If you’re applying to creative industries, consider incorporating design elements that highlight your brand. This will set you apart from other applicants and show employers your creativity.
A bold header immediately draws hiring managers’ attention and makes your name stand out for them to remember. Consistent colour use helps make each section distinct.
Colour
Using colour to make your resume stand out can help keep hiring managers from skimming over your information or ignoring it altogether. Colour can communicate a mood or tone that reflects your personality or the industry you are seeking employment, and it can also convey a specific message about your qualifications.
For example, red can signify passion and danger while pink can be associated with innocence and joy. Whether you use colour to draw attention to a section of your resume or as an accent to highlight important information, such as in this infographic resume design, can communicate your personality while making it more appealing to read.
Likewise, black can be an effective colour choice as it’s easy to read on both computers and paper and can emphasize key information.
Fonts
Using an eye-catching font can grab recruiters’ attention, and it’s a good idea to use bold or italic text to emphasize important sections. However, you should avoid overusing these formatting options, which can create visual clutter and distract from the text’s message.
Colour and lines can also be effective resume design elements. They can be particularly powerful when they show progression over time, as demonstrated by the green line in this chart.
If a more creative look isn’t appropriate for your industry, try adding a personal touch to your resume with an accent colour or a small portrait. This will make it easier for hiring managers to identify your application in the pile.
Layout
While it’s important to customize your resume for each job application, preparing a resume template that communicates your style and professionalism is a smart idea. This can include a consistent colour scheme, borders and shading, tasteful pops of colour and other elements.
Including a grid structure in your resume can help keep it organized and visually appealing. As with the other design elements, make sure your use of grids is purposeful and not just a visual filler.
A clean layout with plenty of white space makes it easy for recruiters to read your resume quickly and get a sense of your experience. A grid also makes it easier for them to skim and find key information like your contact info, which is a must-have for most jobs.
Visual Appeal
Adding a visual hierarchy to your resume can make it more easily digestible. For example, if you’ve worked for several impressive companies with recognizable logos, you might consider making those companies larger to emphasize their importance. Similarly, if you graduated with honours from a prestigious school, you might want to bold the school’s name to make it stand out.
Using different fonts to create a unique style also helps you stand out from the crowd. However, it’s important to avoid neon or overly bright colours as these can be distracting and may cause eye strain for the reader.
