Scots graduate creates quirky “employable playlist” vinyl to accompany CV with 80s hits such as ABBA’s ‘Take a Chance on Me’

A SAVVY Scots graduate has created a quirky “employable playlist” vinyl filled with retro hits such as ABBA’s ‘Take a Chance on Me’ to send to prospective employers.

Heather Fletcher came up with the original idea so she could stand out from the crowd when sending her CV onto graphic design companies.

Instead of her CV getting lost amongst others, the 21-year-old made a LP vinyl filled with songs that could potentially persuade employers into giving her a job.

The eight-track record includes popular 80s hits including ABBA’s Take a Chance on Me and Donna Summers’ She Works Hard for the Money.

Heather, a former Edinburgh Napier University student, also added Art + Student = Poor by Test Pattern and Don’t You Want Me by The Human League.

The creative job-hunter took just a couple of weeks to make the ingenious vinyl which she hopes future employers will listen to as they peruse her credentials.

Heather posted the project on LinkedIn two weeks ago, writing: “Hello…is it me you’re looking for?

“Who doesn’t love cheesy 80s music?! As part of my branding I have created an ’employable playlist’, a playlist for your office to help boost motivation…or some nice background music to listen to while looking through CVs.

“I love illustration and using bright colours in my work so I wanted to create a retro brand identity.”

Hundreds of social media users liked the idea, with many leaving comments saying how impressed they were.

Tegan Moss said: “Wow, this is insanely good, I love the creativity here.”

Susi Castle also said: “Wow, Heather, this work is insanely good! I’m so impressed!”

Heather Pownall said: “I absolutely love this.”

Tara McCombie said: “This is so cool! Very nice work.”

Speaking today, Heather said: “I came up with the idea to use vinyl as part of my personal branding as I wanted to create something tangible that would help start a discussion when applying for jobs.

“I can imagine how repetitive it is looking through loads of CV, so I created a lighthearted ‘employable playlist’ that allows potential employers the option to listen to a cheesy 80s soundtrack while looking through my portfolio.

“I really love using illustration and colour in my work and take a lot of my inspiration from album artwork such as the Beatles revolver cover.

“It was far too hard of a choice to pick the songs, [I was] disappointed A-ha didn’t get a feature, Take on Me isn’t a one hit wonder.

“I really enjoyed creating my own branding as it meant I could showcase my
personality through design.

“I was happy with how it turned out; it was lovely to hear some feedback from different designers within the industry when I shared my work on LinkedIn.”

Speaking about the job she is hoping to secure, Heather added: “I would love to explore the connection between virtual fashion and game design, which has inspired me to apply for a masters ‘Serious games and virtual reality’ at GSA.

“I would love to work for the likes of Rockstar games.

“I think everyone has their own style and creating this promotional item was a
lighthearted way of getting my personality and designs across when applying for jobs
which can sometimes feel like a stressful situation, adding some colour and humour
can open a conversation.

“I am currently applying for different roles and open to freelance design work.”

This isn’t the first time a job-hunter has hit the headlines for going the extra mile to charm potential employers.

In 2013 Adam Pacitti, a media production student, spent his last £500 on a huge billboard in London advertising his CV.

This risky step paid off with the unemployed graduate receiving over 100 job applications.