#VASK

To break the “fresh graduate catch” and stand out from a flooding pool of CVs, not only do you have to think out of the box - try thinking out of that actual sheet, too.

Job hunting is no easy task - it is a full-on operation that requires strategic planning, good communications and presentation skills, all in the hopes of presenting your best self to employers-hopeful and landing yourself somewhere you find fulfilling and rewarding.

And whoever that has been through this painstaking, patience-testing process, we all start by saying:

“I’m going to fix my CV.”

In a piece of format-stricken, standardized, all-lookalike dossier, applicants - most likely fresh and young graduates who are trying out workplaces here and there - try hard to put together a list of their hard-earned internship experiences and their most significant achievements back in the school settings, boasting awards they won in the academia and medals for their dedication to arts and community service. All seems well and ready to go.

Just as the young prospects have provided their CVs and personal information, and are about to hit “Submit” on the job application site, they are only to find themselves not checking one important requirement: years of experience.

This is what we call the “fresh graduate catch”: fresh graduates enter the workforce trying to find somewhere to start, meanwhile are expected by employers and recruiters to apply with a complete CV and prior relevant experience or knowledge.

So how can we showcase a fresh graduate’s experience and break a vicious cycle as such? It turns out that we found a few tips that may actually work.

1. Think Out of the CV

To stand out from the vast competition, not only do we have to think out of the box, but actually think out of the CV. It may sound ridiculous, and you may wonder, isn’t CV the ticket to an interview? Why would we want to not stick to it?

True, CV has long served as an interview must-have, but imagine being an employer or a human resources officer screening hundreds of CVs, with similar formats and structures, everyone with similar backgrounds and skills, does that not bore you? We can’t help but ask, now how do we distinguish the more capable candidate from the pool?

A CV may showcase a list of events and achievements, but it may not directly reflect your capabilities and works. Instead, consider new forms of self-presentation. We have seen creative CVs that turn the wordy one-pager into an infographic, which appeals to the employer with graphics and clean presentation.

Example of Creative CVs. Source: Creative Resume Templates

Going beyond sheer visual appeal, give new forms of presentations a try as well and send them in along with your CV, such as work portfolio, personal website, self-presentation videos etc. These new forms of portfolios not only up your professional game, but these items are standalone proofs of your skill sets and capabilities. Build a website? Sure, I can experiment a little on Wix and Squarespace and teach myself with a few YouTube tutorials. Want a fuller picture of my personality? No problem, I can do a quick self-introduction in front of a camera. Present a portfolio? Even better - all my best write-ups and interesting projects are in one place. Impress your prospective employer not only with your advantageous skills, but also your can-do attitude and smart, presentable persona.

2. Don’t wait on your prospects to pick you - you can “pick” them, too!

While many of us are actively applying for our dream jobs and passively waiting on the call to be given a job offer, we often forget that we could actively make them our partners to work. How? Simply by kicking start that grand project in our mind without asking for their permission. Go ahead build a portfolio by creating “mockups” for your “dream clients”, where you can be drafting a billboard for Coca Cola, or writing an ad tagline for Nike, or perhaps invent a futuristic product on behalf of Elon Musk. The idea is not to cheat in your interview, but to showcase what you are capable of ideating and producing.

3. Just Be Yourself

As cliché as it may sound, being yourself is always a good idea. You are more than just a piece of listicles of where you have been, what you have done, or who acknowledges your hard work - you are a unique individual with your own thinking, personality and talent.

In case you are looking for a case of someone who may have no prior job experience but going into an interview for just being himself, here is your solid proof. You may know this person, too:

Don’t take our words for it - watch Bill Gates’ “job interview” for yourself! Source: Stephen Curry

Without any former working experience in other companies, Bill Gates has always been focusing on his own work and built Microsoft from scratch. To have a job interview would be a first for him, but Gates aced the interview at ease, simply by being himself - genuine, witty, and humbly acknowledges his capabilities. This could be your winning formula, too.

While we look for ways to break through the presets of a job application process and bring in new elements and conversations into an interview, applicants like yourself should be reassured that the process of candidate screening itself you are going through is not to give you a hard time. Rather, it is a quest for competence. You are your best asset - all you need is to find a way to let it shine through.

“Think out of the CV”: Bringing your full self to interview

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