Many career placement experts urge career seekers not to use resume templates. While there is some validitiy to this advice, with some additional work many job seekers can create a strong resume from resume templates. Templates are just fine for putting together a resume as long as job seekers spend a little time tweaking the template to make their resumes stand out from the crowd. Job seekers can follow these tips to make the most out of any resume template, spicing it up to make it stand out to potential employers.
Don't Get Bound by the Template
Do not feel obligated to just plug in information into the template and leave it at that. Instead, change things to insert some personality into the resume. Job hunters should use a font that is professional, yet reflective of their personalities. Feel free to change the sections around to make them ordered in a way that will best reflect skills and strengths. Borders can be added, changed or removed. Section breaks can be removed or added to help make certain sections stand out.
Be as creative as possible to make the resume stand out from the pack, but be sure not to go too crazy. The key is to tweak the template to inject enough style into it so that it stands out from the mass of resumes that hiring managers wade through. A resume that stands out from the pack is a great way for job seekers to get an interview. Hiring people can be boring, so human resource personnel are always eager to talk with someone who isn't a cookie-cutter applicant.
Look for Unique Templates
Search the web for unique templates that will stand out. The majority of applicants just use a standard Microsoft Word template. Don't be afraid to go bold with one from Google Docs or some other source.
Resume Generators
It is often a good idea to go with a resume generator from a website that helps matches up job seekers with employers. Many times these generators can be customized to allow a little more creativity than a standard resume template.
However, just like resume templates, resumes created by resume generators need to be tweaked to fit the personality of the job applicant. Look over the resume after it is created. Change the fonts, borders, section breaks and the like to individualize the resume to best reflect strengths and minimize weaknesses.
Bring the Resume into the 21st Century
This last part is a little controversial, but in this day and age many people are enhancing resumes with multimedia. Instead of sending a potential employer a resume, many job seekers are now sending them links to websites that show much more of themselves than a simple piece of paper will. These pages can show a portfolio along with a resume. This can include webpages that show videos of the applicant.
Some people just come across better when they are talking than on a piece of paper, so this is a great way to catch an employer's eye. It also shows initiative, which is something that hiring managers are always looking for in a potential employee. This kind of unique approach is mainly limited to creative fields, but anyone not getting a great response with traditional resumes should give it a shot.
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Thomas Roberts is a professional who has studied the art of resume writing to improve his own career, although he does not claim expertise. If you need help with your resume, as an alternative to resume templates he highly recommends the e-book "101 Before-and-After Resume Examples" written by one of the top resume pros in the nation. You can download the e-book now at http://www.before-and-after-resumes.com/
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