So I have been interviewing people to replace me at my current job (got a new job!) and I have noticed many people need help making their resume stand out. Some fell through the cracks, some were visually displeasing, some were too long, etc. I figure I should probably post about the qualities of a resume that will help make you stand out, impress the employer and get the position. Obviously, it depends on the industry but this is definitely preferable for the communication world.
Brand Yourself
Come up with a unique logo that expresses your personality, embraces the position you want and shows creativity. Just having your name in a generic text does not show anything about who you are. It adds you to the group but does not set you apart.
Be Creative
Use your creativity and design an easy to read, unique layout. Instead of a boring paragraph by paragraph layout, let the text take a different form that is visually pleasing.
Add color to your resume. Do not let it look like a rainbow exploded on your resume, but add a color to your logo or titles; something that adds some spice.
Choose unique fonts and avoid the banal fonts like Times New Roman. You can find fonts on dafont.com or 1001freefonts.com. You want to choose an easy to read font–nothing too fancy and nothing too childish. A happy medium that displays some personality and takes you out of the norm is good. You may even find an awesome font for your logo. NOTE: NEVER under any circumstance (in life) use Comic Sans (the devil). Actually, you should just delete it from your font library all together. That fonts does not do anyone good. Seriously.
If you have a Mac, you can add a font to your computer easily (PCs are a whole other story):
1. Download file
2. Open Font Library
3. Click the gadget wheel.
4. Add font from file.
Customize
Do not just send the same resume for every position. When employers are looking to fill a position, they look to the resume to see if relevant experience exists. If your resume does not show specific positions, cater the positions you held to the position you want. It’s common to have multiple resumes depending on what you are applying for.
Show Results
So you describe what you did at the different position you held. Well, what came of your work? What were the results of your actions? Make sure the employer knows what you did had meaning. Let them know you will bring experience that will help them attain their goals.
Remove the Unnecessary
Having an objective is so 1980. You should have covered why you want the position in your cover letter. Having an objective just wastes space you could use to further descriptions. In addition skills are becoming unnecessary–unless you have something that sets you apart from everyone else, then you should avoid listing. If you say you know Microsoft Office, well, everyone should know that. Or, list skills relevant to the position; for example, anyone applying for social media should list the networks they actively use (link them in the cover letter).
KEEP YOUR RESUME TO ONE PAGE. I can’t stress this enough. Resumes longer than a page are just pushed to the side. Even if the page has your references, do not send it together. If the employer wants references, they will ask you for them.
Never Send a .doc File
Fun fact: .doc files open differently on every computer. If you spent hours formatting in Microsoft Word, all your work goes away when the employer opens the file–it looks like a mess. Save the file as a .pdf and send that file. PDF files do not change their form when you send them so all the formatting remains the same. I would suggest avoid using Word to create your resume; try Adobe In Design because it will let you create an amazing layout.
If your Word program does not allow you to save as a .pdf, you can do it an alternate way:
1. Click File
2. Choose Print.
3. Choose the PDF button. (on Mac)
If a PC, I’m almost 100% positive in the drop down menu to choose the printer it has the option for PDF.
There you have it. The tips to make your resume stand out. This is the first impression employers have of you–make them remember you!
If you have no experience creating a resume or want someone to design one for you, I am your man. I would love to create your resume–shoot me an email and we’ll work out the deets! (Email on the right side bar.)
Case in Point: http://www.melyssabrown.com/#!resume
Once I happened to stumble across this resume after an unrelated google search, and to this day I still remember it because it had so much personality!
It just goes to show you how much of an impact you can have by doing a little bit of personal branding.