“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results”
– Albert Einstein
I have always thought about doing something different, but that meant that I had to leave my comfort zone and that’s not always easy.
So I decided to leave my comfort zone and move to another country, learn a new language, and experience a different culture. I soon realized that I would need a new approach for standing out in the crowd. And that became my goal to achieve.
I consider myself an out-of-the-box thinker, even though I spent a lot of time tailoring a standard CV, I felt that it was so impersonal, dull, and simply not engaging. With the technological evolution of the Internet and the failing economy, I needed something more visual that would keep the employers reading and wanting to know more.
The CV is the best personal marketing tool, my goal was clear: make an `alternative´ CV, one that captures the reader’s attention and curiosity, then tell my story, who I am and where I come from.
Why did I choose Prezi?
It turned out that one of my friends who is in the presentation used the program and told me about it. I manage quite well with PowerPoint but it does not convey exactly what I wanted, I was looking for originality, movement, and innovation.
Prezi is super intuitive, and you don´t need to be an IT expert to figure out how you should use it. It has a friendly use. Also, it has excellent community support and forums where people share their tricks for using it effectively.
‘Creative’ CV for non-creatives?
I have seen some “creative” CVs before, but it’s always by graphic designers. What about people looking for jobs outside that field? I’m a marketer and I believe this tool could be useful for me as well.
I’ve managed to create my CV as I used to do with a proper product or service. I made up my own marketing plan, answering questions such as; who I am, what I do, who is my target, and how do I plan to get their attention. It’s a combination of good planning and execution. Let me add, selling oneself is not easy at all.
I relied on the questions of a typical job interview but adding more value. I didn’t desire to speak in the first person about how awesome I am, so I realized that maybe the best option was that anyone who knows me well, friends and former coworkers do that for me. They had to explain my selling points. I sent them an email telling me what my idea was and added some questions, which they had to answer freely. I was very surprised by the comments even though some of them thought it was a little bit risky and crazy.
Will a Prezi CV help me stand out?
I’m not sure if this will work but, I am happy because I’m doing my best to get my dream job. I would be more disappointed if I didn’t.
Let me finish with a different quote: “A crazy idea doesn’t seem quite so crazy once it works!” -Disney Pixar
So, let’s see how this works:
About the author: María Ortiz Sánchez is an enthusiastic marketing professional looking for new challenges. Follow her on Twitter @mortizs.
Related: Why Your CV is Boring and Ineffective.
