Employment Spot

Resume Design

How your resume looks is just as important as what it says.

Most job seekers know that there are two basic types of resume – functional and chronological. After you have selected which type of resume will work best for your unique employment history and skill set, you should write out what you want the resume to say. Proofread your resume data carefully and have a friend or colleague look it over as well.

Finally, when putting your resume together, make it aesthetically pleasing. Many people focus exclusively on the content of their resumes, which is a mistake. The resume design will be the first thing a potential employer sees. For example, if a hiring manager is quickly searching through a pile of resumes and applicants, he or she is going to pick out a few that stand out. If your resume design is unappealing, it is less likely to be chosen, no matter what it says.

Here are some simple tips to improve your resume design:

• Less is More 
  Many people feel that the more words they use, the more professional or skilled they will look. This is not necessarily true. Often, less is more. After writing out all of your skills, try to remove up to a third of the content you wrote. Keep in mind that resumes should never be longer than one single-sided page. You may not be able to list everything. For the sake of the aesthetics of your resume , keep your content to one page.
• Leave Some White Space 
  When you type your resume up, leave some areas of blank space on the page. An overly crowded resume will overwhelm the senses of the person who looks at it. The ideal resume design incorporates blank spaces around key portions of your information, such as your name and contact information, so that the eye will be drawn to it. Use careful resume design and white spaces to draw a potential employer’s eye to specific information you want to highlight.
• Consider the Font 
  When you select a font for your resume , there are several things to remember. First, you want the font to reflect how professional you are. No excessively creative or messy-looking font should be used. Second, the font should be able to be reproduced on your cover letter and later versions of the resume . Use one of the common fonts, such as Times New Roman or Arial. Third, all of the font should be the same. A resume design that incorporates more than one type of font looks unorganized and confusing. Pick one font and use it for the entire document.
• Size Matters 
  When working with your resume to fit it onto one page you will likely have to adjust the font size. An appealing resume will allow for great variation in font sizes throughout the document. For example, your resume name should be much larger than the font used for the rest of your information. You may want to enlarge the font of your telephone number and email address as well. Try to avoid making the font of your employment history and other content too small. You don’t want your resume to end up in the trash because a potential employer became annoyed as he or she tried to read it.
• Pick a Paper 
  When printing your perfectly designed resume , select a paper that will best reflect your personality and professional goals. For example, if you find the traditional plain white to be boring, you can opt for a cream or ivory paper. Some job seekers also buy resume papers in pale blue or other neutral shades to try and attract attention. If you think this will work for you that is an option, though the traditional white or ivory may be a wiser choice.

Related articles:

• e-Applicants
Some employers now accept resumes by e-mail. When writing to an employer this way, make sure the accompanying message is a formal cover letter. Only send a resume written in a widely available word processing program to ensure the employer can open...
• Resume paper
Printing your resume on color paper will draw attention to it. Ivory and gray are good, professional choices. Fluorescent pink and electric blue resumes will make you stand out too, especially in the employer's recycle bin. Check out...
• Resume Paper
Though technology now permits resumes to be submitted quickly and easily online, the need for high quality resume paper is hardly lessened. People today need resume paper more than ever as they compete for jobs both online and via traditional...