You might have the most impressive resume in the world, but
if it doesn’t look like a million bucks, employers won’t care. If you’re in the
market for your dream job, it’s time to start polishing up your resume,
but there is a lot that goes into making a resume stand out.
There’s actual science to creating a successful resume.
That’s why we’ll talk about The Importance of Design for your Resume.
Resumes are an essential part of the hiring process. They
provide a snapshot of your qualifications, work history, skill level, and
positions, and it’s important to make the best possible first
impression with relevant content on a creative resume.
Remember that it’s a summary of who you are, what
you’ve done, and what makes you stand out.
We are the non-traditional student’s most trusted resource. We know
that the way your resume looks and the layout you use with your personal
touch can significantly impact whether you get an interview.
That’s why in this article, you’ll find what you need to
have a perfect resume.
Having An Extra Long Resume Is Not Ideal
Having a well-designed resume includes a few different
elements that influence how well your resume will appear in the hands
of a potential employer.
A “best practice” for your resume design is to have a sample
resume to ensure you only have relevant information to your job
interests.
There aren’t definitive rules when it comes to resume page
count, which is frustrating for job seekers, but our advice is that your
professional resume should be exactly as long as it needs to be and be as brief
as possible.
One-page
resumes are ideal for recent grads, entry-level resumes, or in-person
networking; and two-page resumes are great for most job
seekers, particularly those with five-plus years of professional experience in
their current field.
Even with a basic resume format, you should still have
supporting information in the original email and cover letter.
What Information Does Your Resume Need?
So, what should be included in a resume?
This is where experts diverge on the subject, but here are
some broad guidelines that will work well for most. The
basics: Cover your key accomplishments, achievements, and detailed
skills.
So, you’ve done everything right. Now you need to highlight
your main achievements and sell your skills.
For many job seekers, the most successful resumes
are very minimalistic or modern. The idea is that a resume should not only
include all the skills and relevant experience a person has but should also
tell a story about what that person is like.
Writing a professional summary is a good idea.
In a few words, describe who you are and what you do. The question “Why
should we hire you?” should be answered in your summary, and you
should highlight your most relevant qualifications.
How To Structure A Good Looking Resume
Choose the right format. A good resume format is 300
to 500 words in length but what’s more important is the number of
pages. Keep in mind that your resume should be a single page if you have less
than four years of job experience. You should have the language flow in
an orderly way.
But don’t be afraid to switch things up; you might want to try
a bullet point format if you have strong skills in one area. That’s a
great way to add some details about a job in the same paragraph.
Most job listing websites have an internal search
software where they use keywords to find specific resumes. An example
is Indeed Jobs.
This means that you can create and upload your
resume with specific keywords for the position you’re applying for.
This will improve your chances of being found by employers looking for those
keywords.
For example, if you want to work for a publicity company,
make sure to use keywords related to the job title you want. If you want to
create a one-page functional resume, you can use your key skills to introduce
why you want to work in that company.
Here's A Few Resume Design Tips:
Use Simple Fonts
Don’t get too fancy with your font; choose one that would be
easily readable for everyone. It could be Times New Roman, Arial,
and Tahoma since they are the most common ones. As long as
you use the same font throughout, there’s no problem.
Be Careful With Your Margins
There’s no specific guideline for this, but many
experts suggest setting your resume margins at 1 inch on all sides. You can
slightly reduce them for extra space but never go below 5 inches.
What’s important is that there’s enough white space for your text.
Bold Key Information
This is simple but very useful resume advice. You can bold
the relevant skills or what you want the employer to focus on. For
example, bold the company names if the companies you’ve worked for are more
impressive than the titles you’ve held.
Ready To Stand Out With Your Resume?
Most HR professionals and recruiters agree that the
layout and design of a resume matter, but you should keep in mind that the
best resumes do not need to look like any other specific resume.
It’s important to be consistent in style, but you
don’t need a graphic designer for that. You’re giving an overview of
your work history, skill sets, and what you would do in your future job.
The main thing to do is to make it easy to
understand. Your resume must be easy to read, even if you have designed it
in a traditional format or as an infographic resume. If you have a resume that
lacks flow or is confusing, you may need to simplify it.
Make sure to write what is relevant to you,
regardless of what others might think is irrelevant. What can you add,
or what can you leave out? It’s all about personal preference.
When building your resume, consider the tips mentioned in
this article, and you will always come off as genuine and authentic.
Even if your resume is not impressive enough to land a job, you will
still benefit from the job-seeking experience, and it will teach
you how to improve your resume.
Having an attractive resume is definitely a big help when you want to make an excellent first impression, so we hope this article helps you design your resume for your next job application! You can find, explore, and discover more articles in our learning center.