Whether you’re making your resume for the first time, or you’re a seasoned professional, there’s nothing like a resume revamp to reignite your career game. Not all professions require a fancy resume, but a personal touch and some design finessing can get you far. If you’re looking to boost your resume, keep reading!
1. Choose your typefaces wisely
There’s a reason a lot of resumes don’t use Times New Roman. You want to stick out in the resume pile yet not so much so that you lose the emphasis on your resume content. Choosing a typeface (more commonly known as font) for your resume can be a simple yet daunting task. There are so many options to choose from! In order to narrow down your options, first decide if you want a serif or sans serif typeface.
The following examples are the same resume with differing typefaces: one serif and one sans serif. The difference this one change makes shouldn’t be underestimated.
2. Mind your margins
One of the most common things I see people do wrong when designing their own resume is making the margins too small. Make sure that your resume has enough white space on the borders of all of its text so that it doesn’t look overcrowded. This is a simple yet effective way to make your resume look more professional.
3. Less is more
Unless you are a graphic designer or an artist, keep it simple! Especially when typing titles of jobs or even of sections, don’t make the change too drastic. For example, having your text being in regular weight and then having the job title be both bold, all uppercase, a different size, and a different color can be a bit distracting for the person reading your resume. Instead, trying a simple bold title in the same size as your text. Try making only 1-2 changes per title to make it more cohesive and less distracting. You’d be surprised how simple it is, yet how much it still stands out. Another thing to avoid is having multiple colors in your resume. You want to stand out, but when it comes to your resume content is king. Don’t let your design overpower the content!
4. Don’t stick to the template
Word to the wise: If you’re using a template from Google Drive or Canva to design your resume, be sure to customize it and make it your own. Not only will other people no longer have the same design as you, but you can make sure your resume looks more professional and has more personality than it would have if you hadn’t changed it! (Tip: If you’re using Canva, always try to simplify the design using the guidelines mentioned above!)
5. Follow your brand
If you have a business card, you should have a brand. When designing a resume/business card/portfolio, colors, typefaces, and more are all important. If your business card has a green line under your name, try mimicking that on your resume! You’d be surprised how sticking to one aesthetic can make you appear more professional and polished. Play around with colors, typefaces, shapes and more to find your brand. While not necessary, it does make you appear cohesive!
Happy designing!
Note: Many of the designs shown above are as-is Canva templates and are not recommended for jobs outside of creative fields. The simpler the resume, the better, but you can still have fun when designing it by using these tips!