Choosing the RIGHT Resume Template
Much of what has been discussed so far has been focused on CONTENT. This is, of course, the most important part of your resume however we cannot diminish the value of PRESENTATION when it comes to your resume.
This is ultimately something you want to think about BEFORE writing a resume and your options are many. Most people will use something like Microsoft Word to write their resume. There are MANY templates already included in the basic version but you ALSO have to opportunity to add other templates to the list (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT101043371033.aspx).
Here are a few “tips” to keep in mind when ultimately picking your resume template:
#1 – A little color can go a long way – Simply having color at all makes your resume standout … even if its never printed. Imagine having to look at hundreds … even thousands of resumes 99% of which are simply “black and white”. Having a resume with a little color can really make your resume stand out.
That being said, like all things, you can definitely have too much color! You just want a little to stand out … stick with BLACK text and a WHITE background but find a template that adds a little pizazz!
Something like this would work well (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/TC101927501033.aspx?CategoryID=CT101448941033)
#2 – Graphics – Along with color you “may” want to add some graphics to your resume. My own personal recommendation would be to include a professional photo. This allows future employees to put a “face” to the resume. Other graphics … while tempting, may actually distract from your resume so be VERY cautious with images and how/where you use them.
I think dragons are awesome … but that doesn’t mean I am going to add images of them to my resume!
