This week’s resume is featuring my girl, Taylor Swift.
I love the colors and strong lines in this design, and of course, Taylor’s face really adds a nice touch.
In this design, I tried putting the Profile section at the bottom instead of the top. On Pinterest and on other designs, you’ll usually see the Profile at the top of the resume. But honestly, we all know the employer’s eyes are going straight to that Experience tab.
Enjoy! Contact me with any questions.
1. QR codes:
Let’s face it: they’re tacky, ugly and basically obsolete.
If you’re a communication professional and you have a QR code on your resume, there’s a good chance the employer looking at it will ignore the rest of your content.
Who is actually going to take the time to scan a QR code?
A simple URL is always more visually appealing and doesn’t completely throw off the look of a resume.
If you must have a QR code on your resume (or anything, really), do it tastefully. Here are some examples:
I honestly tried, but everything I saw was ugly.
2. References:
This is a thing of the past that some people assume is still relevant.
If an employer really wants to speak to your previous employers, they’ll ask you for their information. Plus, it’s respectful to your previous employers to give them a heads up that they might be getting a call, instead of handing out their information to everyone who interviews you and increasing the number of phone calls coming their way.
3. Interests/Hobbies:
Two words: nobody cares.
I see this all the time on Pinterest– people list their hobbies, interests and favorite things. But it’s not your Facebook page, Twitter bio or a “get to know you” game.
You should think of your resume as a strictly professional document with only professional content.
4. All your previous work experience:
Irrelevant jobs you’ve had are not going to interest an employer. If you’re applying to work at an advertising agency, consider leaving out your six-month employment at Costa Vida.
When applying for a job, alter your resume to fit exactly what that job entails. Keywords, phrases and skills laid out in the job description are what you should be highlighting in your resume without making it too obvious, and without copying and pasting the job description into your resume.
5. Personal details:
Age, race, relationship status, number of pets– just don’t do it.
It’s illegal for your employer to ask, and for a good reason (among others): it’s not relevant and shouldn’t be considered when making decisions concerning employment.
6. GPA:
This varies from industry to industry, but for the most part, unless it’s a 3.9 or higher, it’s not relevant.
For some fields, GPA is important and quite possibly a point of consideration for employers.
For others, not so much.
If you’ve been out of school for a few years, definitely don’t include a GPA. That’s like listing your high school diploma under Education (don’t do that).
7. Social Media:
We’re all a little obsessed with social media.
And depending on the field you’re going into, social media can be a big deal and pertinent to the hiring process.
But unless your Twitter account is your professional Twitter account, do not include it on your resume. That goes for all of your social media accounts.
As mentioned earlier, a resume is a professional document.
The fact that you have a Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest isn’t going to impress an employer.
It’s what you do with those platforms that will help you if it’s going to help you at all.
One social media platform you’re encouraged to include is your LinkedIn profile.
Few employers care about that one funny tweet you sent out that got 17 favorites.
If you’re not sure if something is appropriate to put on your resume, there are plenty of resources available out there.
Resume Deli has great blog posts, tips and advice for resumes.
Always be careful with the content you give to an employer. Have someone else look over it, and keep professionalism at the top of your priority list.
I just recently designed this resume for my friend Andrew Kemp. He’s a content developer and a writer among other things. He gave me an example of what he wanted and I did my best to stick to that idea while giving him an original design. I really like how it turned out and had a lot of fun designing it! If you like it, just let me know and I’ll slap your name on it! Just like I’ve slapped Kanye’s on it.
Price of template: $15
Price of template with content revamp/rewrite: $25
Will a creatively designed resume help you get a job, or will it deter an employer from even considering you?
If you’ve been perusing Pinterest lately — especially if you follow me — you might have seen a few fancy and creative resume templates floating around.
It can be pretty tempting to acquire a creative resume. I am so guilty of that. I currently have five different resumes to choose from.
It’s a sickness.
But, it’s not always the best idea to indulge in a design-centered resume.
My resume remained in the state of a black and white Word document until my second year of college when I realized people actually put a lot of effort into resumes, and that mine was extremely underwhelming and unimpressive.
In the field I’ve chosen (communication), it is not uncommon to have a flashy, colorful and visually appealing resume. In fact, good luck standing out unless you have a resume that matches that description.
However, most fields don’t require that and even frown upon it.
In an article on Her Campus by Kelsey Mulvey, Alison Cheston, a career connector who teaches career workshops at NYU and Barnard College gave a brief list of fields in which a creative resume might not get you hired.
“Creative formats should never be used in banking and financial services, consulting firms, healthcare or government,” Cheston said. “If you send a creative resume to an inartistic company, the recipients may think you’re not serious about the position. Unless you’re sure that you’re interested in a creative field, sticking to a traditional format is better than being inappropriate.”
The last thing we want to be considered when seeking employment is silly or inappropriate. So be cautious.
Unless you’re heading into a creative career path, a simple black and white resume will be more than enough to at least get you an interview, and eventually, a job.
As seen at the beginning of this post, here is a black and white resume template I recently designed:
When a recent graduate who studied graphic design shows up to an interview, their resume will likely be considered a sample of their work. Infographics and other artistic elements can be well-received in art or design fields.
In an article in Forbes, Debbie Millman, President of Design at Sterling Brands said when it comes to resumes, content is king, and design can be a distraction.
“Substance over style is the rule for ALL resumes,” Millman said. “Any special effects will dilute the gravitas and stature of the impression. You want people to concentrate on your accomplishments and your successes, not the curlicues of a font or unusual shades or contrast of colors. … Don’t let design disrupt communication.”
Sounds scary, right?
It even makes me want to back off from designing anymore creative resumes.
But, don’t be too hesitant.
I will say right here and now that curlicues will never have a presence on a single resume The Top of the Pile produces.
I have see firsthand, employers at career fairs and internship fairs raise their eyebrows in pleasant surprise and say, “Nice resume,” when I hand them my creative resume.
Nobody likes an over-the-top, narcissistic piece of work, because that will immediately speak volumes about you to the employer, interviewer or even a peer.
However, simple, elegant and clean design elements are not going to turn any employer away.
Here is a creative resume template I recently designed:
Although it’s not your run-of-the-mill black and white resume, it’s still simple and easy to read, while also having a nice design to it.
Although creative templates are fun, we cannot forget that content truly is king.
Your achievements, experience and skills are far more important than any font or template you could ever purchase.
Since there was lots of buzz about Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge today, I thought I’d give her a resume shout-out.
This resume is very simple, not too “design-y,” and leaves a lot of room for content. This template is perfect for those of you who don’t want to make anyone raise their eyebrows when they see your resume, but would still like to stand out and make a statement.
Template name: Kate Middleton
Price: $15
To purchase this template, contact me via email. Transferring of files will be discussed on a case-by-case basis.
Keep an eye out for a blog post Thursday about how to know if you should have a creative resume or a more simple resume.
Enjoy!
The Top of the Pile 