Do resume templates matter?
It depends. Downloading a resume template isn’t a mandatory step when you’re writing a resume. Your focus should be on crafting a resume that directly ties your work experience to the requirements of an open job. However, the ease of submitting your resume to an online job posting means that hiring managers can see as many as 200 resumes for a single job opening. Here’s where a resume template could matter — a unique design could help you stand out against a sea of simple or basic resumes.
Should my resume look pretty?
Absolutely! A study of recruiters indicated that your resume has seven seconds to convince them to either dismiss or keep reading your resume. A well-designed and well-formatted resume with bold creative elements is crucial in appealing to a hiring manager. Follow these tips to make your resume look professional, appealing and organized:
- Clear margins: We recommend using standard 1-inch margins on your resume. We know limiting your resume to one page can make it tempting to use smaller margins to fit more information in, but there’s a reason academic papers require generous margins. Your eyes need a visual break between blocks of texts to absorb the information correctly. Small margins and dense resume sections can hurt how well your resume performs.
- Readable fonts: This ties into helping the hiring manager’s eyes absorb your professional experience. Use a familiar and straightforward font like Times New Roman, Arial or Helvetica in size 10-12 on your resume. Any smaller, and you risk a hiring manager squinting or giving up on your resume. Any bigger, and you lose valuable space to impress the hiring manager.
- Color: Most word processing programs use a default black and white layout. There’s nothing wrong with submitting a resume in black and white, but if you’re applying for a highly desired job, it’s easy for your document to get lost in the sea of similar formats. Adding pops of color can help your resume stand out. We advise that you use the entry-level rule of color theory and only use three to five colors on your document. Remember, the white of your margins and black of your text count as colors.
- Borders: Your margins and paragraph breaks can indicate when and where a resume section starts and ends, but you can add additional clues in the form of borders. These small markers can send visual cues to the hiring manager, making it a lot easier to scan your resume.
Do employers like creative resumes?
Whether or not an employer likes your creative resume does depend on the job. You should use a creative resume if you work in a creative industry like tech, advertising, marketing, customer service, child care or education.
You can also use deductive reasoning when you research the job opening. Is there a use of humor on the job posting? Does the company website emphasize employee activities and company culture? Is their social media peppered with playful posts? If so, you can safely assume these employers might appreciate a creative resume
If you’re not sure, we highly recommend that you use one of our alternate resumes:
- Basic: These designs are anything but basic. These elegant templates build on a standard layout and add subtle design elements that can help you out. Although these designs are suited for job seekers in any industry, they are the perfect introduction resume for entry-level employees, recent graduates, interns and job seekers who are reentering the workforce.
- Contemporary: Our bold take on a stand resume, these templates lean into a multi-column approach and use section borders to make your skills, experience and education stand out. These layouts are ideally suited for applicants in law, finance, banking, or any traditional industry where you want to demonstrate skill aptitude.
- Simple: This is our play on the free resume templates you usually find on your word processing program. These clean and simple templates help you elevate your resume through the combination of thoughtful font choices, crisp margins, and special header treatment on each of your resume sections. These are perfect for any job seeker, regardless of experience or field of interest.