If you are on a job hunt for a new opportunity, you might feel confident that your skills are enough to get you the dream job. But before hiring managers can learn more about your skills, their impression of you is based on one thing: your resume. While your resume's content is what will get you the job, a resume's design is what will capture their attention. In this article, we break down all the modern resume design trends that you may have missed.
The Basics Of A Modern Resume
Whether you are a fresh graduate or a seasoned professional, you must already know the primary elements of a resume. Generally, it should include your name, position, contact information, skills, work history, degree, and character reference. But to fully optimize your resume, it must have your soft skills or hobbies to give them a glimpse of your values. On top of that, they must be arranged stylishly and professionally.
Despite the popularity of modern resumes, some organizations like the legal or finance industries still prefer the traditional resume formats. It may be hard to determine whether to stick to convention designs or give your resumes a fresh makeover. Here are three cases where a modern resume is the better choice:
- When you want your resume to stand out
- When you need to show that you are a creative and innovative candidate
- When you're applying for work in a tech company or a creative industry
Modern Resume Trends You Need To Try
Unfortunately for resumes, looks do matter when it comes to getting hiring managers' attention. Perfectly designed resumes can coax them to pick them up to read. But crafting a winning resume that looks modern and professional is easier said than done. Try out these trends for yourself:
1. Stylish header
Resume headers are the first thing that recruiters see. Headers typically hold your name and position, but they can also be a great place for your contact information and career objectives.
For a modern resume, design the header with the goal of being eye-catching in mind. You can do that by adding a pop of color to it or using a photo of you as the background, as seen in the example below.
2. Consistent color palette
It's easy to go all out when using colors for your resume. Whatever choice of color you prefer, whether they're in lovely pastel or black monochrome, it must always speak about you. For professionals that want a place in the Fashion Industry, opting for neutral colors, like beige and white, can be a good choice because it will show that you're fashion-forward. This will also work well for you as neutral hues are in trend this year.
If you refer to the first page of this resume sample, you’ll see that it uses a mix of cream, black, white.
When designing a professional resume, here’s a pro tip to help you out: pick at least three main shades and tints, stick to them, and play with a monochrome effect. Below is the color palette used in the resume sample above. Notice how there are two distinct colors and three similar colors.
3. Maximum of three fonts
Like colors, it's important to restrain yourself when using fonts. There's an unwritten rule in design that fonts must not exceed four faces. Limiting your fonts to three will ensure that your template does not look cluttered. If combining three fonts together seems too complicated, two fonts can deliver the same modern effect.
4. Social media handles
For applicants hoping to land a job in a company with a significant online presence, it will be helpful to have a highly engaging social media profile. Having a robust social media presence will reflect your ability to engage with the company's online market. If your target company is a little more professional, then you can keep your Twitter account private and share your LinkedIn page instead.
5. Add emotional quotient qualities
Incorporating your emotional quotient in the resume will give hiring managers a glimpse of your personality. Besides your soft skills, hobbies can also show how you are sans professional jackets. With this, recruiters can determine your qualities that may be beneficial should you get the job.
6. Icons for hobbies or interests
If you’re applying for jobs in finance or law, skip over this step. But if you wish to belong in the creative field, this one’s for you. Employers spend a minimum of eight seconds skimming through resumes. Hence, you need to maximize that time and make it count. Icons will be a surefire way to do the job right. They will strengthen the content when used correctly. Using icons for your hobbies or interests can also make your resume more appealing.
7. Data visualizations
Like icons, data visualizations will also be helpful for jobs that are okay with nontraditional resume designs. Having data visualizations for your work history, skills, and experiences will be a great option as they will quickly show your career expertise. Data visualizations include timelines, pie charts, or bar charts.
8. QR code
Adding a QR code to your resume, especially for jobs in the Technology Industry, will help show off your tech-savvy personality. You can customize your QR code to lead to your website or online portfolio. Adding a QR code will also display your creativity and resourcefulness in ensuring that recruiters get the best information about you.
9. Use powerful words
When applying for a position in a specific company, take note of the terms they used on the job listing. You can also do additional research for industry buzzwords that you can include. When writing your skills history, use the company values listed on the business' website and apply them to it. Additionally, it's a best practice to construct your content positively, using action verbs.
10. ATS (and human) ready
Most companies today use the ATS or Applicant Tracking System to automate the hiring process. They will help sift the best candidates through the choice of words they use. This is why it's necessary to ready your industry-related keywords. Also, compared to what most people believe, resumes that don’t make the cut doesn't automatically get thrown inside the bin. HR still reviews them and double-checks why yours failed. Hence, make your resume ATS and human-ready.
Ready to try these trends out? A modern resume is a great way to stand out in a crowded job market, and these trends are a great place to start.
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