Hi Tim,

Thanks for your comment.

We’ll have to agree to disagree when it comes to creative CVs. As with most things, I think it comes down to personal preference. I know many Hiring Managers who’ve received videos, infographics and interactive CVs and absolutely loved them. Of course, I know some of my clients wouldn’t be remotely impressed (in which case, I’d suggest candidates create a plain, Word version).

It comes down to the industry, company culture and ultimately the decision maker’s personality.

Of course, none of the ideas in this post will work if they’re not executed very well. For example, a good infographic will make relevant and compelling points and stats easily accessible to the reader; it certainly doesn’t sound like the examples you’ve seen did that.

Finally, I’m definitely pro cover letter. Candidates are often told that they’re “not important” and that “people don’t read them” but we certainly do and find that they can add real value to an application — that’s why my colleague James Ball recently wrote “How to Write a Compelling Cover Letter.”

Thanks again!