hired as a creative professional. Use the insights here to craft impactful applications that recruiters will love.
I have been leading the hiring process at Adilo, a video-hosting platform for years now.
While hiring creatives—designers, animators, copywriters, and developers for the team, I have seen many applicants make some mistakes I believe they shouldn’t be making. Silly mistakes that made recruiters skip them, despite having solid CVs.
These mistakes keep happening over and over again, and I think we can’t ignore them anymore.
So, in this post, I shared everything you need to know on how to improve your chances of getting hired as a creative.
It’s all based on my years of experience recruiting for top SaaS companies. I also included insights from other top recruiters that can help strengthen your applications.
So let’s begin.
Table of Content
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways:
- Make your portfolio your CV’s centerpiece and put the link above the fold for easy access.
- Your certifications come second
- Use professional portfolio-building platforms like Behance to create CVs that grab attention.
- Consider creating a video resume to connect with recruiters emotionally and give them a feel for your personality and enthusiasm.
- Where you host your portfolio will make or mar your chances.
How to Be a Strong Creative Job Candidate
Here is the inside scoop on how to avoid silly mistakes on your CV as a creative that might cost you the job. The tips here apply to everyone, not just creatives.
Make Your Portfolio Your CV’s Centerpiece
You might not know this, but employees get way more applications than the available slot.
In the last copywriting position I filled for the team, I received more than 200 applications for just two slots. So the number of applicants is over 9,900% more than the number of available positions.
That’s the reality recruiters face each time they announce a new opening.
And to be honest, we don’t usually have the time to review extensively all the applications we receive. We narrowed down to a few good ones first, prioritizing those that demonstrated real expertise.
My advice? Put the link to your portfolio above the fold.
It helps recruiters quickly find your best work and evaluate the quality of your output.
Look, everyone exaggerates their achievements on their resumes, and recruiters know this. I don’t care what your CV says about your skills, education, or experience. I want people who have done the work and whose portfolio matches what we’re looking for.
And I believe other recruiters want this too.
Your Certifications Come Second
Certifications are like college degrees and while they’re good have, recruiters and employers are looking beyond the paper (I’m almost tempted to say nobody cares for it but I will catch a lot of heat for that and rightfully so).
The fact most recruiters are afraid to say out loud yet it’s what matters the most is this “What’s in it for us?” “What will our company benefit from you?”, when we say it out loud… it sounds almost exploitative (little wonder people don’t like saying that part out loud). However, now you know!
Your certifications while they’ll help push you over the line, what gets you in line in the first place is not the certification but, what the employer or recruiter sees that they can benefit from you especially as a creative.
So, instead of write that you “XXX School Figma Certification” or some BS “9.5 Adobe Media Express Skill Rating”, show the UIs you designed with Figma, the flyers and videos you made with Adobe Express.
Anybody can get a certification or pad their skill rating but not everybody is a creative.
Seeing your work allows the employer to experience your level of creativity instantly and discover how you apply yourself, this starts giving them ideas on how they can leverage you in their company and that’s the position you want to put your potential employer/recruiter in.
Once you have them in this position, you’ve got them like fish to bait, they will do all the convincing in their own head on why they need to hire you and bring you in asap; such that when it’s interview time, you’ll find out that you’re met with the least resistance possible because the recruiter already convinced themselves that they need you.
Make It Easy for Recruiters to Find You
Having a CV that focuses on your portfolio isn’t enough; also makes it easy for recruiters.
I have seen several instances where creatives share their portfolios as a Google Drive link. I don’t know about other recruiters, but it’s a huge NO! for me.
First, it’s really difficult for people to navigate and check your work folder by folder. Also, I have seen a lot of cases where the applicant forgot to update the permission to make the file publicly available. And the thing is, most recruiters won’t reach out to request permissions for your portfolio.
To avoid these, use professional portfolio-building platforms like Behance.
Also, for some of the CVs I have reviewed, among those using Behance, I noticed that a lot of applicants put their Behance name instead of the portfolio link. Expecting recruiters, with piles of CVs, to search your name to access your portfolio is a huge ask.
So, make it easy for them to find. Put your portfolio link; make it bold and clickable. It improves your chances of getting hired as a creative.
Stand Out or Die With Your Creativity
Being great is not good enough if nobody sees you!
The recruitment world is very fast and recuiters/employers are inundated with hundreds of CVs when they’re just looking to fill at most 1 or 2 slots, it’s a bloodbath out there and I say this from experience.
Here’s an experience we’ve had many times.
We advertise a new position on LinkedIn and in less than a day, we’re staring at 200+ applications and we only need to fill 1 position. This is not a one-time thing, it happens every time we advertise for position whether for a video editor or a frontend developer.
If we allow the job advert to run for more than a day, we’re asking for trouble because the one time we forgot we had a job post running, came back the next week and there was over a thousand applications.
There are millions of creatives out there, recruiters are looking to fill just a few slots at a time which means CVs get very little airtime.
The first review of an applicants is never for proper vetting, the recruiter is looking for a reason to trash your application to reduce their workload and focus on the serious application. This means your CV doesn’t get more than 1 minute of eyeball at first glance, then it’s trashed.
However, if you stand out and you’re giving the recruiter everything they need, then 1 minute is all you need to get their attention, and then you’re moved into a shortlist for proper vetting.
Win Hearts With a Video Resume
I don’t think it’s a bad idea to put the link to your video resume in your CV.
Here’s why.
A study found that humans can process visuals 60,000 faster than texts. So, a video resume can get your point across quickly, grab the recruiter’s attention, and connect with them emotionally.
Shaun Heng, vice president of operations at CoinMarketCap admitted to having hired candidates partly because they did a video resume. He thinks that video resumes help recruiters see the applicant’s enthusiasm level and also give them a “feel for the person.”
Like Heng, I believe that a video resume is better combined with a written resume as It improves your chances of getting hired as a creative. .
However, don’t repeat what’s in your CV; use it to walk recruiters through what you have done and the professional successes you have achieved in previous roles.
Online video hosting platforms like Adilo come with a built-in recorder. With this, you can record your video resumes seamlessly with your smartphone or computer.
CLICK HERE TO GET A FREE ADILO ACCOUNT TO HOST YOUR VIDEO RESUMES
Alternatively, you can record with your camera and then upload to host your video on the platform. Add the video link to your CV to enable recruiters to watch the video online without needing to download it.
Go for a Professionally Designed CV
A recruiter often juggles ton of CVs. Hence, to stand out, make your CV professional.
And I don’t think there’s a better way to achieve that than having a professionally designed CV. In addition to helping your application get all the attention it deserves, well-designed CVs gives the impression of being thoroughly professional.
These are some of the things recruiters look out for.
Canva has sample professional CVs you can customize to your needs. Resume.io, Resume Genius, and Kickresume are other solid online CV makers you might want to try.
Personalize and tailor your CV to each job you apply for. It demonstrates your attention to detail and genuine interest in the role. Also, don’t frontload your CV with unnecessary details like marital status and date of birth, unless the employer specifically requests them.
Where You Host Your portfolio Will Make or Mar Your Chances
As a creative, do not skimp on hosting of your work samples. Your hosting will make or mar you.
Unless by request by your recruiter, why are you putting your design portfolio on Google Drive or Box app? And why is your portfolio behind a “request to view” wall? All these will make your recruiter loose interest so quick.
If you’re a video editor, videographer, you want to put your work on professional video platforms like Adilo, Vimeo, etc. Preferably using a channel or playlist to showcase your collections (Don’t use YouTube because related videos and ads may distract your recruiter).
If you’re a graphic designer, UI designer etc, you want to put your work on Behance, Dribble etc.
I wrote a detailed blog post on where to host your portfolio as a creative; this will help you get started and improve your chances of getting hired as a creative.
Follow Up, But Don’t Bug
From experience, more than 90% of job seekers don’t follow up on their applications.
And I think it’s a huge mistake.
If you applied through platforms like LinkedIn, where you can send direct messages to the recruiter, then do. Or, you can search for their emails and follow up. Following up with recruiters increases your chances of getting to the top of the charts.
However, don’t bug them.
If after a day or two you still haven’t received a response or confirmation from the employer, it’s okay to send them a message as a reminder. It could help give your application more response and priority.
You have serious competition, so doing extra to get your application more attention is not a bad idea.
Bonus: More Recruiters Share How to Get Noticed
Some years back, 14 members of the Forbes Coaching Councils, an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches, shared some creative ways job seekers can stand out to potential employers.
The advice from Cheri Bachofer, Forwarding Leaders stood out for me.
She suggested sharing the job posting on LinkedIn with a short description of why you like the company and the job, along with “a comment that you are now adding your own name to their list of applicants.”
Also, I think the suggestion from Kimberly Janson, Jason Associates, LLC can help job seekers eyeing highly competitive positions get a foot in the door.
She told job seekers to offer the employer a 30-day free internship so the employer can see what they’re getting without any risk. Kimberly believed that doing this demonstrates ingenuity and accountability on the part of the job seeker.
Another piece of advice I like so much came from Gorana Sandric, Sandric Consulting GmbH.
She recommended that job seekers should try to connect with key people in the company they want to work for on social media, especially LinkedIn.
She thinks that you can get noticed by adding value, commenting on their posts, asking questions, and talking about your own experiences with the topic.
If you’re a long-term planner and want to gradually work your way into your ideal company, then Chris Herdon, Lucidly has something for you.
He suggested that you should find the company you’d like to work for and try to connect with employees at different levels; don’t be afraid to go beyond the surface level.
Then, always be on the lookout for job opportunities. When you spot one, ask for introductions and recommendations to the hiring manager.
Use the tips from these Forbes Council members to improve your chances of getting hired as a creative. Or you might want to check the full resources to learn what other council members had to say.
FAQs
Why is it important to stand out as a creative professional?
Creative fields are highly competitive, making it essential to stand out to attract potential employers or clients. A distinctive portfolio, strong personal branding, and effective networking can give you a competitive edge.
How can I build a strong portfolio?
Showcase your best and most relevant work using case studies. Your portfolio also has to be up to date with a visually pleasing interface and must be easy to navigate.
Are certifications and courses necessary for creatives?
Although not always necessary, certifications in relevant tools such as Adobe Suite, UI/UX design, and digital marketing can boost your credibility and demonstrate your dedication to continuous learning.
Final Thoughts On Improving Your Chances of Getting Hired as a Creative
Making a strong impression on recruiters is crucial for creative job seekers.
Thankfully, following the tips here can increase your chances of standing out and getting hired as a creative. Remember to showcase your portfolio prominently, make it easily accessible, and consider creating a video resume.
Also, investing in a professionally designed CV, personalizing your application, and following up respectfully can well position you to make a positive impression on recruiters.
Author
I'm a serial enterpreneur with over 14 years of experience in digital marketing and SaaS.
Currently leading the ADILO team and building a strong brand @BigCommand
