Let these personal CV mind map examples guide your own job search.

47 Awesome Resume Mind Map Ideas to Copy
Photo by delfi de la Rua

I was never big on mind maps.

I preferred making prioritized checklists and to do lists with sub-lists when needed. Back in 2002, I organized all of our wedding plans using a lists app on my Palm Treo and it was a thing of beauty, if I say so myself.

When I first tried mind mapping, my mind maps were always the same- one center node that branched off to a list of nodes, and each one had its own sub-list of nodes.

Sound familiar?

Since I wasn't doing it properly, I wasn't getting the benefits, so it's no surprise that I didn't find them very useful.

But I came back to them a few years ago, and the freedom of branching out in all directions was really liberating. I don't mind map every day, but when I'm in a strategic mood, they're now my go-to tool.

Have you ever created a mind map for anything job search related?


How can mind mapping help my job search?

You can use mind maps to:

1. Review your career to date, such as for preparing a work portfolio

2. Snapshot your network of contacts, or at least the relevant people for your current job search

3. Brainstorm, plan and track your job search, right down to companies to target

4. Prepare for an upcoming job interview, including questions to ask

5. Sell yourself in a job interview

And of course, you can use a mind map about yourself as a creative resume.

Not necessarily to send to recruiters, but definitely as a story-telling aid when pitching your accomplishments to anyone who might find a more formal resume boring.

Here's a large group of people who've done just that.

This is how to write a mind map of a CV

You could say these are mind maps people created about “me, I and myself.”

Jane Brotchie

jane brotchie cv mindmap

Stuart Emmett

stuart emmett cv mindmap

Achraf Souk

Achraf Souk mindmap

Alberto Martinez

alberto martinez cv mindmap

Jennifer Goddard

derek goddard cv mindmap

Dominique Dejonghe

dominique dejonghe cv mindmap

Edgar

edgar cv mindmap

Emmanuel Lebrun

emmanuel lebrun cv mindmap

Jacqueline Bowman

jacqueline bowman cv mindmap

Jean Pascal

jean pascal cv mindmap

Jon

jon cv mindmap

J. Wynia

j wynia cv mindmap

Lars Dahlin

lars dahlin cv mindmap

Marco Bertolini

marco bertolini cv mindmap

Niketan Pansare

niketan pansare cv mindmap

Ricclo

ricclo cv mindmap

Richard Harbridge

richard harbridge cv mindmap

Skanda Kumarasingam

skanda kumarasingam cv mindmap

Steve Rothwell

steve rothwell cv mindmap

Vincent Birlouez

vincent birlouez cv mindmap

Zehra Oguz Lebrun

zehra oguz lebrun cv mindmap

Carl Giosa

Carl Giosa profile map

Eric Giosa

Eric Giosa profile map

Kevin Nast

Kevin Nast profile map

Maneesh Dutt

maneesh dutt cv mindmap

Nathalie Dhalmann

nathalie dhalmaan cv mindmap

Marina De Roover

marina de roover cv mindmap

Mark Pohlmann

mark pohlmann cv mindmap

Sab Will

sab will cv mindmap

Christopher Byrne

christopher byrne cv mindmap

Andre Fiuza

andre fiuza cv mindmap

Chris Delepierre

chris delepierre cv mindmap

Syed Ahmad Mursil

syed ahmad mursil cv mindmap

Ton Meeuwissen

ton meeuwissen cv mindmap

Pete Moore

pete moore cv mindmap

Marina Massengo

marina massengo cv mindmap

Keith

keith cv mindmap

Daniel Tay

daniel tay cv mindmap

Kara Aharon

kara aharon cv mindmap

Anton Gurov

anton gurov cv mindmap

Rhett Butler

rhett butler cv mindmap

Hannah Gant

hannah gant cv mindmap

Veselin Kirev

veselin kirev cv mindmap

Pierre Aumont

pierre aumont cv mindmap

Didier Lahely

didier lahely cv mindmap

Lars Henrik Dahl

lars henrik dahl cv mindmap

Mohamed Moustafa

Mohamed is a Tony Buzan Licensed Instructor, so he knows mind mapping.

Mohamed Moustafa cv mindmap

mohamed moustafa cv mindmap

Foluso Aribisala

Foluso Aribisala cv mind map

Pienaar Klopper

Pienaar Klopper cv mind map

Kyung-moon Lee

Kyung-moon Lee cv mind map

What others are saying

Bonus 1: Mind mapping tools

If you'd like to mind map your own resume, here are some free tools:

  • Freemind – arguably the best known free, downloadable mind maping software.
  • iMindmap – the only tool recommended by Tony Buzan, inventor of Mind Mapping.
  • Freeplane – a better Freemind than Freemind, I switched to using this a few years ago.
  • Xmind – nice user inteface and available in 7 languages.
  • bubbl.us – cute tool, lets you make the mind maps in your browser window.
  • Biggerplate – thousands of free mind map templates and examples

MindMeister is another online mind mapping site with very handy features. Their basic/free plan is very limited (you're only allowed to save 3 mind maps) but they provide a free resume mind map template so you can get started quickly:

my profile cv mindmap

Bonus 2: The Power of a Mind to Map

If you enjoyed this gallery, you'll also enjoy The 25 Most Creative Designer Resumes You’ll See This Year.

Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter for more ways to use mind maps in your job search.

Jacob Share

Job Search Expert, Professional Blogger, Creative Thinker, Community Builder with a sense of humor. I like to help people.

This Post Has 32 Comments

  1. Philip Turner

    Although you have worked hard, But I feel that these kind of resume format are not in practice. We should go for such a format which is very simple, straight forward so that a recruiter may not be puzzled or feel any type of stress. How ever a great creative work!

  2. Dan Taylor

    Hi Jane,

    Great article, and great collection of resources. Just a slight correction, the link that you’ve provided to our resume template is broken. It should be pointing to:

    http://www.mindmeister.com/23779762/my-profile-cv-map/

    As this is a template, all MindMeister users can clone this map to their account and get started right away. Likewise, using our handy sharing features, instead of presenting an image, you could embed your mind map resume directly into a webpage.

    Thanks again for the mention, and happy mind mapping!

  3. Kimba Green

    I love these! Before you even read the mind maps you can tell so much about the person. The format, the colors, the pictures give such insight into the person. So powerful!

    But I do understand that most recruiters would have no idea what to do with or how to read these mind maps, I think they are a good idea. If nothing more than a tool for the job seeker to understand themselves. High value!

  4. Charlotte

    Mind Map resumés are great way to stand out from the crowd!

    Some of the more colourful and linear Mind Maps (Jane Brotchie, Jennifer Goddard, Skanda Kumarasingam and Zehra Oguz Lebrun) have been created using iMindMap from ThinkBuzan.

    We offer a free-for-life version of the software called iMindMap Basic which you can download at http://www.ThinkBuzan.com.

  5. Jacob Share

    Philip- you wouldn’t send a mindmap resume to a recruiter unless you wanted to show off your creativity. Otherwise, you might put it on your website.

    Dan- it’s Jacob 🙂 Thanks for pointing out the broken link, I just fixed it.

    Kimba- agreed! It’s a great way to plan your more conventional resume, which you would send to recruiters.

    Charlotte- thanks for pointing that out.

  6. Liam Hughes

    Great selection of maps!
    You may find some other interesting examples in the “careers” section of the mind map library at http://www.biggerplate.com

    Even if you dont submit the map itself to a recruiter, it is a great way of brainstorming and exploring your personal and professional strengths. Everyone should give it a try!

  7. Jane Brotchie

    Hi Jacob
    I’m glad you liked my mind map. You asked me privately how this mindmap came about. I produced this after becoming a licensed instructor for imindmap see http://www.thinkbuzan.com/uk/trainers/jane_brotchie
    This is not free software, but I invested in it as it provides lots of extra functionality and is really simple to use. There are lots of free programmes that are great too. The beauty of mindmapping is that it helps you take your thinking one step further – after I created this I actually saw my work experience in a different light. I think now you have reminded me of this I should update it to include on my new website at http://www.crystalclearwriting.co.uk

  8. Steve Rothwell

    This is a great collection – thanks for pulling it together. The idea for my CV came from a similar one produced by Michael J Scheroter when he worked for MindJet. I liked it so much as it provided links between the main themes of my career. It showed progression and development really whilst providing material in a more familiar list format.

  9. Richard Harbridge

    Due to the number of nodes in my mind map/resume I actually walk through an IBIS map/decision tree with every employer.

    Question – Should we hire Richard?
    Idea 1 – We hire Richard
    Idea 2 – We don’t hire Richard

    I then go through all of the positives of hiring me and the potential risks/negatives. I then do the same with not hiring me. By the end of it, I always get hired.

  10. Achraf Souk

    Hi, Thanks for your post.
    I used mind manager 8 to create my resume.
    I was learning about mind mapping and had the idea of trying it on my CV, as i was looking for a new job. Now i use it to resume books, courses, even in business…
    I never sent my mind map CV, but it really helped me to structure my experience in my head, and be prepared for interviews.

    Cheers

  11. Dominique Dejonghe

    Hi Jacob,

    Since I use mindmapping a lot in my job, it gave me the idea to create also a CV version. I use this mindmap version a lot when I introduce myself individually to team members of a project I’m starting. It just is a great way to get a clear overview over who I’m, what I do and what thrills me. I advice everybody to make such a version…

  12. Lars Dahlin

    Hi Jacob!
    Thank you noticed my mind map. I have used Freemind to create it.
    http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

    Then I have added a simple browser extension in HTML code to display the page on the internet.

    Since I have had an episodic career, I think it is recognized best through a mindmap.

    I have just written it in Swedish when I am talking to Swedish employers.

    My very best regards!
    /Lars

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  16. Dee Relyea

    Terrific! I use Mind Mapping with clients to help them figure out their career paths. These are great examples to share to help them create resumes and to realize all the skills, talents, experience, and passions they bring to the table. Thanks for sharing!

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  21. Timo Riikonen

    MindMeister seems to be most common of these. I created mine as well with it and I am proud enough of it to share it in here also.

  22. Jacob Share

    Just did a massive update of this article, adding in almost 2 dozen new mindmaps and much more 🚀🚀🚀

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