6 Tips for Resumes Design For the Modern Creative

You have approximately six seconds to catch a recruiter’s attention with your resume.

Six seconds!

And when your resume is swimming in a sea of other resumes, you need to do all you can to make it stand out above the rest.

Luckily, as a modern creative, you have leeway to make your resume design as unique as you are. But how do you know if you’re taking that freedom too far?

Let’s look at six ways you can use resume design the right way as a modern creative.

1. Say It with Infographics

Infographics are a modern creative’s best friend. That’s because it gives you so many fun ways to express your personality while keeping the focus on your amazing skills.

You can use graphic icons to showcase your different skill levels, graph your experience, and show a career timeline. Just remember to keep it industry specific and use in moderation.

2. Give a Design Nod Toward Your Industry

Using design elements that speak directly to your industry will show recruiters you’re a perfect fit for that specific role.

For example, if you’re looking for a position in the publishing industry, format your resume to look like a book design. Use classic font and mimic a book page layout.

If you’re going into web design, create a successful resume that looks like a web page.

3. Use Color

It used to be color was a no-no in resume design. But as a modern creative, you can use it to create a mood that speaks to your industry.

Don’t be afraid to go bright to attract attention, just so long as it’s industry appropriate. You can even match the company’s colors to show that you’ve done your research.

4. Make It Skimmable

When you have six seconds to let your resume shine, make it as easy for the recruiter to read as possible. Keep your content skimmable, while keeping all the impressive information towards the top of the page.

Use columns to keep things organized. Also use headings, bullet points, and leave plenty of white space. Infographics are another way to keep things easy to read.

If you find it difficult to know how to write and organize your content in a way a recruiter can skim, resume services are a great way to get the help you need.

5. Use a Personal Brand

Company’s use branding to set themselves apart from the rest, so why not do the same for yourself?

You can market your personal brand using a logo, your own colors, fonts, and keeping your branding theme consistent throughout your resume, website, and social media accounts.

6. Know When to Keep It Simple

While modern creatives have more freedom to make a fun and unique resume, be sure you tailor it to the position and company you’re applying to.

If the company is an older, more established place, you may want to keep your resume design on the simple side. Same goes for positions that lean toward administrative or professional roles.

It’s not a bad idea to have a few different versions of your resume design on hand, just in case.