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Create an online curriculum vitae
and enhance it digitally and creatively

Your curriculum vitae is an integral part of your application documents. You summarise your individual stages of life and workplaces briefly and concisely and support this with additional information. You list employers clearly and as far as possible in reverse chronological order in tabular form on your curriculum vitae.

But what makes you stand out from other applicants as a result? Your competitors have mastered the standard curriculum vitae just as well as you have. However, you can already earn bonus points from your future employer by adding a digital finishing touch to your application documents through an online curriculum vitae.

Use your online curriculum vitae to show that you are abreast of the times and that you have fully integrated the topic of "digitisation" into your daily life because digital tools support the world of work immensely and increase our effectiveness. Certain things are now being addressed differently thanks to new digital technologies. Customer contacts, supplier networks, internal networks or virtual meetings: It is not just companies that benefit from the advantages of digital work. As a candidate, you too can benefit from digital opportunities in your job search and therefore easily stand out from the mass of applications. 

What is a digital curriculum vitae?

You look for new jobs online and you can also send your application documents this way. You either attach your data to an e-mail or upload the individual documents to the specially created application portals of well-known companies. To some extent, all your application documents are already digital – in PDF format. But are you already making the most of the opportunities it offers you?

In a digitised curriculum vitae, you can add links and other elements using digital tools such as software or apps to illustrate your skills and experiences—and this is precisely where the improvement is: You can provide significantly more added value to your personal data in your professional curriculum vitae by using online sources. Once created online, you can still send your digital curriculum vitae in PDF format by e-mail, upload it to application portals or your application website.

However, an online curriculum vitae has long since not just been produced in a classic tabular form. New modern ways have been found to create a curriculum vitae not only digitally, but above all creatively and individually.

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  2. 1. Add links to your curriculum vitae to illustrate your experience

    We recommend that you first mention your contact details on your curriculum vitae and then list your career positions in reverse chronological order, with the focus on the most important responsibilities and successes that you can ideally demonstrate with figures. In the professional experience section, also add links to websites, videos, or blog posts to demonstrate your expertise in specific areas.

    For example, if you have organised events in one of your previous jobs, simply add links to websites with videos, photos, reports and reviews of these events at the appropriate point in your digital curriculum vitae. If you have written a report that has been published on the Internet, add the link. The same applies if you have written blog posts on topics related to your job or industry. Use relevant links to support your work references and achievements in previous jobs.

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  4. 2. Provide insight into your online presence

    In the contact details section, also include links to your personal brand on social networks such as LinkedIn, XING, and Twitter, as well as other relevant online sites. By doing so, you can show your future employers that you have mastered soft skills such as strong communication, creativity and professional behaviour.

    Use well-maintained online profiles to provide tangible evidence of your specified skills – especially useful are blog posts about your area of expertise or media content that you have added to your network profile.

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  6. 3. Ensure the consistency of your curriculum vitae and network profiles

    Make sure that your curriculum vitae and network profiles contain the same digital elements and are consistent. This also applies to your photo in the respective profile picture. HR managers usually search the Internet for information about you during the application process. If your profiles do not match, you may not be invited to an interview. However, if you are invited to an interview, you can expect questions that go into more detail.

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  8. 4. Create QR codes

    Create a QR code that leads to a selected network profile or to a page that provides insights into your work. You can simply generate this free of charge on the Internet and then insert it in the upper part of your curriculum vitae.

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  10. 5. Store your curriculum vitae in a cloud

    More and more often, companies proactively look for candidates or outsource this task to HR consultants. If you are headhunted, it may be that they will need your curriculum vitae. If you can send it immediately, you will earn bonus points. Therefore, create your digital curriculum vitae, for example, as a PDF file that you can access while on the move at any time. This may be a cloud or a curriculum vitae website. This will allow you to quickly send your curriculum vitae or a link to a company or personnel service provider that offers you a job opportunity and asks for your curriculum vitae in advance.

A digital curriculum vitae may be the ticket to an interview

If you don't know exactly the best way to begin, you can use one of our curriculum vitae examples in the Download Centre. These templates will help you to illustrate your curriculum vitae and give it a more digital design. However, you should note: Just as there is no perfect application letter, there is no one-size-fits-all recipe for digitising your curriculum vitae. Use our suggestions to stand out from the crowd or become creative in the realisation of your individual online curriculum vitae. This will increase your chances of being invited to an interview.

Creative forms of the online curriculum vitae

Depending on the industry in which you work, it may make sense to present your profession and related skills in the form of your application and in the realisation of your curriculum vitae. For example, do you work in sales and would like to prove your sales skills through your application documents? Then it's worth adding sound to your digital curriculum vitae or shooting a video directly so that you can really emphasise your personality. However, make sure that your future employer is open to new alternatives.

We will show you four digital curriculum vitae options that will definitely make you stand out:

Creating your own website for your application is now very easy. You do not need programming skills for this. There are enough providers offering templates to present your application and your curriculum vitae on your own website. The benefit for you? You can also include links to websites, photos, videos or audio files in your digital curriculum vitae. This is how to present yourself and your skills comprehensively.

Creating your own website for your application is now very easy. You do not need programming skills for this. There are enough providers offering templates to present your application and your curriculum vitae on your own website. The benefit for you? You can also include links to websites, photos, videos or audio files in your digital curriculum vitae. This is how to present yourself and your skills comprehensively.


With PowerPoint, you can not only prepare descriptive presentations, but you can also show yourself at your best with this tool. PowerPoint also allows you to upload images, graphics, data, videos or even audio files and to integrate them into your digital curriculum vitae in the right places. Positive side effect: You present yourself in many different ways and at the same time prove your expertise in using a frequently used tool.

With PowerPoint, you can not only prepare descriptive presentations, but you can also show yourself at your best with this tool. PowerPoint also allows you to upload images, graphics, data, videos or even audio files and to integrate them into your digital curriculum vitae in the right places. Positive side effect: You present yourself in many different ways and at the same time prove your expertise in using a frequently used tool.


A video curriculum vitae is the perfect way to show your personality to HR managers in just a few minutes. Use the power of your facial expressions, gestures and voice to impress them. But don't underestimate the cost of producing a video curriculum vitae.

Use a script to plan what you want to say and in what order. Choose a neutral background and make sure that the lighting is good and that the sound is clear and sharp. Practising in front of the camera pays off in the end. And if you want to go the extra mile, you can add effects, music and transitions through video editing programs or video apps.

A video curriculum vitae is the perfect way to show your personality to HR managers in just a few minutes. Use the power of your facial expressions, gestures and voice to impress them. But don't underestimate the cost of producing a video curriculum vitae.

Use a script to plan what you want to say and in what order. Choose a neutral background and make sure that the lighting is good and that the sound is clear and sharp. Practising in front of the camera pays off in the end. And if you want to go the extra mile, you can add effects, music and transitions through video editing programs or video apps.


This realisation of your curriculum vitae is particularly useful if you are pursuing a creative profession. Just make sure that the basis of every infographic, and therefore of your curriculum vitae, is a story that wants to be told. Maybe one of your hobbies lends itself to visualising milestones. You can also include interactive elements, data and links in an infographic curriculum vitae. However, make sure that they work and do not overwhelm or distract users from the essentials.

This realisation of your curriculum vitae is particularly useful if you are pursuing a creative profession. Just make sure that the basis of every infographic, and therefore of your curriculum vitae, is a story that wants to be told. Maybe one of your hobbies lends itself to visualising milestones. You can also include interactive elements, data and links in an infographic curriculum vitae. However, make sure that they work and do not overwhelm or distract users from the essentials.


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