Thanks to social media, modern communication is more visual than ever before. And since your resume is your number one communication tool in the job application process, why shouldn't that be highly visual, too?
And I'm not talking about including a headshot beside your name and contact information. Mapping out your educational background, work experience, and skill set in a crisp, aesthetically pleasing way is the best way to entice a hiring manager to want to learn more.
No graphic design experience? No problem. Check out these five easy digital tools for making your resume as stand-out as you are.
Vizualize.me
Kukookresume templates (from about $4 to $14 each) that are modern, clean, and supremely polished. Best part? They open in Microsoft Word for straightforward plug-and-play. Just customize with your personal information, save (all resume templates come with DOC and PDF file types), and send off.
Once you purchase, the template is forever yours, so you can update whenever you have a title change or want to highlight a recent accomplishment.
VisualCV
Use this link to get the VisualCV Professional Plan for half price.
You only have one chance to make a first impression when applying for a job. In most cases, that first chance is your resume. Making your resume more visual will help it stand out from the (literal) pack. The tools above help you do that without any design knowledge.
One caveat: Don't sacrifice clarity and coherence for visual wow. No matter how much your resume pops, if the hiring manager can't glance through it and get a clear sense of who you are and what you have to offer, you're not any closer to that offer letter. (Here are the tips you need to do just that.)
