The Design Secrets Behind Stand-Out Resumes

The Design Secrets Behind Stand-Out Resumes Anatomy of a Winning Resume, courtesy of Mashable.com According the  TheLadders  study, researchers also found, through methods involving eye-tracking and gaze-tracking techniques, that employers spent roughly 80 percent of their gaze time on the following sections: Name Current title/company Previous title/company Previous position start and end dates Current position start and end dates Education The study included that beyond these points, employers merely scanned for keywords relating to the position being applied for. This is why the organization and layout of your resume is of the utmost importance. As we can gather from the points above, employers search foremost for your previous experience in their industry, so you should be sure to put this at the head of your resume referred to as reverse chronological order beneath your name and contact information. You may be wondering about the overview section, commonly seen as the descriptive paragraph listed before anything else on your resume. Many are now considering the overview optional due to the fact that some experts believe employers rarely take the time to read it and that it takes up valuable space. Those in favor of ditching it say to replace it with an executive summary, which is essentially the 30-second elevator pitch on paper. Its typically three to five sentences long and states who you are and what youre looking for, therefore saving your potential employer time and saving you space another important element of design. Stephen Provenzano, author of Top Secret Executive Resumes,  mentioned in his book the importance of incorporating white space throughout the resume, writing white space gives readers a break and helps them quickly scan the page for key points. I usually indent (tab) after each bullet, he wrote. This use of bullets draws the readers eye in and gives your resume an organized feel, similar to a list. However, be sure to break up bullet points with summaries of your experiences, so the entire resume doesnt just read like a long list. Font and size As you can see throughout this article, Ive listed titles in bold and italicized important points, creating clear distinctions as to where my writing is guiding you; the same methods should be applied to your resume. Provenzano again gives us clear instructions for using these elements: Use frills such as boldfacing, underlining, italics, bullets or dashes for emphasis, but not on every line. They quickly lose their impact when overused. They should be used only to make major points stand out or to set items apart and break up type. Avoid using all the elements boldfacing, underlining and italics on the same line of type. Choose a combination of any two. Along with this, knowing the impact of certain typefaces and fonts and how to combine them to create an aesthetically pleasing resume is essential. Adam Dachis, in A Non-Designers Guide to Typefaces and Layout, explains that the majority of resume writers will most likely only be making a decision between serif or sans-serif fonts. Photo by williamcromar via Flickr. As pictured above, serif fonts contain tiny flourishes on the ends of letters, and as Dachis wrote, resemble the look of a typewriter. Serif is easy to read and is often viewed as proper, conservative and traditional. Sans-serif, literally meaning without serif, lacks the letter flourishes and is considered a modern, minimalistic typeface which is, in essence, aesthetically appealing. Keep these styles in mind and compare them to the style of the company youre applying to for example, most newspapers go the conservative route and print in a serif typeface, while more modern design firms (or if youre applying as a graphic designer) can utilize a modern sans-serif alternative. Purdue Owls Online Writing Lab also reminds us that, like the use of boldfacing and italicizing, we should be careful with how we use typefaces. The key to using fonts in your résumé is to be consistent, the site stated.  For example, if you decide to use a sans-serif font for a main heading, do so for all your headings, and use the same sans-serif font each time generally, you should use no more than two fonts in your résumé.   Color The use of color in resumes largely depends on the company and type of position youre applying for. Design positions typically allow for unlimited creative freedom regarding resumes, which includes a well-designed color scheme. However, if your resume is in a field not involving advertising, design or anything art related, the recommendation is to always stick with a black-and-white color scheme. This doesnt mean your entire resume has to be one bland shade of black, however; with the use of boldfacing and gray hues, you can still highlight noteworthy areas without painting them in color. Consistency Amanda Augustine, career expert at TheLadders,  recommended in an article for Business Insider, to keep your resume consistent with your online identity and to always put a link to your online profile with your contact information. Along with this, she suggested that if you have a common name, consider including your middle initial on your resume and online professional profiles to differentiate yourself from the competition. For example, decide if youre Mike Johnson, Michael Johnson, or Mike E. Johnson, she said. Then use this name consistently, be it on LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter, or Facebook. Structuring your resume in a visually appealing, easy-to-read format with differing font styles may not seem like a big deal, but its a commonly overlooked aspect of the job search. Think of it this way: during those six seconds of fame we spoke about earlier, do you want to be seen by your employer in a t-shirt and torn jeans or in a custom-tailored suit with a pair of eye-catching cufflinks?