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Should your resume be creative? Well, the short answer is
that it should be creative enough to stand out from the
rest of the pack, but not so creative that someone thinks
you work for _Wired_ magazine and throws the resume out in
disgust. Simple, huh?
OK, let's be serious. The goal really is to get your 1-2
sheets of paper noticed in the midst of a pile of 600 other
sheets of paper so that the HR geek will take the time to
read it. What can you do to make it stand out without being
"in their face" about it? A few thoughts:
- use off-white (almond, beige, greyish, taupe, etc.) or a
calm, businesslike color such as pale blue-grey instead of
standard glaring white photocopy paper: it's visually
different from the rest of the pack, but not a neon sign.
- use very thick paper: not cardstock by any means, but
something that won't wilt at a touch. When all resumes
about yours lose their head and turn into wet toilet paper,
yours is the resume that stands up to some handling.
- use textured paper: not sandpaper, but something with a
pleasant weave or non-glossy surface that won't reduce
legibility but will provide a nice visual and textural
change from the run of the mill stuff.
- if you have access to an inkjet printer _whose ink
doesn't smear_ when you touch it with your fingers,
consider printing the resume in two colors. I'm hesitant to
recommend this, because color choices are so personal, but
something very dull and conventional like medium-blue
headings and standard black body will show that you can
communicate in more than one color... think non-linearly!
Make sure (photocopy the resume to test this!) that the two
colors are dark enough that they'll still scan properly
into someone's computer.
- Don't forget the blasted cover letter! If you don't
interest someone enough to read beyond the first paragraph,
then all the resume smarts in the world won't get them to
read the resume.
--Geoff Hart @8^{)} geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
Disclaimer: Speaking for myself, not FERIC.
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