What is an Infographic CV? A Guide with Tips

When An Infographic Resume is Useful

If you’re competing in a tough job market, an infographic CV can really give your job application the edge. Creative industries are the ideal place to use an infographic CV, because employers will be used to seeing CVs that diverge from the standard format and templates. If you’re a graphic designer, a web designer or you work in any other visual medium, an infographic CV can help you showcase your design skills and principles. You might also find an infographic CV useful for marketing jobs, or roles that require you to analyse and visualise data in appealing, engaging ways.

However, infographic CVs can also be effective in any industry or role that welcomes and encourages innovation and new ideas. Think about the type of role you’re applying for, and the reputation of the company. If it feels modern and innovative, an infographic CV might go down well. You can also use varying amounts and types of visual elements in your CV, depending on how much you think the employer will be open to.

Key Components of an Infographic Resume

Your infographic CV will need to include the same information as a traditional text-based CV, but you have much more freedom in how you present that information. The main sections of your CV will be as follows:

• CV header
• CV summary
• Work experience
• Education
• Skills
• Optional sections (certifications, languages, internships, hobbies and interests, volunteer work)

The layout of your document, and the way you present each section, is completely up to you. This freedom gives you the chance to show your creative mindset and prove you’ve got  design skills and the knowledge to create engaging, visually appealing content.

There are various elements you can add to your CV to enhance the text, or to replace text sections with graphics and images. Take a look at some of the key components you could add to enhance the look and feel of your CV:

Icons

Icons can enhance the visuals of your CV by labelling sections and replacing text in certain places. You can use icon sets with consistent styling to strengthen the visual identity of your document. Try using icons in place of section headings, or alongside heading text, to make your document easier to read at a glance. You can also use icons to label things like website URLs and social media profiles, or to replace text in sections such as your skills or hobbies.

Charts

Charts are a useful tool for visualising data in your CV. You could use pie charts or flow charts to represent your work experience or a breakdown of your skills. Charts are most useful when you have definitive figures in your CV that you want to communicate. They could show the impact you’ve made in a role, such as an increase in customer satisfaction or improved sales figures under your tenure.

Graphs

Graphs can be useful for your CV in a similar way to charts. If you have data you want to visualise, graphs can help you to do so. Graphs may be more useful than charts when you wish to show linear progressions, such as year-on-year improvements in your performance.

Timelines

Timelines are a handy visual aid for explaining your career progression, and can make a chronological CV more engaging. They’ll also help employers to make sense of your development in a more logical, linear fashion, which can be useful if you want to make the reader quickly understand your credentials for the role.

Design Principles for an Effective Infographic Resume

There are some basic design principles that, if you follow them, can make your infographic CV stand out among other candidates. Take a look at these tips for maximising the impact of your infographic CV:

Clearly label any graphs and charts: clear labelling of any charts and graphs on your infographic CV is essential. If you’re adding any data visualisations to your document, make sure you label them so readers can quickly understand what they represent. If they’re difficult to understand or interpret, these elements can detract from the overall impact of your CV.

Use consistent styling: when selecting icons and graphics to include in your CV, make sure you pick them from the same icon set or opt for graphics that follow a simple, consistent style. Elaborate icons can make your CV crowded and confused, so instead go for the simplest style of icons you can find.

Choose readable fonts: icons, charts and graphics aren’t the only design considerations for your infographic CV. It’s crucial to pay attention to the fonts you use throughout the document. Choose fonts that are easy to read and match the styling of your icons and graphics.

1. Use consistent colours: the colour palette for your graphics, charts, icons and other elements is also important. Choose colours that compliment each other and avoid multicolour icons and graphics that can confuse the visuals of your document. If you’re using a white background, select graphics in dark colours, while for dark backgrounds, opt for white icons.
2. Make use of white space: it can be tempting to throw every available visual enhancement at your CV, but this can leave you with an over-crowded document that’s difficult to read. Your infographic CV should be easier to read than a basic text document, and white space is crucial for this.
3. Utilise visual hierarchy: you can use graphical elements in your CV to introduce a visual hierarchy that makes your document easy to read and understand. With subtle use, graphics can make the most important sections of your CV stand out, allowing you to draw the attention of the reader to the achievements you’re most proud of.

Creating Your Own Infographic CV

There are various tools you can use to make your own infographic CV, depending on your design skills and knowledge. The most comprehensive design package for creating your infographic CV is Adobe Illustrator. This is an advanced application that allows you total flexibility to create your CV from scratch. However, you’ll require some graphic design skills to operate the software.

There are other design tools that can help you make a CV with less specialist knowledge. Canva is a simple, web-based graphic design tool that requires no prior graphic design knowledge, while AI-enhanced tools such as Piktochart can help you create visually engaging charts and graphs without the need for design training. If you’re looking for a more simple, attractive visual design for your CV, you could also try CVwizard’s CV templates. The professional layouts and subtle design elements can really help your CV to stand out from the crowd.

Think about the type of role you’re applying for, and the reputation of the company. If it feels modern and innovative, an infographic CV might go down well.

Showcasing Your Infographic CV

You can use your infographic CV for traditional job applications, but it can also be useful as a showcase of your skills and creative talents. If you have a website or online portfolio, add your visual CV so it can gain greater exposure. You could also share your CV on your LinkedIn profile or social media accounts, to be seen by more people and hopefully catch the attention of recruiters and hiring managers. 

Your infographic CV isn’t just a summary of your career achievements, it’s a display of your design style, principles and skills. As such, it’s a great idea to share it as widely as possible. This also means you should put extra effort into making sure the document reaches a high standard of design, and paints your skills in a positive light. Recruiters will consider the look of the document just as much as the content, so make the most of it and produce a CV you’re happy to share with as many people as possible.

Key Takeaways for Your Infographic CV

Infographic CVs can be a highly effective tool when applying for creative, innovative roles. Visual elements can make your CV stand out from the crowd, and showcase your creative side. When designing your infographic CV, be mindful to use consistent styling, subtle design elements and clear, well-labelled charts and graphs. CVwizard can help you to produce a visually appealing CV in just a few clicks. Access a range of professional CV templates and read our collection of CV articles to make the best impression with your applications. Sign up today to get started.