What does it take to make an articulate, well-written resume jump off the page and grab the attention it deserves? These resume design tips will help you impress hiring managers by presenting an organized, easy-to-read and professional document. A few easy elements like the ones below can lend power and impact to your message by drawing a reader’s eyes to the most important content.
Outline Subheadings First
You’ll save yourself trouble and time if you can type in your subheadings first and create an overall mental picture of what you’d like your finished document to look like. Do this before you start filling in the details of your education, work history, and so forth. It may help to review several different sample resumes so you get a feel for the basic style and layout that works for you.
Think About Your Brand
If you had to choose a signature color that sums up your overall brand message, what would it be? Fiery, passionate red? Cool, intellectual blue? Sunny yellow? Creative green?
Think of the color that best sums up the persona you’re trying to sell. Then think about the type of layout, structure and fonts that contribute to this message. You can look up templates to see which ones are best suited to your resume design ideas. Try to keep the message consistent throughout your entire document.
Don’t Overdo It
No matter how you choose to present yourself, the cluttered, urgent, desperate look never does very well on the professional job market. Keep your font mid-sized and your line spacing consistent and calm. Never cram your text together in order to pack in more words. Instead, find a way to calm down, open up the blank space on the page, and summarize.
Put the Best Stuff at the Top and Left
Most readers skim documents from the top down and from left to right. And most readers, even without realizing it, begin to lose both interest and retention about halfway across and halfway down the page.
Be sure to format your sections so that the summary and the most important details of your work history are aligned toward the top and to the left.
Using these resume design tips will give hiring managers a better opportunity to spot your best and most important qualities when they’re perusing the page. If you can create a professional, stylish document that makes your experience clear and easy to read, you’ll have a better chance at getting an interview and landing your ideal job.
