20 Tips for Writing A Remarkable Resume in Today’s Creative WorldPosted by Life Coach on Oct 22, 2011 in Best of | Comments Off
The title of this post suggests today’s world is somewhat different from yesterday’s world, and that it is more creative. Before we explore this notion, lets look at the definition of the word creativity. Most dictionaries or academic researchers of creativity will agree creativity is the process of generating ideas, that are both (a) novel (new) and (b) useful for (c) solving problems.
To be remarkable (i.e. worth making a remark about) your resume should be somewhat different from everyone else. If you aspire to be remarkable, you have to be different (i.e. novel) and your resume must be useful (for the person reading it) and solve a problem (i.e. you getting that amazing job). While most people think about art when it comes to being creative, this post will follow the traditional definition of creativity (novel, useful, solving a problem) to make you shine brighter and your resume a star.
If on the other hand, you don’t think today’s world is any different than yesterday’s world and that your resume should follow traditional (may I say old-school?) resume-writing-advices you once got from an HR director or a career counselor, watch the following video:
Daniel Pink, the author of A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future:
Before we start with the actual tips, let me suggest a possibility, that every piece of advice you ever got about how to write a resume (or about anything else really) could be 100% true and 100% false at the same time. What I mean is, for the person who came up with that advice, it might have been great advice. For you, on the other hand, the advice might be a really bad advice. Why you ask? (1) They may be different people than you are, (2) working in a different environment or industry, (3) they may be more concerned with practicality (like how your resume will be scanned) vs. likability or remarkability.
Watch Seth Goodin, the Author of Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable:
(this is a short excerpt from his 20 minutes TED presentation)
Tip #1 – Don’t Listen To Every Advice You Get (including this one):
As a rule of thumb, when someone gives me advice, I always ask – why? (as in, “why is that a good advice?”). If their explanation makes sense to me – sure, I’ll follow their advice. But many times, the original reasons for that advice may not apply to me or may be irrelevant, outdated or serve someone else’s benefit rather than mine.
Be a critical thinker. Always ask why. If the explanation doesn’t make sense to you, don’t follow that advice.
Tip #2 – Rethink The Purpose of a Resume:
Most people think the purpose of a resume is to get you a job. Wrong; the purpose of a resume is to get you an interview. Similarly, most people think the purpose of an interview is to get you the job. Wrong again.
The purpose of an interview is to connect with a human being (i.e. the interviewer) on a personal level and leave a remarkable impression on them.
Personal connection and remarkable impression will get you the job, not the resume or the interview.
Tip #3 – Brand YOU:
Read Seth Godin’s little blurb about superpowers and tell me what’s your superpower?
Come up with that one amazing idea that will make you unforgettable. It’s hard not to hire someone you can’t get off your mind.
The first thing on your resume should be your name – (dash) your brand. BIG. BOLD. Job titles can be sort of a branding statement (e.g. John Doe – Copywriter) but a smarter branding statement would be to actually brand the essence of who you are (in regards to what they need from you, of course). Think values and skills rather than job titles.
Art Director is a title – Visual Thinker is a skill. Account Planner is a title – Cultural Curious or Cultural Maven is a value.
People are more likely to hire you for your skills and values, rather than for your title.
Plus, you’re communicating that you are creative, unique, and passionate about these values/skills.
Instead of trying to convey you’re good at everything, emphasize a few areas where you’ve accomplished the most
Additional Resources:
FastCompany: The Brand Called You
FastCompany: Brand You – Survival Kit
BusinessWeek: Creating Brand You
Tip #4 – Leave Something For The Second Date:
Most people believe they should write as much information about themselves as possible in a resume. They don’t want to omit anything, thinking ‘more is better’. If you agree with tip #2, that the purpose of a resume is to get you an interview rather than a job, then you might want to think of a resume as a first-date.
We’ve all been there – a horrifying first date, where the other side just won’t stop talking about themselves; and the more they talk, the more you don’t want to see them again. On the other hand, we’ve all experienced an amazing first date, which left us wanting to know more about the other person.
Similarly, if the purpose of a resume is to get you a second date (an interview) rather than marriage (long-term career), you want to leave the other side curious and wanting to know more about you.
In addition, the more information you have on your resume, the more likely you are to decrease the value of brand YOU (by saying something they don’t want to hear, something they don’t care about, in a way they don’t like, etc). If you include very little information about yourself, on the other hand, they might not get the essence of brand YOU, which isn’t a good thing either. The solution:
Your resume should have the least amount of information that will make you a star.
The same goes for a Portfolio, by the way. If I see three amazing campaigns in your portfolio, I’ll think you’re a star. But if I see three amazing campaign, plus two just-ok ones and one bad one, I’d think you’re just ok.
Tip #5 – Dump The Objective:
Don’t tell me what your objectives or aspirations are, tell me who you are. I often see people (especially students) add an ‘objective’ paragraph to their resume (e.g. ‘OBJECTIVE: to find a job as a Jr. Art Director’). Some take it to the next level and use the word ‘aspiring’ (e.g. ‘John Doe – Aspiring Art Director’).
I don’t want to hire someone who’s objective or aspiration is to become something they are not yet.
I want to hire someone who has the confidence to see themselves as their brand, even if they don’t have 20 years of experience in that profession. When I’ll read your resume, I’m likely to see that you don’t have the 20 years experience, but I’ll also perceive you as a passionate person who knows where you’re going. I’ll know you are determined and focused and that’s the kind of person I want to hire.
The metaphor I like to use comes from the world of personal relationships. It’s Friday night, you go out and meet an interesting guy/gal. What would you think of them, if they came to you and said: ‘yeah, um, I think I’m ok in relationships’ or ‘well… I kinda’ wanna be great in relationships’… rather than them presenting themselves as someone who’s great in ‘relating’ to other people? You might not know them yet, you’re definitely not in a relationship with them yet, but you’re more likely to go out with them if you’d get the sense their most important value/skill is their ability to ‘relate’ to people.
Tip #6 – Aim To The Right Target:
HR people might tell you ‘objectives’ are important on a resume but that’s only because their job is to file your resume in the right box or put it on the right desk. What if you find a way for your resume to reach the right desk without HR?
HR is not your target audience; avoid them as much as possible. If you want to be an art director or a copywriter, the creative director or the creative recruiter are your target audience. If you want to be an account planner, the group account planner is your target audience.
Find out who’s making the final hiring decision, not who’s in charge of filtering, and target your resume to them.
With that said, the cover letter is a great place to clarify what position you’re applying for. If your resume starts with the headline “John Doe – Cultural Geek,” make sure your cover letter clearly states that you’re interested in that Jr. Account Planning position.
Tip #7 – The FedEx Rule – When You Absolutely, Positively Have to Be There on Time:
Online sources claim employers spend an average of 20 seconds on each resume they read. I don’t know if this is based on an actual study, but from my experience, if you get more than 30 seconds, consider yourself lucky. I’m pretty sure they spend more time reviewing your resume in details before you come to the interview, but during the filtering process, 10-30 seconds sounds about right to me.
I would go further and say most people don’t even ‘read’ your resume. ‘Skimming through’ would be more like it. Now, what do you do when you skim through a textbook? You read the headlines, the bullet points, right? Well, what if your resume had only headlines and bullet points? Boom boom boom, straight to the point, easy to read, creative, quick, etc.
If you make your resume skimmable, it doesn’t have to be readable.
Make it easy for them to get all the information by skimming through your resume. One-liners are best. Think twitter – every new bit of information is 140 character or less.
Tip #8 – Tell Me First or Last – I’ll Remember it Better:
Teachers, professional presenters or speech writers, will all tell you people remember best what you present to them first and then what you present to them last; They least remember everything in the middle. That’s why they call it ‘first impression’ or ‘last impression’ but not ‘middle impression’.
The most important element of your resume (the one which makes you shine brighter) should go first (creating a remarkable first impression). The second most important element should go last (leaving the reader impressed, curious and wanting to know more). Everything else should go anywhere in between.
People are more likely to remember the first thing and the last things they hear/read about you.
Tip #9 – Structure:
If you want to have the least amount of information that will make you shine brighter, the structure of your resume should be super simple and skimmable. I’d recommend having only four main categories: Education, Experience, Skills, and Life.
If your ‘education’ section is more impressive than your ‘experience’ section, put it first, and vice versa. In the creative sector (any job focused on generating new ideas), awards are sometimes more important than education. If you won impressive awards, honors or other forms of recognition, which are directly related to the position you’re applying for, I’d add an ‘Awards’ section before education or experience. If the awards are not directly related to the position, but are worth mentioning, I’d put them under the ‘Life’ section.
If you agree with the previous tip, that first and last impressions are more important than anything in the middle, a good structure to follow is:
What – What did you do? (job title, position, etc)
Where & When – Where & when did you do it? (name of the company or institution and time frame)
Why (in bullet points) – Why should I care? That is to say, what did you do for them, that you can do for me?
Tip #10 – Visualizing The Structure:
If you agree that a simple and quick structure will help your resume be more skimmable, there’s an easy way to do it visually.
English is read from top-left to bottom-right. Structuring your information in stairs-like shape will help the reader find the information they need, while still being able to skim through it.
A good visual structure for every section of your resume will look like this:
* Note: the actual lines on the left example are to show you the indentation; I wouldn’t actually have them in my resume.
Tip #11 – Education:
Following the previous tip, a good structure for your education section might look like this:
BA in Marketing
California State University, Fullerton, May 2014
- GPA 3.9
- President of the Marketing Association
- Captain of the football team
My assumption is that if you’re applying for a position in marketing, the fact that you have a BA in marketing is more important than where you got it from or when. The first line in the example above is the ‘what’, the second is the ‘where & when’ and the 3 bullet points are the ‘why’.
- GPA below 3.5 doesn’t make you a star; don’t put it on your resume. Instead, if your ‘GPA in Major’ is 3.5 or above, put that one.
- If you have (or getting) a BA/BS from a university, don’t list past associate degree or community college education (unless they make you shine brighter than your university education). Same goes for high school.
- Phrases like: “Expected Graduation Date” or “Graduated in” are redundant. If you write “May 2014″ and we’re in 2011, I’ll know you’re still a student. Vice versa, if you write “May 2009″, I’ll know you already graduated.
- Similarly, spelling out “Bachelor of Arts” is a long way of saying BA.
- Instead of listing ‘relevant coursework’ under education, list the skills you gained from these courses under the ‘Skills’ sections.
I’m not interested in knowing you took a typography class; I want to know you master typography.
Tip #12 – Experience:
Don’t tell me only your previous job titles. I can’t learn much about you or your skills from your job titles. Identify and quantify your past accomplishments instead of listing a general job descriptions. In other words:
Tell me what you did for them, that you can do for me. Be specific and quantify as much as you can.
For example, instead of writing:
Cashier and Shift Manager
Starbucks, Los Angeles, 2001-2006
- Was in charge of the cash-register
- Opened and closed the store daily
- Served customers
Write:
Cashier and Shift Manager
Starbucks, Los Angeles, 2001-2006
- Managed a weekly budget of $25,000
- Opened the store on time and always stayed until the last happy customer left
- Served 0ver 50 happy customers daily without a single complaint for 5 years
See the difference? The second example communicates so much more about you than the first one. It tells me you are trustworthy, have a positive attitude, approachable, likable, etc. Most people will write attributes like these under their ‘Skills’ section without even giving examples. By writing them under the ‘Why’ section of each experience, instead of under the ‘Skills’ section, you are demonstrating your skills rather than just saying you have them.
Leave me curious and wanting to know more about those skills and how you achieved them.
- Life experiences are great, even if you didn’t get paid for them. That’s why I suggested the title ‘Experience’ for this category, and not ‘Work Experience’. If you volunteered for a summer camp, for example, you might be great at multi-tasking, solving problems, dealing with demanding customers (kids in this example, but still customers). All of these are great skills I would love to know about.
- For each experience listed, add one, two, or maximum three things you did for them, that you can do for me (the Why). Bullet point style, one line for each. If you list three, put the most impressive first, the second most impressive last, and the least impressive in the middle.
Tip #13 – Use Light Humor to Engage Your Reader:
There’s an old-school belief, that a resume must be serious at all times; I’d like to challenge that belief.
Have you seen Roberto Benigni’s movie
? If you haven’t – rent it, it’s a masterpiece. In any case, the movie was the first ever to present the Holocaust and the Nazi regime in a light and funny way. It wasn’t trying to joke about the Holocaust or to diminish its serious and horrific results. It was attempting to portray the history of events in more humanistic eyes.
Not only was the movie not criticized for using humor, it won a gazillion awards and I personally haven’t met anyone who saw it and didn’t like it.
Here’s another example: Washington Mutual was among the first banks ever (if not the first) to use humor in their ads:
Before WaMu, advertisers thought banking is a serious business and no one would like a bank to joke around when it comes to financial services. Again, wrong assumption. After the success of WaMu’s campaign, many banks followed with their own humorous campaigns.
These two examples are a testimony that as human beings, we connect better when humor is used. And if you subscribe to tip #2, that the purpose of a resume is not necessarily to present information, but rather to get people to like you enough to invite you for a second date, humor can definitely make you remarkable.
Back to the resume – instead of just having a ‘What’:
Server, Amy’s Ice Cream
Add a humorous ‘Why’:
- Made 50 people smile daily @ Amy’s Ice Cream
Instead of just having a ‘What’:
Sales Manager, McDonald’s
Add a humorous ‘Why’:
- Made the big bosses 20% richer @ McDonald’s
These can lead to great conversations during your interview and will present you in a positive way, while communicating the ‘what you did for them that you can do for me’.
You don’t want to come out as a joker, so keep the humor light and the language professional.
Tip #14 – Your Skills:
In general, skills can be divided into three groups:
- Skills related to knowledge or intellect, like knowledge of a language, computer software, etc.
- Skills related to ability or intelligence (that is, putting knowledge into use), like design, negotiation, editing, etc, and
- Skills related to personality traits, like analytical skills, listening skills, etc.
Whichever category it is, you want to make sure:
All skills listed on your resume should be useful and relevant to the position you’re applying for.
That means, if you’re applying for a number of positions, each version of your resume should only include the relevant skills. Why? Remember tip #4 – the least amount of information that makes you a star.
Skills
- Microsoft Office or Excel are not a skill; They are software anyone is expected to master these days. Personally, I’d be embarrassed to list them unless I’m applying for a secretarial position.
- More advanced software (if relevant to the position you’re applying for) should be listed, but again, they are not a skill. You mastering them is a skill.
- I only want to know about the skills that make you a star. If you feel you know Photoshop well enough to talk about it during an interview, tell me you master it. Telling me you’re a beginner doesn’t make you a star.
- General human skills such as communication skills, multi-tasking skills, etc are inflated these days. Too many people add these to their resume, making you just like everyone else if you do too.
Instead of just telling me you have a certain skill, give me an example of an achievement celebrating that skill.
For example: instead of writing:
- Great Communication Skills
Write:
- Communication – As the membership director of the students association, I’ve presented to 100+ participants weekly.
That tells me so much more about your capabilities, and more important, it tells me what you did for them that you can do for me.
Tip #15 – Life:
This is the one section of your resume where you don’t want to use bullet-pointed-one-liners. Located at the bottom of the page, this section is your opportunity to leave a remarkable last impression. Remember what we said at the beginning of this guide? Personal connection and remarkable impression will get you the job, not the interview. This section should be one or two paragraphs, in the format of story-telling. People connect with good stories and this is your chance to show you’re a human being and not just another paper resume.
You can talk about your hobbies, countries you’ve visited, languages you speak (although if relevant to the position, these can also go under skills), anything really, but once again – be remarkable.
If you tell me you beat anyone you know in Guitar Hero, I might conclude from this you are passionate, goal oriented, enjoy challenges, etc. If you tell me you perform at poetry slam open mic gigs every third Tuesday of the month, I may conclude you are a great communicator, a story teller, can present in front of a large audience, risk taker, not afraid of failure, etc.
While this section ends your resume, it should provide a great conversation-starter for your interviewer. Remember: your goal is to make it easier for them to connect with you on a personal level.
Tip #16 – Dump The References:
Some people add a list of references at the end of their resume or write “References available upon request”. If you ask any HR director or a recruiting agent about the process of hiring they will tell you that only after a candidate is seriously being considered for a job, they call references. Calling references is the very last step in a long filtering process.
For that reason, if you’re asked to provide references, you most likely got the job. At this point, they will contact you and ask you to provide references.
Adding references to you resume is like brining your mom on a first date. Let’s get to know each other first before we meet the parents.
It’s redundant to list references early in the process and it adds a bunch of information that does not make you a star. With that said, keep a list of references on a nicely printed sheet of paper and bring it with you to the interview in case they ask for it.
Tip #17 – Copywriting and Art Direction:
You might want to say a lot of things about yourself on your resume (e.g. you’re creative, you’re trustworthy, you’re goal oriented, etc) and you should, but the most important aspect on your resume should be your brand.
Whether you’re a copywriter or not – copywrite every aspect of your resume. Choose every word carefully, edit, re-edit and re-edit again, and again, and then, again.
Ask a designer or an art director buddy to help you with the layout, visuals, typography, etc. Unless you’re a designer or an art director, no one is expecting you to master these, but in the business of communications, they do expect you to care for how your resume look.
Whether you’re an art director or not – art direct your resume. Art direction doesn’t mean adding art; it means designing a beautiful and attractive resume.
Much like any other brand, your resume can either increase or decrease the value of brand YOU with every word, comma, line or color you add. Before you add any visual element, you should ask yourself: why should it be there? Is there a reason? Does it make a remarkable point? Does it make me remarkable? Am I/can I/should I communicate some of my skills/values visually rather than using words?
- Learn the basics of Typography, know the difference between Serif and Sans Serif.
- Use Georgia instead of Times New Roman – it’s designed to look better on screen and it’s available on most computers.
- Join the ‘Ban Comic Sans Movement‘ - don’t use it!
- Don’t use font-size 12; most printed materials (books, newspapers) use font-size 9-11 (depending on the font).
- Instead, adjust the leading (line spacing) to 120% if the font size.
- Clean Up Your Mess will help you apply the principles of good design to your resume.
Tip #18 – Inspire Action by Telling me your Why:
Watch Simon Sinek’s TED on How Great Leaders Inspire Action and tell me what’s your personal ‘WHY?’
Tell me something about how you see the world, about who you are as a human being, not just as an employee. 99% of resumes don’t tell much about the person’s attitude, quickness, humor, curiosity, personal manner, what makes them tick, and a few dozen other really important traits. Most people assume these will be revealed at the interview but the truth is I am more likely to call you for an interview if I perceive you as the human being I’d like to connect with.
Tip #19 – Get Your Own professionally-looking Email Address:
Listing a Yahoo, Hotmail or Gmail address on your resume doesn’t make you shine brighter. Get your own domain name with a professional email address. 1and1 always have great deals for $1-$5 per domain name. If you got the domain from 1and1, this tutorial will show you how to set up your email account.
Tip #20 – Don’t believe everything I just told you without asking why and agreeing with it:
Learn from others. Shop around for options. If three people tell you it’s a horse, try to ride it, but if you get contradicting advise, own your opinion. Read and Use:
Really Ugly Resumes:
http://www.slideshare.net/jessedee/really-ugly-resumesThe Seven Deadly Sins of Resume Design:
http://www.lifeclever.com/the-7-deadly-sins-of-resume-design/Top 10 Ways to Rock Your Resume
http://lifehacker.com/5777317/top-10-ways-to-rock-your-resumeThe Periodic Table of Typefaces
http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Periodic-Table-of-Typefaces/193759Give Your Resume a Face-Lift
http://www.lifeclever.com/give-your-resume-a-face-lift/If your resume goes online, read – Ten Principles for Readable Web Typography:
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/03/18/10-principles-for-readable-web-typography/Ten Things that Define a Killer Resume:
http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/11/17/10-things-that-define-a-killer-resume/Ten Resume Do’s
http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/11/18/10-ways-to-build-a-resume-like-a-professional-resume-writer-the-dos/Ten Resume Sins:
http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/11/20/10-deadly-sins-of-resume-writing/Six Words That Make Your Resume Suck:
http://www.squawkfox.com/2009/01/19/6-words-that-make-your-resume-suck/Six Word That Make Your Resume Rock:
http://www.squawkfox.com/2009/03/08/6-action-words-that-make-your-resume-rock/How To Create A Great Web Design CV and Resume
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/04/01/10-handy-tips-for-web-design-cvs-and-resumes10 Ways Your Resume Irks Hiring Managers
http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2008/12/24/10-ways-your-resume-irks-hiring-managers/Top 5 mistakes on executive resumes
http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2011/06/03/top-5-mistakes-on-executive-resumes/?section=money_topstoriesThe 12 Most Relevant Online Resources for Job Seekers
http://12most.com/2011/09/14/12most-online-resources-job-seekers/
Randy had a strong record of achievement that was well documented. By reviewing his monthly sales numbers and productivity awards we were able to put together a resume that proved he was a top performer in his field. Sales professionals in general, can build powerful resumes by showing how well they perform based on the expectations the company sets for them and how well they perform compared to their peers.
Typical metrics to include would be revenue, profit, number of accounts/clients, account retention, and account penetration. In addition, many companies provide incentives for their sales teams through formal recognition and awards programs so be sure to include any special awards you have earned over your tenure as a sales professional.
RANDY J. MARKS
1200 Brush Street
Home: 313-517-4222
Detroit, MI 48226
Cell: 313-793-3782
Commercial and Residential Management and Sales Associate with six years of experience selling and managing properties in Detroit. Proven ability to outperform sales goals and recommend marketing strategies that significantly improve price listings and move product quickly. Recognized by senior management as top management candidate; success recruiting, mentoring, and training sales teams.
Sales & Marketing ▪ Budgeting & Allocation ▪ Project Management ▪ Asset Management ▪ Recruiting &Training ▪ Property Management ▪ Capital Improvements ▪ Lease Negotiations ▪ Tenant Relations
XYZ REALTORS, Detroit, MI
01/06 to Present
Management and Sales Associate for one of the largest privately held residential and commercial real estate companies in the country with 500 company-owned and franchised sales offices in key markets throughout the U.S. Selected for exclusive management training program; assistant manager in 50-person office.
Sales
· Generated leads for and closed close to $12M in sales in 2009.
· Selected for company's Sales Top Gun Club for two consecutive years.
· Achieved 2008 Executive Club status for exceptional sales record.
· Won 2nd place out of 60 associates for 2007 Leadership Series.
· Recipient, XYZ Award for Top-Notch Service, 2006
Business Development
· Launched marketing program for all Detroit Plaza offices resulting in jump in luxury condo property listings in just three months.
· Attained price improvements on 80% of listings that had been on the market for more than one month by facilitating extensive training for associates on methods to reposition properties.
· Grew office from 8 to 50 associates; serve as lead mentor and oversee associate certification training.
ABC ASSET MANAGEMENT CORP., LLC, Detroit, MI
02/00 to 12/05
Leasing Representative and Asset Property Manager for this privately held real estate investment firm specializing in repositioning underperforming properties to achieve financial and physical well-being. Facilitated and negotiated leases, amendments and extensions, researched and resolved tenant disputes.
· Managed real estate portfolio of 80 buildings and oversaw commercial leasing of 40 buildings.
· Project-managed asset and property management of 150,000 square foot shopping center.
· Oversaw third party vendors and on-site personnel for capital improvements projects.
· Researched and analyzed competitive market information for acquisitions team.
EDUCATION, CERTIFICATIONS & PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Certified Michigan Real Estate Salesperson
Bachelor of Science, Economics, University of Michigan, , Ann Arbor, MI
Member, National Association of Realtors
2000
1999
Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, Win2Data, CoStar, Yardi, Argus, Lexis Nexis
Barbara Safani, owner of Career Solvers, has over fifteen years of experience in career management, recruiting, executive coaching, and organizational development.
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So you’ve labored with sweat and tears writing your résumé, and now you’re all set to turn it into a magnificently designed creation. Unfortunately, with the freedom of modern computers and fancy software, comes huge opportunities for abuse. When it comes to résumés, both non-designers and professional designers commit some almost unforgivable sins. Here are the 7 deadly sins of résumé design and how to repent:
- Fancy “résumé” paper
- Times New Roman
- Teeny tiny font size
- Grey text
- Excessive decoration
- Weird paper size
- Horizontal format
1. Fancy “résumé” paper
Take a tour of any office supply store and you’ll see shelves of extravagant “résumé” papers featuring special “linen” and “parchment” finishes. Avoid these like dog poop on a New York summer sidewalk. They’re too expensive and don’t make you look extra special.
To repent: Save your money and get paper with a plain smooth finish. It can be slightly heavier than regular copy paper, but not stiff as a board. An ever so slight hint of cream is fine. It’ll make your resume easier on the eyes than the super-ultra-pure-snow-driven white paper many designers are fond of. I prefer Neenah Classic Crest in Natural White with a Super Smooth finish. Never ever use pink paper with strawberry scent.
2. Times New Roman
The default typeface in Microsoft Word is Times New Roman, and thus it’s the default for most résumés. It’s a tragedy, because Times’s letterspacing and wordspacing is wretched in Word. The result is an unharmonious mess.
To repent: Choose a different typeface. I won’t go into explaining x-heights or the difference between Humanist Sans and Geometric Sans. If you’ve got money to spare, pick any of the typefaces in FontShop’s professional collection, and you’ll be a step above Times New Roman. If you’re cheap, use Matthew Carter’s Georgia. It’s free and already installed on your computer. If you send your résumé electronically as a PDF, it also looks quite good on-screen. If you need more guidance, check out Before & After’s tutorial on picking typefaces.
3. Teeny tiny font size
Designers fresh out of school love teeny tiny type. The belief is that it looks elegant, refined, and allows for more white space on the résumé. It’s a shame. For all that elegance, no one can read it, because most people in hiring positions won’t have fresh baby eyes with 20/20 vision.
To repent: Set your résumé no smaller than 9 points for sans-serifed type and 10 points for serifed type. Anything smaller, and your résumé is at risk of being shredded.
4. Grey text
Designers also love grey type. On an inkjet printer, grey text looks better because it reduces the appearance of noise. If you go too light, though, it becomes illegible and unfaxable. But wait, should you really be using inkjet to print your résumé?
To repent: Use a laser printer and print in 100% black for ultimate clarity. If you do go grey, don’t go lighter than 75% black.
5. Excessive decoration
You may be tempted to add decoration like floral borders, rainbow colors, and hearts. Perhaps, you want to use an illustration of a swan, tiger or unicorn to represent you. This is great if you want to look like a box of crayons melted on your résumé. Otherwise, don’t try to be cute.
To repent: Add some character by setting your name slightly larger, or in a different weight as the same typeface as the rest of your résumé. Use color, but very sparingly, if at all. No more than one color in addition to black.
6. Weird paper size
If you live in the United States, the standard paper size is 8.5 x 11in. In Europe, it’s 210 x 297mm. Anything else will fit awkwardly in a binder or file. When it doesn’t fit, it gets thrown out.
To repent: Keep to the standard paper size of your geographic location. It’s easier to print and package.
7. Horizontal format
In an attempt to stand out, some designers format their résumés in a landscape format. This is more annoying than innovative.
To repent: Keep to a portrait format. The first person who sees your résumé is usually a Human Resources person who sees hundreds of resumes daily. Too much variation from the norm makes it harder for them to make a quick assessment of you. If you want to stand out, write a good cover letter instead.
So what does a good looking résumé look like? Check out my follow-up post, Give your résumé a face lift.
CareerBuilder.com
For most job seekers, there are basic rules to follow when writing a resume: Focus on accomplishments, incorporate important keywords, print on professional paper and use black ink. But for those applying for jobs in more creative fields, is it necessary to break from tradition and design a creative and provocative resume to get an employer's attention?
In most cases, the answer is no. In fact, even designers, art directors, web developers and other creative professionals need to have resumes that present information clearly, concisely, and in a manner that is easy to read. Corey Schaaf, a graphics and Web designer based in St. Louis, says that the content of a person's resume is more important than the resume's look and feel. "When I'm hiring someone, their resume doesn't exactly have to have a design quality to it," he says. "What I look for is experience and technical knowledge of software applications."
So how do you best showcase your creative talent? Here are five tips to follow:
1. Consider the environment.
Susan Kuehnhold, a graphic designer based in Indianapolis, says that one of the most important things to think about is the environment of the company to which you are applying. She points out that many designers end up working and gaining most of their experience not in creative agencies, but rather in corporations as in-house designers. Kuehnhold says that for most positions and companies, a professional, well-laid-out resume is the most appropriate course to take. If, however, you are applying for a position in an extremely cutting-edge environment or an agency that gets thousands of resumes, a more creative approach can help. Create a clever teaser ad, inviting packaging or an attractive format that demonstrates your creativity or eye for design and draws your prospective employer into your resume.
2. Don't ignore the style of your resume.
Professionals in creative fields should give some thought to the design of their resumes, According to AIGA, the professional association for communication design. Your choice of typefaces, layout, paper stock and other factors contribute to the employer's overall perception of you, and exhibits what you can do with one piece of paper. But, the AIGA warns, don't go overboard. In the end, a resume needs to be readable. Schaaf agrees, and says that when he sifts through resumes, he does not want to see design work at this point, because he is first looking for technical capabilities. Once he finds candidates who offer the right technical abilities, he reviews their creative skills.
3. Consider sending a portfolio "teaser."
Kuehnhold says it is a good idea to send something with your resume that demonstrates your abilities. For example, you can send a CD, a link to a personal portfolio Web site or a few hard copies of your work. Do not expect to get these pieces back, and don't overwhelm the company with examples. Your real opportunity to wow them will come when you show up with your full portfolio.
4. Remember that a resume just gets you in the door.
For those applying for creative positions, the portfolio is a vital job searching tool. According to the AIGA, a portfolio is "portable proof of your design education and a document of your work." It should be professional, have a thoughtful and creative layout, and speak to who you are as a designer. Pieces within the portfolio should be removable and the work should be labeled with descriptions in case you are asked to leave it behind for review and do not have the chance to narrate. Some hiring managers, however, will want you to walk them through your portfolio. "I usually only like looking at portfolio work during the interview because there are so many questions I usually have," Schaaf says.
5. Professionalism counts no matter what the field.
If you want to get noticed by a big advertising firm and are designing an eye-catching, out-of-the-ordinary resume, you still need to follow the same standard rules of professionalism. Typos and grammatical errors are deal breakers, no matter what the field. Follow-up calls and thank-you letters are necessities, not just nice things to do. And, regardless of your creativity, you will get nowhere if you do not do your homework. Know the companies you are approaching, and you will have a better chance of letting your creativity shine.
Copyright 2005 CareerBuilder.com. All rights reserved. The information contained in this article may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without prior written authority.
Having graduated recently, you know that you don’t have any work experience that can grab the employer’s attention. What can you do to get their attention? What are the specialized skills and qualities that can get you noticed? Can you convert your academic experience to look like your job related work to convince the employer about your potential for working in the position? Look for answers to all these questions before you draft a perfect entry level resume.
Being an entry level applicant, you must focus on your key skills. It is the only section in your CV that can get you noticed. Your application is your first impression on the prospective employer and you can’t let it go waste. When writing an entry level resume for a job, always do thorough research about the company and the work profile associated with the position. With proper research you will know what qualities the employer will be searching in you when he goes through your resume.
How to Make Your Entry Level Resume Strong
Let’s discuss some basic tips for writing an entry level resume. These tips will be helpful to you while applying for a position.
1. Right Length:
A short and apt application will always get more number of employers. Don’t include anything that is irrelevant to the applied job profile. Ideally, a resume should be of single page length, but, if it is not possible to include all the job-related information in this small space, two pages is the maximum.
2. Mention Key Skills:
You don’t possess any professional work experience. Hence, you must focus on listing your key skills in your CV. The skills presented should be relevant to the position. You can use bulleted points to list your key skills to make this section more readable and easy to understand. If you are using the functional format, then you can provide the short description of each of your job skill. Tell the employer where you learned the particular skill and how it helped you in the past or how it will help you in your prospective work in the future.
3. Customize Your Application:
You know that employers are constantly looking for the job relevant skills in the candidates when they review each application. They may be looking for any particular skill necessary for working in the position. You can refer the job advertisement to know the skills that are expected by the employer. Include this information in your application to get employer’s attention.
4. Choose the Format:
Do you know that there are various formats for writing a resume? You cannot just take a pen and paper and start jotting down your details. Depending on the position you are applying for, you need to choose an appropriate format. Some formats are best for experienced candidates while some are good for entry level applicants.
Entry level applicants find functional or skills-based format best. With no work experience, this format will be focusing on your key skills and accomplishments. This section is listed immediately after the career summary section.
5. Avoid Common Errors:
You must check your application at least thrice for grammar and typographic errors before sending it to the employer. Such mistakes will create a bad impression on the employer. You can also get your application checked from any of your friend or relative.
6. Open with a Strong Objective Statement:
Objective statement is an opening 2-3 line paragraph providing information about applicant’s specialized skills, key accomplishments, etc. Employer will be interested to know your future aspirations and what you would offer the company while achieving your career goals. Make it impressive to hold the interest of the employer in reading your details further.
7. Avoid Unclear and Vague Information:
If you list vague or false information in your CV, it will make a negative impact on the employer. They may even bar your application from the recruitment process.
All these tips will surely add weight to your application. Focus on listing your major job specific skills for making better impact on the prospective employer.
Sample Template for Entry Level Job
Contact Information:
- Name
- Address
- Contact Number
- E-Mail ID
Career Objective:
[Your career goal here. Add your major accomplishments, key skills and related experience]
Career Summary:
[Provide brief introduction of your professional background. You can list the details in bulleted points]
Key Skills:
[Existing skills relevant to the job can be listed in this part. List the details in bulleted points for better appearance]
Educational Qualifications:
[List all the degrees in this section]
- Highest Degree, Year of passing
College/ University, Address
College/ University, Address
Academic Experiences:
[Your experiences during college work can be listed here. If you have volunteered for any event, you can list this here. If you have undergone internship in any industry, you can add that here]
Project Details:
[Provide the details of the project you undertook during your final year. Provide brief introduction about the project]
- Project Name
- Platform
- Description
- Associated Hardware
- Type of database
Accomplishments:
[All your academic achievements can be listed in this part. If there are less than three accomplishments, you can include this section along with the certifications section, else, list it separately]
Personal Profile:
[Personal details will include complete profile of the candidate]
- Full Name
- Permanent Address
- Date of Birth
- Nationality
- Gender
- Marital Status
- Official E-Mail ID
References:
- Name of reference
- Job Title
- Company Name
- Contact Number
- Official Mail ID
–
The above template shows the chronological format for an entry level resume. If you are using the functional format, you will have to discuss each job skill in detail and provide example on how you utilized these skills in working efficiently in past. Choose the format that will suit your details and highlight you in the best possible way.
A resume can not only get you a desired job but, if poorly written, can also take an opportunity away from you. It is up to you to decide how you utilize it. The main purpose of any CV is to get you the interview call. During the interview you can convince the employer to hire you, but it is initially important to get there. A perfectly written CV will make the way a lot easier for you.
Got more entry level resume tips? Share them in the comments.
Photo by SOCIALisBETTER.
Popular search terms for this article:
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Posted in Print Templates
Awesome CV / resume PSD template released today for free download! The best way to get hired right away is to stand out with style. And that’s exactly what you’re about to download – clean, simple and modern CV/ resume template. You will surely make a good first impression to your future employers, just download the CV template and edit it with Adobe Photoshop. We’ve designed various column styles and paragpraphs for your biography, employment history, skills, contacts and any other info that could be important. Don’t worry, with our resume PSD template you’re one step ahead of the competition, just download the PSD file and replace the text. We made it easy for you to edit the CV template – all layers are grouped and named properly, so you just need a few minutes to graze it. Available in 300dpi, CMYK color model, ready to get printed.
Preview
Fully Layered CV Resume Free PSD Template
Regulation : 300 dpi
Print Ready : Yes
Size: A4: 8,267 x 11,693 inches
File Format: PSD
File Size: 1.17 MB
Fonts: Arial Regular, Arial Bold
Number of Items in Set: 1
Author: Free PSD FilesDownloads: 820
Tags: 300dpi, biography, clean, CMYK, curriculum vitae, CV Template, employment, job template, print design, print ready, print template, Print Templates, ready to print, resume template, simple
Related links
- Website Backgrounds - Web-Backgrounds
- PSD to HTML Email - MailBakery
- CSS Templates - ChocoTemplates
- PSD to HTML - htmlMafia
Have a creative resume is important, because it will speaks your capability and cretivity. And clean design it will give a professional, clean impression to employer.
In this showcase article we have collected 55 examples of creative resume with clean design style, I hope they will inspire you in designing your own creative resume that represent yourself.
Joshua Taylor CV
SuperMaryAnn Resume
Loubna Aggoun CV
Curriculum Vitae by Verine
Personal Resume Draft by Steven Duncan
Curriculum Vitae by AkiDesign
Curriculum Vitae by 802.11
Timeline Resume by Robert Berg
Work Resume by Yingzhy Luqiu
TLS Resume 2008
Resume by xiruxiru
Resume by zxcxvxc
Resume by brazilnut
Typographic Resume by mac1388
My Resume by darthkix
Resume by KevinPire
Resume by Kyuzengi
Resume by heydani
Resume by twolapdesigns
Resume by Akashrine
Resume Espanol by rogaziano
Resume by bdechantal
Curriculum Resume by toromuco
Resume W.I.P. by AchisutoShinzo
Resume by LordGabsta
My Resume by littlearashi
Resume by Giemax
Resume by Johnnywall
Curriculum Vitae by Uito2
My curriculum vitae by flaterie
Resume by Balazy
Latest CV by xchingx
Hello my name is C.V. by RichardTheRough
CV 2010 by waelthepro
My CV by ChellyTots
Portfolio 2010 Concept by ardcor
Resume by naveenmamgain
My Resume by montia
A Resume by duhkine
My Resume by L Hollis
KenjiBoy Resume by kenji2030
Resume by srtcynthia
CV 2009 by faratiana
Resume 2010 by DragonLadyCels
My Resume by JuDesIgnEr
Resume by starbeams
Resume by zakovska
Resume by Valmont-Design
Chevaughn Resume
My Resume by Pau Morgan
Resume the Creative Dork by pyrotensive
Newest Resume by pixelprop
Nice Resume by Exeivier
My Resume by eshriner
Resume Design by MegaBoneDesigns
Resume by s1206
Some benefit from resume is beside to find a job, it can also help you get freelance gigs and it offer a quick profile so potential clients can assess you. But how to make your resume stand out among thousands of other applicants?
In these articles below, you’ll learn how to, tips, tricks and rules in writing a creative resume.
Helpful Resume Writing Tips Articles
Get Creative with Your Resume
by Cameron Chapman
The key in creating a great resume is to make it unique. Your resume should reflect you: your skills, your personality, and your experience. Combining those in a way that will catch the eye of whoever is in charge of hiring is what this article will teach you!Give Your Resume a Creative Boost
by Charlotte
There are plenty of resume writing resources on the web, but I’d like to highlight a few important ones with this post. You will be surprised to see the significant improvements to your resume just by applying these easy fixes below.Give a Touch of Creativity to Your Resume
by Dzinepress
The main essence of your resume is in its content so you need to make sure that its main emphasis is on showing your skills, experience and also your personality.10 Tips for a CV That Gets You the Job
by Maria Nemenman
There are some things that will make you look good, and other things that will make you look bad. You should be aware of the positive and the negative so that you know both how to improve, and the traps that are out there. Here are our ten top tips:11 Skills Learned From Running a Small Business That Will Improve Your Resume
by James
It is essential to highlight all the skills you have acquired from running your own business. Here are a few of them that you might highlight.Tips For A Successful Resume That Will Help You Get The Job You Want
by Corina Ciripitca
There are certain things you might want to know before writing your CV, you know in order to write a good one. There are experts out there that share really good tips on how to be successful in this, so I did some research and found some info.How to Write a Killer Resume and Get an Awesome Job!
by Andy Crofford
In all seriousness, I have been very successful at creating resumes that get me the ever important interview and I would like to share with you some of what I learned.How to Make your Resume Standout
by AddToDesign
As I am sure you know, having an up to date carefully crafted resumé is an essential part of your career. Everybody in every profession must have one for themselves outlining the details of their experience, skills, and education. Here are a few tips on making your resumé stand out from the rest.6 Words That Make Your Resume Suck
by Fox
So how do you write a wicked resume without the suck? How do you turn the wrong words into right? To help you land the job interview, here’s how to spin the 6 sucky resume words into skills that sizzle.6 Action Words That Make Your Resume Rock
by Fox
It’s time to activate your resume with some action words. Action words, or verbs, ignite an otherwise dull resume by setting your skills on fire – giving your credentials authority and power.Thinking Outside of the Box
by SensationalJobs
When you are trying to stand out among thousands of applicants for a great job, you have to think beyond proper formatting for your résumé and spell check for your cover letter.
If you want to have any hopes of standing out, you have to think outside the box.10 Tips for Writing a Remarkable Resume
by Assaf Avni
Most people think the purpose of a resume is to get you a job. Wrong. The purpose of a resume is to get you an interview. Similarly, most people think the purpose of an interview is to get you the job. Wrong again.Give your résumé a face lift
by Chanpory Rith
Even if you can’t hire a fancy designer and are stuck with Microsoft Word, a few tweaks can turn your blasé résumé into an elegant and functional showpiece.How to write a Masterpiece of a Resume
by Rockport Institute
A 6 part guide article that make you write a masterpiece of resume.How To Make a Cool Facebook Resume in 5 Easy Steps
by Claudio Nader
The Do-It-Yourself Facebook Resume Kit in 5 easy steps. The best way to show off your resume on Facebook.5 Clean and Professional Resume Templates
3-Piece Swiss Style Resume set | $4
by ilopqda
Swiss Style Resume Set projects a modern and trendy look & feel with a minimalist approach. This set includes the following:
- Resume, Cover Letter & Resume (available in black & white, and blue)
- 2 different variants for the resume page (one includes work/play section & the other one awards section) – so you can have options to choose from
- 2 different sets of vector icons included
- US Letter Sized
- CS5 and CS4 InDesign file, CS3 InDesign INX file -IDM markup file (Open in All CS Version)
- Files grouped in different layers (easy to find, modify and customize the information included)
- PDF Previews included
- High resolution
- 300 DPI
- CMYK color mode
3-piece Elegant Resume set | $5
by jaeisix
This elegant 3 piece resume set only utilizes grid and typography, the foundations of design, for both readability and legibility.
Consists of -1 page resume, 1 page references, 1 page cover letter -US Letter sized -CS4 InDesign file -CS3 InDesign INX file -IDML markup file -Sample PDFSlick + Stylish Resume (InDesign CS3) | $5
by dvocreative
Slick + Stylish Resume (InDesign CS3 +)
- Fluid and fully implemented and easy to edit character, table and cell styles.
- Fonts: Myriad Pro
- 8.5×11 and A4 Included
Resume Pack – 3 Clean and Professional CV Layouts | $6
by bitpub
Features:
- Clean and professional cv / resume layout available in 3 alternative layouts
- A4 page size
- 300 dpi, CMYK
- paragraph styles included
- all shapes and colors are editable right in InDesign
Get Minimal – Resume 02 | $4
by silenceplease
It’s time to get minimal! Completely editable AI document, you can change colors, positions and typefaces.You can unlock the key of your success by 640-864 certification material and E20-361 exam guide and by using our latest 642-982 braindumps, study guide for 640-721 and 70-646 dumps prep resources.
To write a great CV (or a resume, as many refer to it), you don’t need to be William Shakespeare. In fact, writing your CV is far from a literary act. It should be clean and clear, with engaging language that presents you in a professional manner. There are some things that will make you look good, and other things that will make you look bad. You should be aware of the positive and the negative so that you know both how to improve, and the traps that are out there. Here are our ten top tips:
Things to Avoid:
1. Spelling Mistakes
A prospective employer won’t notice if you don’t make any spelling mistakes. But if you do make one it will stand out a mile. It gives an incredibly bad impression and tells the employer that you rush work and lack attention to detail. Don’t let a spelling mistake be your downfall!
2. Personal Pronoun
Despite being a document that says everything about your career, your CV should avoid being overly personal. At this point, an employer is much more interested in what you can do as opposed to who you are so it’s best to avoid the personal pronoun “I”.
Instead of this:
I consistently demonstrated my ability to meet targets
Use:
Consistently demonstrated ability to meet targets
This will give your CV a greater air of professionalism.
3. Being Generic
An employer can instantly tell the difference between a CV that has been sent out to hundreds of employers and one that has been tailored to a specific job. Tailoring your CV tells an employer that you are interested in their job, and that you will put that extra effort in to get what you want. A tailored CV will put you strides ahead of people who just send out blanket CVs. A blanket CV will tell that employer that they are just one job among many that you are applying for.
4. Getting the Guidelines Wrong
If the job advertisement asks for a two page functional CV then that’s what you should send. If they ask for a chronological CV with details of all of your past employment then you should send that. Pay close attention to the guidelines and make sure you follow them to the letter. Any mistake will tell that employer that you aren’t good at following instructions – not a good impression to make!
5. Lying
It is hugely important to be honest on your CV. You should definitely put yourself in a good and positive light, and make the best out of all of your achievements, however small. But you should never lie on your CV. If you do you could get found out and fired. This will not only cause you pain but could make it more difficult to get jobs in the future as that employer may refuse to give you a reference.
Ways to Beef Up a Resume:
6. Be Specific
Be very specific about your achievements and, where possible, quantify. If you have increased annual turnover by £10,000 then make that very clear. If you have increased staff productivity say that. Don’t be afraid to include figures. It will impress your prospective employer and give a clear, concrete example of the types of things that you are capable of.
7. Create an Image
Whereas you want to be avoid being overly personal, you should still see your CV as an opportunity to create your image. This will depend very much on the type of job that you are going for. If you are going for a design job then your CV will be the place where you can get creative. If you are going for a management job you will want your CV to look professional. Try and find out what the standard for your industry is and work around that. An academic, for example, will have to include lists of their publications, an actor a list of their productions. Make sure you find out what you should be doing, and then do it even better.
8. Prioritize
Put the things that are the most important at the top of any list.
Change:
Maintained records, filing and office supply purchasing for departmentWorked closely with the President to develop strategic direction
To:
Worked closely with the President to develop strategic directionMaintained records, filing and office supply purchasing for department
Remember that the person reading your CV may have read hundreds already and will be skimming through them to see what stands out. Make sure the most important information is the easiest to get to.
9. Have Direction
padding. Say where you plan to be and how you will get there. In your covering letter you can go into detail about how this particular job will help you to achieve your goals.
10. Use PAR Statements
PAR means Problem-Action-Results. To use a PAR statement first state the problem, then state the action that you took, and finish with the results. Here are some examples:
Took control of an inefficient and disorganized office, streamlining processes and introducing new management guidelines, to increase efficiency by 50%.
Or
Improved a catering company’s low sales figures by implementing an online sales system which increased annual turnover by $12,000.
Follow these tips to produce an excellent CV which will get you far on your way to getting hired!
Tips For A Successful Resume That Will Help You Get The Job You Want
What it takes for a person to have a full and happy life? Some would say love, others are looking for a quiet family life or even material stuff that would make them happy. Some people look for the perfect job and all they need in life is do the things they want and live for that.
So let’s say you are that kind of person, or in fact let’s say you are looking for a certain job. You found an ad that describes the perfect job, you have the skills and you are prepared – all you now need is a CV to send and if the employer likes you then you are in! The problem is that companies get thousands of CV’s, so if you want to make sure to get the job – your CV will have to stand out from the boring crowd. The resume is the first thing that the employer sees about you, so it has to be presentable and make a good first impression. There are certain things you might want to know before writing your CV, you know in order to write a good one. There are experts out there that share really good tips on how to be successful in this, so I did some research and found some info.
Make sure your resume includes your name and your contacts – email, phone number; if your cover letter somehow gets separated from your CV, your potential employer won’t be able to contact you and you wouldn’t want to miss that chance. Include this information in the header – that is usually the best place and it’s really easy to spot it there in case you get lucky and the employer wants to call you for an interview.
Try to structure your resume in the right way. You have to place the important things at the beginning and then pass on to less important things like hobbies for example. If you are freshly out of college then you can include your education at the beginning of your CV, as you probably don’t have much work experience; otherwise place this information at the end of your resume and start with your work experience first. It is also important to make it readable – split into paragraphs otherwise it has a big chance to be set aside.
Avoid stretching the truth – we all are sometimes too self- centered, especially when we want to make a good first impression so we start babbling things that are not true just to embellish the truth. Even if you want this job very much, don’t exaggerate about your skills. Qualified managers that have seen and read lots of resumes usually spot fraud and can easily say what is true or not about your CV. In the end – if you get the job, you will have to prove some of the invented stuff from your resume and you don’t want to fail in that especially if the competition for that spot you got was harsh.
Highlight the important skills that you have, the ones that make you stand out from the crowd of resumes your potential employer reads daily. Remember that you have to convince the company and let them know why YOU are the person they would like to hire. Try to research some information on your potential employer and specify how your skills would comply with their requirements.
Quantify your success – this means that for example if you worked in sales – make sure to state the real numbers, like the number of clients you have successfully recruited for instance. Try to use statistics and percentage when it is possible – this way you deliver concrete results of your work and employers usually appreciate that.
Don’t overdo the design of your resume. Keep it neat and simple – easy to skim through and try not to use the special templates that you can just find in the Internet – show a little bit of imagination and design your own CV; it is of course not as important as the content but as I said before your resume has to make a good first impression, and be attractive.
Read your resume carefully before submitting it. Search for misspells and grammatical errors. As weird as it might sound but employers tend to dismiss resumes with lots of mistakes, simply because they would think you are not serious or careful enough, what if sometimes in the future of their company you won’t be careful with some transactions and lose a couple of millions? Look at your CV more than once and you can even have a friend read it, it is always better to have a fresh view over your work.
Don’t forget to include your awards or any extra activities you’ve had, or even volunteer work – this is your time to shine so let the employer see what a gifted person you are. But at the same time don’t include too personal information in your CV, like for example a personal blog that you keep as a diary or you have photos of your pets there – the employers won’t be interested in this information.
Do include references in your CV – past employers or professors if you have just finished college. Some companies contact the referred persons in order to make sure you are who you say you are and it definitely increases your chances of getting employed.
All in all just remember that a good resume is your chance to get a good job so just try to make it as good as you can. Of course that’s if you pass the interview, but this might be the theme for another article. If you have some other suggestions we would be happy to hear them.
Creative resume template or CV template is a better way to represent professional abilities, education and qualification we have. A creative Resume / CV is also helpful to getting the attention of recruiters. So for this post, we’ve rounded up 12 free creative resume / CV Templates that you should find very useful.
This CV Template is Perfect for job seekers in the music, art, fashion, photography business field.
The package contains an original “editable” Microsoft Word file format and a .A modern creative resume template with boldness in its design and visual impact in the layout. We provide the black and white version for printing to make your next creative resume a hit.
Resume HTML template with 5 color options: blue,brown, green, purple, red.
online resume using CSS3, Google Font API for custom fonts and jQuery to navigate between different sections.
Resumes are often the first impression a potential employer gets of us. In the same way that it’s important to your chances of landing the job to be well-groomed and dressed like you’re serious, so should your resume.
Professional One Page Resume is a free CV / Resume template in PSD file, perfect to advertise your skills, your personality, and your experience to get a dream job opportunities and clients. The template is clean and completely editable in photoshop, also come with seven color variations.
PSD download is an elegant piece of resume in 2 color variations in Photoshop PSD format ready for print. The basis of the design is to creatively put forward your resume details in a modern way for both readability and legibility.
Unless you’re looking for a job, your CV is probably sitting around somewhere as a boring text document gathering dust, in fact I’d wager you can’t remember were you put your CV!
Four Main sections, contains colored graphical elements, dummy text and profile picture,
Perfect for job seekers in the Programing and web industries.
Clean one page resume is a free PSD template come with simple and clean style, very easy to customize and package with 6 different colors to choose. Perfect for everyone to promote their best skills and get a dream job.
Free PSD one-page template that will help you to build your own online CV/resume website in just a few minutes.
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by Joaquin on Oct 3rd, 2011 Posted in Photoshop with 4 Comments »
A resume – sometimes called a ‘Curriculum Vitae’ or ‘CV’ – is a summary of your skills, education and work experience. A good resume demonstrates how your skills and abilities match up with the requirements of a job. Here are 15 Photoshop & InDesign CV/Resume Templates that are sure to impress any future employer.
Professional resume / CV template (PSD)The resume / CV file comes in fully layered PSD format with each part organized in folders for easy editing of text and graphics. You can use the template to slice and code as a working web page and can present it to your potential clients. The regular fonts used in the design work are Lucida Sans and Rockwell. Download the resume PSD template and let me know your thoughts. You may also like to download this print-ready creative resume template.
Premium Creative Resume Pack
Premium Templates with 4 different Templates for your new Job or Business. This is a High Quality package of complete Printer-ready files.
Download Premium Creative Resume Pack
CV – Curriculum Vitae ( RESUME ) 03Objective – Education – Skills & Attributes – Personal Skills – Experience – Portfolio – Work Samples – Interests – Personal & contact Info
Download CV – Curriculum Vitae ( RESUME )
Clean Typography Resume + Cover Letter SetClean Creative Typography Resume. A4 fully layered Photoshop template. All text and elements setup for easy editing and font changes. This set includes a cover letter as well as horizontal and vertical styles. We have also included different color versions.
Download Clean Typography Resume
Clean And Modern One Page Resume PackClean and Simple One Page Resume Pack provides a fast and easy way to build your professional and trendy resume. All file are completely editable. Rate your skills, edit your experience and add description of you previous work with awards and tags in footer that describes you best.
Download Clean And Modern One Page Resume Pack
Modern Resume TemplateThis modern resume template is designed to make you stand out amongst the competition. Employers receive thousands of resumes per day, use our new and innovative resume design to be sure to make an impact.
Download Modern Resume Template
3-Piece Swiss Style Resume setSwiss Style Resume Set projects a modern and trendy look & feel with a minimalist approach. This set includes the following:
- Resume, Cover Letter & Resume (available in black & white, and blue)
- 2 different variants for the resume page (one includes work/play section & the other one awards section) – so you can have options to choose from
- US Letter Sized
- CS5 and CS4 InDesign file, CS3 InDesign INX file -IDM markup file (Open in All CS Version)
- Files grouped in different layers (easy to find, modify and customize the information included)
- PDF Previews included
- High resolution
- 300 DPI
- CMYK color mode
Download 3-Piece Swiss Style Resume set
Professional One-Page ResumeThe template package contains 4 psd files and 4 jpg files for preview. It has 4 color variation. Each color scheme has its own psd file. Design elements are organized in grouped layers that will make your editing effort a breeze.
Download Professional One-Page Resume
Resume Booklet (8 pages)Want to impress with your resume? This very clean and creative booklet-style resume is the right choice. Drop in your own text and pictures and you’re ready to go. With just a bit more effort you could turn it into a template with any other purpose.
Download Resume Booklet (8 pages)
Get Minimal – Resume 01It’s time to get minimal! Completely editable INDD document, you can change colors, positions and typefaces. Included in the set, 5 different gradient variations (blue, violet, orange, green, grey)
Graphic Designer Resume
- Clean high contrast resume.
- One page US Letter and A4 InDesign templates.
- Paragraph structure is easy for editing and font changes.
Download Graphic Designer Resume
Simple Resume – InDesign TemplateInDesign CS3 8 .5×11 inch template – InDesign CS3 A4 template – Vector Graphics for header and arrow icon
Resume Pack – 3 Clean and Professional CV Layouts
Included Files:
- Adobe InDesign CS3
- jpg and pdf previews of InDesign files
- help file
Download Professional CV Layouts
Interactive Resume from Adobe InDesignUse Adobe InDesign to create a cool resume that potential employers can view as an interactive PDF .
- Cool interactive header that changes to show a different work sample when you click each button
- Convenient Character Styles to change text formatting
- Easily like the footer to your own websites.
- All fonts used are system fonts or free to download
Download Interactive Resume from Adobe InDesign
Clean Elegant ResumeClean Elegant Resume. Two page US Letter and A4 InDesign templates. Character and paragraph styles setup for easy editing and font changes.
Choosing the best Resume template or CV Template is vital important if you are planning to get the right job. There are different type of resume samples, so here we collected some professional, classic ,simple and creative free resume / CV templates. Enjoy!
50+ Free Resume / CV Templates
Professional One Page Resume is a free CV / Resume template in PSD file, perfect to advertise your skills, your personality, and your experience to get a dream job opportunities and clients. The template is clean and completely editable in photoshop, also come with seven color variations.
PSD download is an elegant piece of resume in 2 color variations in Photoshop PSD format ready for print. The basis of the design is to creatively put forward your resume details in a modern way for both readability and legibility.
Unless you’re looking for a job, your CV is probably sitting around somewhere as a boring text document gathering dust, in fact I’d wager you can’t remember were you put your CV!
This Sample Resume Template is a simple and quick way to build a HTML resume.
Curriculum Vitae Template
This template is intended to be used for posting your CV in a standalone Web-friendly format.
This one page resume design put together by Chris Coyier is a fantastic starting point for your Resume. While it is fairly basic, and uses no colour, it is still fantastic, and comes with everything you need, including print ready capabilities.
Free Resume Templates will give you a place to start when writing your resume. If you are not sure about how to begin or how to set up each section our free resume templates will help.
Resume Template can be described as “professional”, “elegant”, “modern”, “classic”, or “contemporary”. It is all those things, but it is also easy to work with. Most importantly, our resume templates don’t contain fancy colors or unique formatting styles that might identify your resume as having come from a resume template repository.
Using a CV template can be an easy way of writing your CV. Just fill in your details. Here’s CV template or two for you to use free. And you’ll notice a variety of CV template styles and formats to choose from.
Clean one page resume is a free PSD template come with simple and clean style, very easy to customize and package with 6 different colors to choose. Perfect for everyone to promote their best skills and get a dream job.
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PSD Templates Collection – 35 Free Downloadable PSD FilesMar
31by admin
In this free psd templates collection we will share 35 new free downloadable psd files of website pages, resume template , email newsletters, portfolio themes and blog layout designs. You can download these free psd files and practice to code and convert them into full html/css websites or your can also go one step further and convert them into wordpress themes . If you have some good coding skills then you can take permission from psd template provider and write a nice blog post on PSD to HTML/CSS tutorial .
You may also love to read these articles :-1. 100 Free PSD Web Templates.
2. 100 High Quality Free PSD Templates.
3. 50 Free Photoshop Business Card Templates.1. Corporate Website PSD Template :- It is a high quality full editable corporate web design template in Photoshop PSD format. All design sections of this layout are separately organized in named folders, so you can easily make changes in psd files according to your requirements .
2. WordPress Business Website PSD Template :- Here is one more free psd template file dedicated to business purpose layout design . All layers of this free wordpress psd template are fully editable and organized, So you can easily rework on them using photoshop .
3. V-Card Website PSD Templates :- This free psd template folder contains 4 (about, works(portfolio), image popup and contact) fully editable design pages in Photoshop PSD format.
4. Photography Portfolio Website PSD Template :- It is a nice free photography design portfolio website psd template with dark background design . Template layers are fully editable and homepage design is perfect for photographer to showcase images .
5. Minimal Business Portfolio Website PSD Template :- It is a free psd minimalist website design dedicated to business category . This nice personal business portfolio psd template come with fully editable homepage design and you can do customization work according to your requirements .
6. Cafe & Restaurant Website PSD Template :- If you are searching high quality psd templates for cafe or restaurant website then checkout this layout file .This creative grunge style PSD template comes with full editable layered photoshop format and that can be easily sliced and coded for your cafe and restaurant websites.
7. Website Gallery PSD Template :- It is a professional gallery style website design in psd format. It is a clean and sleek template design in gallery format and can be used to showcase your photograph or artwork . Designer provided you fully editable layered psd files, so you can easily customize it according to your settings .
8. WordPress Blog Theme PSD Template :- It is psd template is dedicated to wordpress blog layout design . You can easily slice and code this fully layered wordpress layout psd file into a nice looking WP blog design or magazine blog.
9. Creative Resume PSD Template :- In this pack you will get a free high quality CV PSD templates with nice elegant design and 2 different color variations. These modern resume template are fully editable and CMYK print-ready. You can also go through graphicsfuel.com and check other free psd templates collection over there .
10. Paper vCard PSD Template :- This professional single-page paper vCard free psd web page template is perfect for webmaster and graphic designers . This minimalist paper theme comes in 3 beautiful color variations and can be edited in photoshop. You get this free psd for commercial use but don’t redistribute or resell it . You can also checkout sixrevisions.com freebies section for more free psd templates collection .
11. Elegant Green One Page vCard :- It is a single page psd template with simple and minimalist layout design . This elegant psd template is free for personal and commercial projects . Ibrandstudio.com has more psd templates collection on vCard designs on main site .
12. Ecommerce Facebook PSD Page Template :- It is a nice free ecommerce psd template for facebook page and you can use this beautiful design to showcase your products on facebook fanpage . This layered photoshop psd template file is fully editable and perfectly fit for new facebook pages layout . You can use this free psd for commercial use and personal projects .
13. Professional Resume PSD Template :- Here is one more single page professional free CV/Resume template in photoshop psd format . This clean and minimalist One page photoshop template design is fully layered and can be customized easily . This PSD templates collection is available in 7 different color variations and has A4(International ISO) size with CMYK color mode settings .
14. Email Newsletter PSD Template :- In this folder you will get free email newsletter template psd file with beautiful background pattern . The Layered .psd elegant layout design is specially dedicated for bloggers but it is fully editable and can be customized according to your requirements .
15. Dropholio Free Homepage PSD :- It is a free nice personal portfolio and blog psd template file . Template is free for personal use and premium version allows commercial usage.
16. Minimalist PSD Web Sliders :- In this pack you will get minimalist web-sliders files with PSD and HTML templates. This psd templates collection contains 2 files in download folder .
17. MeegoApp. Under Construction PSD :- If you are searching for coming soon psd template for your under construction page then you can download this photoshop file . You can also buy coded wordpress under construction or HTML template for just $6 from designer .
18. MeegoFurn. Landing Page PSD Template :- In this pack you will get professional landing page PSD template file . This psd template design is fully layered, labeled and can be customized easily . This psd file is free for only personal use only and for commercial use you can buy premium pack which also include html coded template.
19. Coupon Code PSD Template :- In this pack you will get a coupon code interface element psd template design and can be used to offer a promotional coupon code discount pages . You can download this free psd file and customize the color palette according to your requirements.
20. Feedback Form Design PSD Template :- In this pack you will get high quality feedback form psd design with built-in voting polls counter. This amazing form can be useful for your reads and they can also vote for best stories too .
21. Hair Salon PSD Template :- This web template is dedicated to hair saloon niche and comes with well organized layers. You can customize is according to your requirements but designer requested to don’t use exactly this web template and do make few changes to make it look different.
22. Free 3BucketsBlue PSD Template :- Here is one more high quality free psd web site template with nice blue background design. This free psd template file is under the Creative Commons license and you can use it for personal purpose only.
23. ArtMaker PSD Web Template :- Here is one simple but amazing free psd template and you can use is to create portfolio or showcase your artwork designs .
24. BlueWorld Website Template PSD :- Here is one more free psd web site template from above designer and it is free to use but its better to take permission, if you wanna use for commercial purpose. This free psd template has unique layout deisng and I am sure that if will also like it .
25. Free Business PSD Template :- In this pack we have free psd template dedicated for any online business niche project. This Photoshop business layout design contains all necessary features you need for online shop or sales page . You can use this free psd template file for your clients’ projects / websites but you are not allowed to claim ownership to this psd layout design.
26. Salon & Spa PSD Website Template :- In this pack you will get modern beauty and salon spa PSD template with elegant and clean website layout design created in CS4. All photoshop layers are organized with names, so you can easily find and edit them according to your needs.
27. Perpetual Free PSD Website Template :- This pack contains portfolio/WordPress style psd layout design files. .Both free downloadable psd file comes with layered template and designed in photoshop cs4 .
28. Castleton Free Education PSD Template :- This free high quality psd template come with fully editable layers and can be edited easily according to your requirements . This website template is designed on the 960-grid-system using Photoshop CS5.
29. DPR Free PSD Website Template :- If you are looking for clean and elegant free psd template for health niche then check this one . Template is dedicated to a doctor website design and created in photoshop CS4 .
30. Vivaro Photoshop Business Template :- It is a free modern psd template with Web 2.0 approach in layout design .It’s clean and elegant layout is built on 960-Grid-System and can be easily customized .
31. Free Photoshop Website Template :- In this free high quality psd templates collection pack you will get 3 website pages (Homepage, Blog and Portfolio). All 3 photoshop free downloadable psd files are free for personal and commercial use .
32. Orange Photoshop PSD Template :- Here is one more amazing free psd website template with orange color background design . This magazine style psd template can be used to showcase a portfolio, stock photos or other artwork.
33. GreyTemp PSD Template :- In this pack you will get a fully editable clean gray psd web layout with various free downloadablepsd files like web elements like contact form, slideshow, buttons etc . This amazing free gray portfolio psd can also be customized for businesses website , where you can display different products and services.
34. Jewelry Store Free Photoshop Template :- In this pack you will get free ecommerce psd template design dedicated for jewelry niche.
35. Dark Corporate Template :- It is a minimalist psd template design with clean lines. In this free psd templates collection you will get two color variations – black and dark grey.
You can subscribe to my blog and get next free psd templates collection update directly in your email box.
15 Free Resume Photoshop Templates for Enhancing the Chance of Being Hired
With lots of economic crisis news from around the world could make some disturbance in any employee’s mind. If we talk about the current time, there is no guaranty of a permanent job for lifetime and retirement might be a myth for most of the employees. This is only the one scenario out of many which arises the requirement of better resume for good job hiring. Another might be – switching job for better growth and salary increment with strong position. Situation may be various but the requirement is simply the one – better resume.
Resume writing is an art, which needs a lot of experience and effort to make it more appealing and effective in front of employers. Your portfolio is already gorgeous, but have you created a drool-worthy resume? This flimsy one-page document is more important than many people think: the resume is the first portfolio piece that potential employers see, and if they’re not impressed, chances are they won’t look at the rest of your portfolio because first impression is the last impression indeed.
One problem which stands tall in front of most of the resume writers is how to write an effective resume if you don’t know much about print media? Resume temples must be the best solution for this problem. There are many resume PSD templates are available in both paid and free categories, you can choose one according to the requirement and modify it too if you have enough creativity for that. So to make this work easier, we have collected 15 free resume PSD templates for increasing your chances of being hired.
1. Elegant Resume Template
2. JONATHAN DOE
3. HTML Resume Template
4. Ipseity Personal Branding
5.Free Creative Resume
6. Free Creative Resume Template Vol. 1
7. John Henry Doe
8. Clean Resume
9. John Doe
10. Free One Page Pattern Resume Template (PSD)
11. Professional One Page Resume
12. Clean One Page
13. Resume / CV PSD
14. Sarfraz Shoukat
15. One Page Résumé Site
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