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Navigating the job market can be tricky—especially when in search of a creative career. Writers, designers and artists—among a plethora of other applicants from creativity-driven fields—can struggle when trying to simultaneously showcase their inventive personalities and maintain a professional demeanor. But job applications—including resumes, cover letters, interviews and supplemental materials—don’t require an entirely technical approach, void of innovation or intrigue. In fact, one’s personal brand plays an enormous role in securing a career, which means that plopping some personality into every aspect of the job search can be incredibly rewarding.
But how, where and when is it appropriate to add a little originality into your professional presence? We’ve outlined some of the best mediums (and accompanying dos and dont’s) so that you can let your character shine risk-free.
1. Cover Letter
Cover letters are great at demonstrating personality because they give you room to vocalize. Avoid a robotic tone and instead opt for something more conversational if you don’t want to get lost in the stacks. While you shouldn’t use slang, curse words, or tell stories about your wild Spring Break in Cancun (unless you can creatively use those stories to demonstrate a personal quality that nothing else could), you can use some quirky and unexpected anecdotes to get your point across.
Just re-listing your resume is guaranteed to make you seem mechanical. Instead, touch on things that the interviewer would have no idea about otherwise, and try to come up with innovative ways to describe yourself. Everyone tells the story about how their minimum-wage pizza counter job taught them the meaning of hard work and long hours. Go for something entirely unprecedented and unpredictable for a lasting impact, and again, adopt a voice you’re proud of, not one that would put you to sleep.
2. Personal Website
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While LinkedIn is a good start in terms of a comprehensive collection of work, a full-blown online portfolio is the easiest way to achieve personality in the professional realm. With tons of digital options to choose from, creating and maintaining a personal website is incredibly easy and also incredibly rewarding. If you’re a designer, you can showcase your natural talent for creating eye-candy with an innovative layout and gorgeous imagery. If you’re an artist, you can maintain an ongoing digital collection of all your work. Writers can establish personal blogs, showcasing their voice through what they do best. There’s no better way to get all of your information out there seamlessly and beautifully. The best part about websites? You can easily insert eye-appealing links to your various social media channels, creating a one-stop hub of all you have to offer. Convinced you need one yet? Good.
But choosing the right medium for website creation can be daunting—how do you know which service will suit you best? What if you don’t know how to code, or are worried about cost?
Professional website building platform Squarespace answers all of the concerns you’re craving to sooth. At only $8 a month, you can build a personal portfolio that’s breathtakingly beautiful and painlessly easy to generate. And, pro-tip: College students get a 50 percent off discount for their first year! Don’t worry—you don’t have to know anything about web coding to optimize your website experience. Squarespace can provide domains, images, award-winning templates, personalized logos and ecommerce web stores, so that your personal brand will leave nothing out. With an online presence as visually stimulating, comprehensive, and clean as Squarespace’s, you’ll have the Human Resources department at that elite design studio or magazine drooling over your application.
3. Resume
Resumes are often the first application item an interviewer sees. If you’re looking to stand out from the crowd of black-and-white Times New Roman fonts, get creative, but only tastefully. While turning your resume into an incredible infographic or Buzzfeed-esque listicle will definitely demonstrate personality, it’s important that you’re extremely careful with what you do. Only undergo the task of designing an original resume if you’re inherently artistic and can guarantee your product will look sophisticated rather than childish. Steer clear of colored, or even worse, fragranced papers (Sorry, Elle Woods)! You should also digitize your resume and put it within your online portfolio—Squarespace is the perfect platform for that, too.
If your creativity lies in your writing, weave your voice into the resume discreetly but effectively. While resumes shouldn’t include large paragraphs, specific word choice and stylistic intuition can really improve a normally-structured resume.
Either way, remember that as soon as you stylize or re-word your resume, you’re transforming it from a standard application item to a representative piece of your greater works, so when in doubt, stay simple.
4. Attire
You’ve heard again and again how important it is to dress for success, but what does that really mean when lines are blurred and your desired industry may not adopt the classic business wardrobe?
Start-ups, tech companies, design firms and fashion labels may expect something more than a pantsuit or pencil skirt. In fact, they may take your lack of unique style as an indication of a lack of personality!
Do your research to determine what the proper dress code is in your industry. One often-overlooked method of doing so is checking out the company’s social media accounts, especially Instagram. Oftentimes, younger or more creative companies utilize Instagram frequently to showcase their cool and quirky desks or take group photos in the office lounge. Do a little stalking (we give you permission!) and check out what your future co-workers are wearing. Maybe you see a younger woman who comes across as especially fun and inviting. Note her look, then, find similar items in your closet and generate your own outfit that’s inspired by (not copied from!) hers!
Just don’t go too trendy—this may come off as overly daring, and true style stars know how to blend new items with timeless classics. And if you’re the conservative type, even opting for a different color blazer can make you more memorable!
5. Instagram
Thought social media was a complete no-no in the professional world? Not anymore! Professionals, especially those in creative, imagery-based fields, often utilize Instagram to show off their stuff.
Aspiring photographer? Show your creative eye by taking elegant, imaginative photos. Aspiring lifestyle writer? Show your knack for decorating, party throwing and food-making. The possibilities are endless, as long as you maintain a classy Instagram persona that’s not compromised by inappropriate posts. Of course, that’s not to say that you need an account that’s entirely business-geared. Mix a little work and a little (tasteful) play for the perfect personality-showing potion. After all, the hiring manager probably doesn’t want someone who never goes out and only takes photos of cool patterns all day—boring!
6. Pinterest
Similar to Instagram, Pinterest can showcase your unique interests and eye, without the intimidation of having to take your own photos. If you’re not sure you can take awe-inspiring snapshots, browse our favorite pinning site and create a personal collection of inspired boards.
Ready to get hired at a tech start-up? Create technology-inspired boards. Want to be a stylist? Show your stuff by pinning outfit boards or organizing boards by clothing type. Even if you’re an aspiring writer, you can use Pinterest to your advantage. Name your boards with buzz-worthy titles that really show your pun-tastic personality.
7. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a glorified resume with the added benefit of attaching documents, images and links to your page. After you fill out every section of your profile (paying special attention to the empty slate that the “Summary” section provides!), find creative ways to insert works you’ve done that really demonstrate your talent.
Also utilize LinkedIn’s cover photo feature. While this shouldn’t be an image of your latest group selfie or your two kittens (that’s for Facebook, people), you can still add some character to the cover. Think of something industry-related that you could post, such as a simple and sophisticated image of your art table, complete with a few of your latest paintings scattered about.
Finally, you can join various groups and follow various companies and organizations on LinkedIn. While following your dream company (and anywhere else you’re applying to) is a must, you don’t have to limit your alliances to one specific industry. An employer will definitely want you to show extreme interest in your desired field, but they might also be pleasantly surprised to find that you belong to a Barre group, which just happens to be their favorite form of exercise!
Overall, there are more ways than you think to flash some character in your next application. The proper mix of creativity, care, caution and class can bring you from cover-letter clone to top-choice candidate. And with an personality-infused website from Squarespace, we promise you’ll beat all of the competition!