We talk a lot about what to put into your resume and how to submit it, but how much does the design of your resume matter?
There are some jobs where the style of your resume is just as important as what’s on it. For example, a graphic designer with an ugly-looking resume might not get a second look. It’s not just that area where that might matter, however; good design is supposed to catch the eye, and that effect is universal. As how-to blog MakeUseOf points out, even simple changes to how you present your resume can have drastic effects on how it’s perceived:
Times New Roman… 12 point… Bullets… You’ve seen it before. It’s not that it’s bad, but the thing is that this standard type is a little bit old school. Modern eyes are typically interested in sans-serif fonts and minimalist designs due to screen-based influences, so I recommend making a very non-flashy resume that still has a clean layout. Basically, if your presentation looks good in a web browser, then you’re fine.
Modern minimalist design is prevalent everywhere and whether your potential employer is a font fanatic or not doesn’t change how good it looks. Does it matter, though? Do you take into account how your resume looks when you’re writing it or just what’s on it? If you’re an employer, do you find yourself more drawn to resumes that look carefully and cleanly presented than those that follow standard formatting? Tell us in the comments.
Restyle Your Resume For Instant Results On The Job Market [MakeUseOf]
Comments
3 responses to “How Much Does Resume Design Matter To You?”
Anecdotal evidence here, I am a graphic designer, I created a minimalist CV with a bit of style for my girlfriends CV (office admin work) she received maybe 3 times as many call-backs compared to her plain word document.
However only for small to medium companies. For larger operations a nice plain word document seems to work best.
I find job agencies will strip any cv/resume out and give their clients a bulleted list and a short blurb. So thats pretty much all I give them.
If Im applying directly, I’ll give them my fancy one. Which is just your average intro, skillset, job history with a bit of design/flair.
nope. I’m employed.