5 Easy Ways To Make Your Resume Look Pretty (But Still Professional)
Remember that scene from “Legally Blonde” when Elle Woods hands her puzzled professor a resume with the follow-up “It’s pink and it’s scented, I think it gives it a little something extra, don’t you?” He was left speechless, and we were left in true admiration.
While you don’t have to go as far as spraying your resume with your favorite perfume (or dying it pink), there is something to be said about having wow-worthy components to take your resume from overlooked to overbooked.
Whatever your desired job may be, the chances are your potential employer is probably receiving hundreds of applications for it. Now that most jobs are applied for online, it narrows down the physical components that could make your resume pop out from the pile. So what works in today's digital landscape? What can you do to make your resume trump the others and land you an interview? Read to find out.
1. Make It Aesthetically Attractive
They say don’t judge a book by its cover, but the truth is that’s exactly what happens. The look of your resume won’t necessarily be judged, but it will certainly become the determining factor that has your potential employer halting the shuffle to read further. Having a standout resume is like a foot in the door – before anyone even reads what’s on it you need to grab their attention first.
With most resumes, putting the right content in isn’t really the issue, but the way the information is presented. Having an aesthetically pleasing or visually interesting layout helps makes the content readable and engaging (just don’t go overboard).
Break your resume into sections. The most common ones are your contact information, experience, education, and accomplishments. The example below from Enhancv also has a “My Time” section to show how you spend your time – both at work and outside it – to make your resume more personal. Use different fonts, sizes, and colors to add visual interest while helping to distinguish between different pieces of information. Just make sure everything is still easy to read and no single element is too distracting.