Resumes are going the way of social media. They need to be punchy, interactive and easy on the eyes. With the paper resume dying a slow and joyful death, you're free to take the standard form resume for a walk around the block, maybe breath some new life into it along the way. Here are just a few ways you might think about rocking the boat.
Make it visual.
On Facebook, photos perform the absolute best in terms of shares, comments and likes. With the success of Pinterest, many social media sites are clamoring to reinvent themselves as more visually-oriented platforms. Take a cue for your resume. What might you do to make it more visually pleasing. Remember, HR spends about six seconds looking at your resume. If they don’t find what they’re looking for immediately, into the virtual trash bin you go.
The most obvious solution is to guide them to the most pertinent information by formatting text. Divide your resume into tidy sections, with as much information you can manage at the very top. Don’t be afraid of coloured ink and graphics. Check out this beauty, a resume that uses colour, stand-out text and simple graphics while also reflecting the applicant’s personality and experience. You be the judge of whether or not to include a photo. Most say it’s a no-no, but studies show many recruiters disagree.
Make in interactive.
You resume no longer bound to paper! Show that you can think two-dimensionally by adding links and making your resume interactive. Links allow the reader to assess the credibility of your former employers and positions, take a quick peek at your blog, check out your portfolio or see your references on LinkedIn. There’s no limit to the things you can include in this way. Make your resume fun to read. Make them want to see more. Think click-through-ratio.
Check out this collection of hyper-interactive, ultra-creative resumes.
Use language to your advantage.
Avoid corporate speak at all cost, even if you did get Shanghai'd at your last job. Nobody likes a show off any more than they enjoy corporate gobbledygook. Grammar rules can be bent a little to accommodate short, concise sentences. Eliminate pronouns altogether. If you need to say "I" or "they," the sentence it too long. Judo chop the language. Never use more than one verb in a phrase. Ixnay on "effecting a solution" or "engaging in management": solving or managing will do just fine. Bullet points are nice but take up a lot of space. Just use short phrases.
Longer is not better. Remember, they’re not looking for a bouquet of flowers; they're looking for information. Avoid cliches like "strong interpersonal and communication skills" or "excellent organisational skills." Such claims make you blend in better with the pack. Is that what you want? Give examples, the concrete numbers and figures that set you apart from the rest.
Go Wild.
The way we think about resumes is still very much linked to the paper and ink version we all got so attached to in the last few decades. Try different variations like slide shows, info graphics or videos. You only get one chance to stand out. Seize it.
Make it visual.
On Facebook, photos perform the absolute best in terms of shares, comments and likes. With the success of Pinterest, many social media sites are clamoring to reinvent themselves as more visually-oriented platforms. Take a cue for your resume. What might you do to make it more visually pleasing. Remember, HR spends about six seconds looking at your resume. If they don’t find what they’re looking for immediately, into the virtual trash bin you go.
The most obvious solution is to guide them to the most pertinent information by formatting text. Divide your resume into tidy sections, with as much information you can manage at the very top. Don’t be afraid of coloured ink and graphics. Check out this beauty, a resume that uses colour, stand-out text and simple graphics while also reflecting the applicant’s personality and experience. You be the judge of whether or not to include a photo. Most say it’s a no-no, but studies show many recruiters disagree.
Make in interactive.
You resume no longer bound to paper! Show that you can think two-dimensionally by adding links and making your resume interactive. Links allow the reader to assess the credibility of your former employers and positions, take a quick peek at your blog, check out your portfolio or see your references on LinkedIn. There’s no limit to the things you can include in this way. Make your resume fun to read. Make them want to see more. Think click-through-ratio.
Check out this collection of hyper-interactive, ultra-creative resumes.
Use language to your advantage.
Avoid corporate speak at all cost, even if you did get Shanghai'd at your last job. Nobody likes a show off any more than they enjoy corporate gobbledygook. Grammar rules can be bent a little to accommodate short, concise sentences. Eliminate pronouns altogether. If you need to say "I" or "they," the sentence it too long. Judo chop the language. Never use more than one verb in a phrase. Ixnay on "effecting a solution" or "engaging in management": solving or managing will do just fine. Bullet points are nice but take up a lot of space. Just use short phrases.
Longer is not better. Remember, they’re not looking for a bouquet of flowers; they're looking for information. Avoid cliches like "strong interpersonal and communication skills" or "excellent organisational skills." Such claims make you blend in better with the pack. Is that what you want? Give examples, the concrete numbers and figures that set you apart from the rest.
Go Wild.
The way we think about resumes is still very much linked to the paper and ink version we all got so attached to in the last few decades. Try different variations like slide shows, info graphics or videos. You only get one chance to stand out. Seize it.