When you’re on a job hunt, it’s the substance that matters. What you’ve done, what positions you’ve held, and what you’ve accomplished are the only things that count when you’re looking for a new job, right? That’s not necessarily true though. In fact, the design of your resume where you list out all of these qualifications can actually matter quite a bit too!
CRG is like many other recruiting agencies in that our workers see many, many resumes in the course of a typical day. As we look to fulfill the staffing needs of our clients, we have to look for a potential employee stands out. A well-designed resume can actually help you do that. Here’s a look at the advantages a better resume has to offer.
A Good Design Shows You Care
When a potential employer or staffing agency sees a well-designed resume, one thing is clear. This applicant cares. If a job seeker is putting this much effort into a resume, it shows that they would put in the effort needed to do a good job on a variety of projects. A document that’s well-formatted, clean, and free of errors will help you stand out in a crowded field.
Style Can Be As Important as Content
As we mentioned, standing out to employment recruiters is important. Having a distinct style could help with that. Most resumes look similar. Times New Roman font, bullet points outlining a job history, and a section that outlines some of an applicant’s top skills usually make an appearance. You don’t want to go overboard, but using some color and a slightly different font can make a difference. Your resume will still be easy to read and take seriously, but your competitors haven’t created anything quite like it.
It Can Sell Your Skills Better
Choosing a different design for your resume can actually help you sell yourself better. A chronological resume is the typical CV that comes across the desk of career staffing agencies. This is great for workers who are looking at entry or mid-level positions, but different jobs may require a different approach.
Someone going for a higher position or an executive job might benefit from a functional resume. This includes sections like a “skills summary,” located right at the top of the resume. Right away an employer knows what you can do. A section like this would focus on exactly what you’ve learned in previous positions and what you’ll be bringing to the table at their company. Of course, you can even combine the format of a chronological resume with that of a functional resume. When you put in a little extra effort on this front, you’re doing a better job of selling yourself and attracting a potential employer’s attention.
An Employer Can Easily Find the Info They Need
Eschewing the typical format can make it easier for employers and recruiting agencies to find the exact information they need right away. A list of previous jobs, followed by a list of schools attended, followed by a smattering of skills might not do it. Having a well-designed resume that breaks up important information into distinct sections can attract the right kinds of attention from a resume reader and up your chances of a call back. At CRG we know what potential employers are looking for, and your new resume could help them find it.