Do You Need a Designer Resume - CareerAlley

Do You Need a Designer Resume - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Like a suit you may have busted your budget for, spending money on a designer resume one that is wildly creative in layout doesnt guarantee youre going to get the job. It may, in fact, not even guarantee youre putting your best foot forward. So, how do you know when you need to use a designer resume? When should you stick with the tried-and-true classic template? When to AVOID Getting Creative In some cases, its essential to present a specific resume. As an example, when applying for jobs with the Federal Government, you will almost always need a special resume. Government employers arent interested in a fancy resume. They dont want to be distracted from the information thats on your resume. They want a standard, classic resume. Although you can research exactly how to create this kind of resume from the Internet, it might be in your best interest to seek a pro who specializes in creating resumes for federal jobs (such as CareerProPlus). Professionals know all the nuisances involved and can help ensure youre meeting the very strict requirements when applying for such a position. In short, if youre applying to a government job, its a safe bet you wont need a designer resume. When to Get Creative When youre in the creative industry, you should get creative with your resume. For instance, if youre a graphic designer, your resume should reflect that visually. Your resume is your first impression, and it should convey your creativity. By esthetics only, you need to prove you have the skills to get the job done. But beware, if youre applying for a management position in the creative industry, steer clear of a designer resume with all the bells-and-whistles. The point is to present your experience and credentials. Theyre not going to hire you because of your design skills, but rather your professionalism. Private Sector Jobs Offer Some Leeway But how about those of us looking for jobs in the private sector but not in the creative industry? Will a designer resume make your CV stand-out? Or, will an overreaching and not-standard resume result in you being overlooked? Some hiring managers and H.R. execs simply see a designer resume as distracting and desperate. Resumes should be clear, clean and to the point, says Sue Karlin, President ofSuka Creative. But that doesnt mean you cant add some creativity in your resume(see these federal resumes as an example), without taking it too far. Rob Wallace of Wallace Church says you dont need to be a graphic designer to present a visual interesting resume. Mr. Wallace suggests any applicant could use a logo, consider their font, even explore an expressive color. The Bottom Line Obviously, consider your industry and the job for which you are applying. You need to walk a thin line between setting yourself apart from the sea of other applicants and branding yourself as over-reaching and desperate. Michelle is an aspiring writer with a passion for blogging. She enjoys writing about a vast variety of topics and loves that blogging gives her the opportunity to publicly voice her thoughts and share advice with an unlimited audience. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Visit me on Facebook