Why have a creative resume?
Hoping to add that something extra to your
resume? Looking for a way to create a
memorable experience for recruiters? Then a creative resume may work for you! Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be a designer to use a
creative resume. A creative resume combines effective design with awesome
content to tell and sell your story.
 |
| Buzzfeed.com |
Up to you! Anyone can design and use a creative
resume to stand out from the crowd, if it is appropriate for your field. This article from Looksharp discusses pro-creative and anti-creative industries, so you'll know when to use and when not to use a creative resume. Here
are suggestions for areas where having a creative resume can be effective:
There are different types of creative resumes
you can make, depending on relevant formatting and distribution channels: print, online/digital, and infographic. In order to assess what form you should use, ask yourself: What’s the function of your resume? How is your potential client going to receive it?
Through e-mail or by uploading to an online submission form? How relevant is your designed resume to the field you
want to work in?
How to create a creative resume?
Regardless of which field you go into, there are
small changes you can make to your resume that can leave an impact. From
typeface to white space, design choices can greatly improve readability while
creating a memorable impression. Here are overarching ideas and principles to
consider:
- First and foremost, focus on readability and the reader’s experience. Make the flow of information intuitive and easy to follow.
- Color vs. black-and-white: If you’re using color, does your resume still look readable when printed in black and white? How do the colors look printed out versus on the screen?
- Consider sticking with one font, two at most. There are two overarching categories of fonts: serifs, which have the little feet on the ends like Times, and sans-serifs, which don’t, like Arial. The font or fonts you choose can help create a certain “mood” or contribute to readability. Play with bolding and italicizing your font to distinguish sections. When using more than one font, consider using one for headings and the other for the rest of the content.
- Use a grid to align all of your content, ensuring consistent spacing and placing of elements.
- White space is powerful, contributing to readability. Use it!
- Make your heading pop: experiment with small changes to your heading (name and contact info) by playing with font, style, alignment, and color.
- Incorporate small, non-invasive imagery: use visual elements sparingly. One place where it can be effective is with contact info for displaying phone number, social media, and email address. Keep icons small and unobtrusive so they don’t take away from the rest of the document.
- Consider having multiple versions of your resume: a “traditional” one and a “creative one.” Feel free to ask recruiters and employers which one they’d prefer.
- Use templates as sources of inspiration, but refrain from using them directly because formatting can become a nightmare
Now that we’ve covered some design principles,
what are some tools you can use to go about crafting creative
resumes?
- Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop)
- Microsoft PowerPoint and Publisher (even Word offers some creative options if you know where to look)
- Infographic maker such as Piktochart
- Online Portfolio sites such as Coroflot and CarbonMade
Here are resources for learning how to use the tools above, followed by sample creative resumes and advice:
- Digital Design Studio at Tisch Library
- Lynda.com Online Software Training available to the Tufts Community
- Creative Resume Writing Workshop: Wednesday, March 16, 12:00pm, Mark Lab, Tisch Library, Registration required
- Portfolio Workshops co-sponsored by the Department of Art & Art History and the Tufts Career Center in the fall semester, Part 1: Imagining the Portfolio and Part 2: Digital Capture and Editing Tutorial
- Tufts Career Center's Online Portfolio Guide
Samples of Creative Resumes:
Creative Resume Resources:
If you enjoyed this post and would like to learn how to enhance your resume, be sure to check out the following program:
Creative Resume Writing Workshop
Wednesday, March 16, 12:00pm, Mark Lab, Tisch Library
Registration required
Stephanie Li is a Career Fellow in
the Tufts Career Center and a senior majoring in history. Her passion lies in
using art and design to tell stories.
